Nanocomposites for Advanced Biosensing Applications

Introduction

There is an increased demand for effective biosensors nowadays for a number of reasons, such as outbreaks and the spread of infections and diseases worldwide. Additionally, biosensors are applied for the monitoring of human health and medical diagnosis, they are also significantly needed in the detection of different contaminations that may be present in water, food, and the environment. All of these needs require a development in biosensor applications to achieve effective sensing such as highly sensitive and selective biosensors with short response time and at reasonable cost. The performance of biosensors has been improved recently after the advent of nanotechnology and, more precisely, the incorporation of nanocomposites in biosensors for various applications (X. Wang et al., 2020). Nanocomposites are mixtures of different materials and phases where at least one nanostructure material, such as nanoparticles, is included. The unique properties of nanocomposites, such as their high surface area, high mechanical stability, and electrical conductivity, have improved the performance of such sensors, which results in a favourable and stable family of biosensors (Huang et al., 2021) . Various nanocomposites have been utilised in this application for different purposes, such as enhancement in the sensitivity and selectivity of the overall sensors or the production of fast-responding sensors. Nanocomposites with different nanostructure fillings are utilised, such as graphene, metal oxides, and carbon nanotubes. The employment of these materials has brought a number of preferred characteristics and advantages to the biosensing field. This chapter describes the significant role of the incorporation of nanocomposites in the bio-sensing field. The application of nanotechnology in biosensors has improved their overall performance in different ways, such as their sensitivity, selectivity, and response time. Various types of nanomaterials have been used, including nanocomposites (Kazemi et al., 2021). This chapter will emphasise the role of nanocomposites and their related nanostructure materials in the development of biosensors, with an emphasis on the advantages of using different nanocomposites in biosensors. The first part of this chapter will include explanations and discussions of the biosensors, including their structure, working principle, types, and characterization factors. The performance characteristics of biosensors will provide a clear observation of the function of the nanocomposites in developing the biosensors. The second part of this chapter will include a detailed discussion about nanocomposites, their types and properties, and their important role in the improvement of biosensors, with several examples of some of their applications from recent literature and research.