Electrochemical Nanosensors: Fabrication, Functionalization, and Intracellular Measurement

Abstract

Cells are the basic structural and functional units of living organisms, within which a cascade of vital biological processes occur in an unceasing manner. The detailed examination of intracellular dynamic processes is essential for unraveling life essence and advancing life science frontiers. Nevertheless, a single living cell constitutes an extremely tiny and complex system, and thereby intracellular measurement puts substantial demands on analytical tools. Recently, due to the high spatiotemporal resolution, powerful quantitative ability, and minimal damage to cell vitality, nanoelectrode-based electrochemical nanosensors exhibit great superiority in intracellular measurement. This review highlights crucial developments in materials and techniques for the fabrication and functionalization of nanoelectrodes, which are exploited for electrochemical sensing of various biomarkers and intracellular monitoring of dynamic biological events at single-cell level. Finally, considering nanoelectrode preparation and biological applications, challenges and perspectives of electrochemical nanosensors are discussed.