Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Fabricating Superhydrophobic Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Applications
Published on: August 28, 2015
Recent advances in nanomaterial-based optical biosensors and their biomedical and biopharmaceutical applications
Mengjia Xu1,2, Lutfun Nahar3, Kenneth J Ritchie4
1Ningbo Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging Probe Materials and Technology, Zhejiang International Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials Technology and Application, Ningbo Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Advanced Theranostic Materials and Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315201, China.
Abstract:
Optical biosensors are gaining popularity owing to their portability, miniaturization, no requirement for additional attachments, and rapid responsiveness. These features render them suitable for various applications including at-home diagnostics, pharmacology, and continuous molecular monitoring. The integration of functionalized low-dimensional nanomaterials (zero-dimensional (0D), 1D, 2D, and 3D) has redirected focus towards the design, fabrication, and optimization of optical biosensors. This review summarizes the fundamental mechanisms underlying optical biosensing. The key mechanisms include localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), photoluminescence (PL), surface enhancement Raman scattering (SERS), nanozyme-based colorimetric strategies, chemiluminescence, bioluminescence, and electrochemiluminescence. The advantages of various low-dimensional nanomaterials for different types of optical biosensors are presented. This comparison emphasizes their potential superiority in targeted biosensing applications. Therefore, promoting optical biosensing techniques and recent developments in advanced biosensing strategies for biomedical research and biopharmaceutical applications are necessary to establish their future directions.
Related Concept Videos
Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics: Overview
Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...
Overview of Advanced Functional Groups
Functional groups are groups of atoms with specific chemical properties that occur within organic molecules and are sometimes denoted as “R”. Functional groups can “functionalize” a compound by enabling it to adopt different physical and chemical properties.
Types of Advanced Functional Groups
The table below summarizes some of the major functional groups in organic chemistry.
Biopharmaceutical Factors Influencing Drug Product Design: Overview
Extraction: Advanced Methods
Sample Preparation for Analysis: Advanced Techniques
Acid digestion with strong acids is commonly used to dissolve inorganic materials that are insoluble (do not dissolve) in water. This method can be useful for...

