Emerging 2D Materials and Their Hybrid Nanostructures for Label-Free Optical Biosensing: Recent Progress and Outlook

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• The demand for sensitive, selective, and rapid biosensing drives innovation in label-free optical biosensors.
• Two-dimensional materials (2DMs) offer superior surface-to-volume ratios and tunable properties ideal for biosensing.
• Van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) and mixed-dimensional architectures enhance biosensor performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in label-free optical biosensing utilizing 2DMs and their hybrid nanostructures.
• To highlight the synergistic effects of different components in these advanced biosensing systems.
• To discuss the integration of machine learning for improved biosensor performance and data analysis.

Main Methods:

• Review of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based biosensing with 2DMs.
• Analysis of surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based biosensing with 2DMs and hybrid nanostructures.
• Exploration of mixed-dimensional hybrid architectures for enhanced detection.

Main Results:

• 2DMs and their hybrid nanostructures significantly improve sensitivity, stability, and reproducibility in label-free optical detection.
• Synergistic effects between different 2DMs in vdWHs and mixed-dimensional architectures lead to enhanced sensing capabilities.
• Multifunctional sensing platforms and machine learning integration show promise for intelligent biosensing.

Conclusions:

• 2DMs and their hybrid architectures are crucial for developing next-generation label-free optical biosensors.
• Mixed-dimensional designs offer superior performance compared to purely 2D systems.
• Future research should focus on optimizing these platforms and leveraging AI for advanced diagnostics.