Recent advances in electrochemical detection of reactive oxygen species: a review

Abstract

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are mainly generated as a result of cellular metabolism in plants and animals, playing a crucial role in cellular signaling mechanisms. The excessive generation of ROS leads to oxidative stress, which is associated with numerous diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. Superoxide (O₂˙⁻), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) are the most common ROS involved in a wide range of human diseases. Therefore, sensitive and selective detection of these ROS is of paramount importance for understanding their roles in biological systems and for disease diagnosis. Among the various detection methods, electrochemical techniques have gained significant attention due to their high sensitivity, selectivity, and real-time monitoring capabilities. Electrochemical methods incorporate both organic and inorganic molecules to detect and monitor ROS, facilitating a deeper understanding of how their levels influence diseases linked to oxidative stress. This review aims to provide a critical discussion on the recent advances in electrochemical methods for detecting O₂˙⁻, H₂O₂, and ˙OH. The review also highlights the application of these electrochemical techniques in detecting ROS in living cells and discusses the challenges and future perspectives in this field.