Themed collection JMC B Editor’s choice web collection: ‘‘seeing the unseen updated: advances in biosensing’’

Xiaogang Qu introduces a Journal of Materials Chemistry B Editor's choice web collection on advances in biosensing (http://rsc.li/BiosensorsAdvances).

This review summarizes the advances in non-enzymatic glucose sensors based on different metal oxides (ZnO, CuO/Cu₂O, NiO, etc.) and their composites.

A review describing functional nanostructures for portable and printable enzyme biosensors. Specific physicochemical and surface properties of nanoparticles used as carriers and sensing components and their assembly are discussed with an overview of current and emerging techniques enabling large scale roll-to-roll fabrication and miniaturization. Their integration in flexible, wearable and inexpensive point-of-use devices, and implementation challenges are also provided with examples of applications.

A cobalt phosphide nanowire array was grown in situ on titanium mesh, exhibiting high catalytic activity towards electrooxidation of glucose, and offering a non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensor with remarkable selectivity and long-term stability.

An electrodeposited nickel cobalt sulfide nanosheet film acts as a nonenzymatic glucose sensor with wide linear response range of 0.001–3 mM, low detection limit of 0.12 μM, high sensitivity of 3291.5 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻², as well as good selectivity and long-term stability.

A novel Ir(III) complex 1 displays high selectivity for the G-quadruplex, and was used to establish a label-free G-quadruplex-based detection platform for lysozyme in buffer.

Ultrathin Ni-MOF nanobelts, [Ni₂₀(C₅H₆O₄)₂₀(H₂O)₈]·40H₂O(Ni-MIL-77 NBs), were synthesized by a facile one-pot solution process and can be used as an efficient catalyst electrode for glucose oxidation under alkaline conditions.

A simple pH-mediated lysosome-targetable fluorescent probe with picomolar sensitivity for HOCl was firstly developed to visualize basal lysosomal HOCl.

MoS₂–Au hybrids were utilized to construct a sensitive H₂O₂ electrochemical biosensor for the determination of H₂O₂ released from living cells.

This work designs a visual fluorescence immunoassay for carcinoembryonic antigen based on structural and optical transformation of CdTe quantum dots immobilized on paper by cation-exchange reaction.

Nitrogen-doped carbon dots exhibit a distinct pH-sensitive/excitation-dependent photoluminescence emission feature within pH 4.0–8.0, facilitating intracellular pH sensing and multicolor imaging of live HeLa cells.

Highly stable biomolecule supported by AuNPs assisted with graphene nanocomposite as a sensing platform for H₂O₂ biosensor application.

We report the first demonstration of platinum nanoparticles–reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites as peroxidase mimetics for colorimetric DNA detection.

A two-photon ratiometric ESIPT probe for the discrimination of different palladium species which could be used for bioimaging.

Surface defects of Fe-doped CeO₂ nanorods were found to be active sites for increasing peroxidase mimetic activity.

Aggregates of PS-PDI after Pd⁰ based depropargylation show de-aggregation and near-IR, ratiometric absorbance changes in water and live HeLa cells.

A novel amperometric biosensor for glucose detection was fabricated based on a mimetic multi-enzyme system by combing mimetic enzymes (metal–organic frameworks, MOFs) and glucose oxidase (GOx).

A water-soluble broadly emitting (500–650 nm) fluorescent probe (IECBT) for the selective and sensitive detection of multiple analytes, including CN⁻, HSO₃⁻ and extremely alkaline pH, is designed and synthesized.

A facile and rapid fluorescence assay based on a redox reaction for successively detecting ascorbic acid and acid phosphatase was developed via Cr(VI)-modulated graphene quantum dots (GQDs).

Illustrating the selective modification of the HNTs for the incorporation of AgNPs and site-specific covalent immobilization of the GOx enzymes.

Cytocompatible carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) having high quantum yield and multicolour bioimaging properties were synthesized and employed as sensitive, selective and rapid dual sensor for Pd²⁺ and Hg²⁺.