{"title":"A multi-sensing quinazoline-derived fluorescent sensor for selective detection of Ru3+, Ir3+, Th4+, and UO22+ with environmental applications","authors":"Prakash Seenu , Nandhini Karthikeyan , Namrata Priyadharshini Hota , Saravanan Enbanathan , Sathiyanarayanan Kulathu Iyer","doi":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100357","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100357","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The chemosensor, 2-(10-hydroxybenzo [h]quinolin-9-yl) quinazolin-4(3H)-one (SP55) was successfully synthesized in a two-step synthesis reaction and confirmed through characterisation techniques like NMR spectroscopy, FT-IR, and HR-MS. For the optical experiments, the ligands were solubilized with a solvent mixture of (8:2) acetonitrile and water, whereas the cation salts were dissolved in water. The absorption studies ensure sensitivity only to Ru3+, Ir3+, Th4+, and uranyl nitrate (UO22+), compared to other cations. The absorption and emission tests indicated that the emission intensified on adding Ru<sup>3+</sup>, Ir<sup>3+</sup>, Th<sup>4+</sup>, and uranyl nitrate (UO<sub>2</sub><sup>2+</sup>) ions with blue shift and absorption also intensified but with red shift The limit of detection (LoD) was 0.44 nM for Ru<sup>3+</sup>, 2.35 nM for Ir<sup>3+</sup>, 1.64 nM for Th<sup>4+</sup>, and 1.99 nM for UO<sub>2</sub><sup>2+</sup>. The complex formation between the sensor and metals was confirmed using FT-IR, HR-MS, Job's plot, DFT, and <sup>1</sup>H NMR titration analyses. Furthermore, we used the SP55 chemosensor to detect Ru<sup>3+</sup>, Ir<sup>3+</sup>, Th<sup>4+</sup>, and uranyl nitrate (UO<sub>2</sub><sup>2+</sup>) in environmental water samples.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":426,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators Reports","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100357"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144597532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
F. Vivaldi , F. Torrini , F. Spiaggia , F. Di Francesco , M. Minunni
{"title":"Exploring affinity receptors in bioanalysis: from natural binders to biomimetics","authors":"F. Vivaldi , F. Torrini , F. Spiaggia , F. Di Francesco , M. Minunni","doi":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100359","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100359","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Affinity receptors have played a pivotal role in advancing bioanalysis, primarily for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, thanks to their high selectivity toward target molecules, which enables their use in complex biofluids. While antibodies remain the gold standard, ongoing research has explored alternative receptors with improved stability, reduced size, and enhanced performance in bioanalytical and clinical applications. This works traces the evolution of affinity receptors from classical antibodies to emerging biomimetic and synthetic alternatives, including affibodies, nanobodies, aptamers, and molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). We highlight their molecular features, advantages, and limitations, emphasizing their use as part of the molecular toolbox for bioanalytical assay development and biosensing. Overall, the continuous diversification of affinity binders reflects the dynamic nature of this field, where the optimal receptor remains context dependent. For this reason, the research into new binders to complement or eventually replace antibodies that, for the moment, remain the choice for high-throughput applications, is still ongoing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":426,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators Reports","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100359"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144570862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jinsik Yoon , Kibeom Kim , Junghyun Bae , Wook Park
{"title":"Moisture-thermo dual-responsive hydrogel structure for liquid composition change detection and programmed actuation via vertical crosslinking gradient based defocusing photolithography","authors":"Jinsik Yoon , Kibeom Kim , Junghyun Bae , Wook Park","doi":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100356","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100356","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Multifarious detection and response mechanisms have been introduced and implemented because responsive materials, particularly hydrogel polymers, adopt certain transformations by external reactions and recover their original appearance. Heterogeneous structures are usually fabricated to obtain responsive hydrogels. In addition, component frame gradation methods have been applied to overcome the limitations of material composition. In this study, we present versatile responsive hydrogel structures that perform as sensor or actuator. The structures are fabricated using a defocusing maskless photolithography system with an objective lens, and consist of a single hydrogel-retained polymeric crosslinking density gradient. The hydrogel structures immersed in anhydrous hygroscopic solutions fail to swell, thereby maintaining their curved shapes. The solutions, improperly stored and left unattended, naturally absorb ambient moisture, and the resulting increase in water content enhances water–polymer interactions proportionally. This enhanced interaction induces swelling of the hydrogel, leading to curvature changes, enabling the structure to function as a sensor for detecting changes in liquid composition. By utilizing the structure, a change in moisture content of approximately 3% is easily verified without mechanical assistance. In contrast, temperature-dependent property changes in ethanol solutions with minimal water content predominantly affect solution–polymer interactions rather than polymer–polymer interactions. Reversible structural responses of the hydrogel are analyzed under repeated thermal cycling, and actuators such as a gripper and walking robot operating via thermal switching are successfully developed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":426,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators Reports","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100356"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144548422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yingping Luo , Tongtong Lai , Yi Tang , Linhui Xie , Jingyan Zhang , Peiyao Chen , Jiancai Tang , Qiang Su , Qiao Liu
{"title":"Cost-effective and label-free split aptamer constructs for rapid and visual detection of PDGF-BB protein","authors":"Yingping Luo , Tongtong Lai , Yi Tang , Linhui Xie , Jingyan Zhang , Peiyao Chen , Jiancai Tang , Qiang Su , Qiao Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100355","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100355","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Though considerable efforts are focusing on the development of different types of sensors for platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) determination, few of these approaches can achieve cost-effective, rapid, and sensitive detecting PDGF-BB by naked eye. Herein, we developed a novel, cost-effective, label-free and robust sensor based on split aptamer recognition and proximity-induced formation of G-quadruplex DNAzyme for rapid and visual detection of PDGF-BB. The two segments of constructed sensor, termed as split aptazyme (SA), were separated in the absence of PDGF-BB, but effectively assemble after binding the target to form DNAzyme structure that could catalyze the H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>-mediated oxidation of 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid, generating a dark green color within 5 min which could be observed by naked eye. Notably, the SA demonstrated here showed a wide linear response to PDGF-BB from 0 to 500 nM in bio-samples with a limit of detection as low as 0.7 nM. Therefore, we believe that such an approach should be readily applicable for on-site visual detection of PDGF-BB for cancer monitoring and diagnosis. The newly developed SA strategy also offers attractive universal sensing platforms for rapid and visual detection of other protein biomarkers that only have one binding site.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":426,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators Reports","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100355"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144502144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Molecularly imprinted polymer technology for electrochemical detection of diabetes-related biomarkers","authors":"Launa Silky Karenindra Rokhmat , Irkham , Serly Zuliska , Adisyahputra , Yohanes Susanto Ridwan , Retna Putri Fauzia , Putra Rafli Ramdani , Yeni Wahyuni Hartati","doi":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100353","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100353","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Delayed treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM) can result in severe complications, including cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, and kidney failure, emphasizing the critical importance of early and accurate detection. Key biomarkers for DM diagnosis and monitoring include glucose, insulin, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and glycated albumin (GHSA), which are typically measured using techniques like chromatography, electrophoresis, and immunoassays. While these methods offer high accuracy and reliability, their application is often limited by the need for sophisticated instrumentation, high operational costs, and lengthy analysis times, making them less suitable for point-of-care diagnostics. As an alternative, Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) have emerged as a promising solution due to their exceptional specificity in biomarker recognition, mimicking the selective binding properties of natural antibodies. MIPs-based electrochemical sensors offer significant advantages, including high stability, selectivity, reproducibility, and cost-effectiveness, making them highly suitable for rapid and portable biomarker detection. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in MIPs-based electrochemical sensors for DM biomarker detection, emphasizing various synthesis strategies, including bulk polymerization, surface polymerization, electropolymerization, and cooling polymerization. Furthermore, key factors influencing sensor performance, such as functional monomers, crosslinkers, and initiators, are discussed. The continued development of MIPs-based electrochemical sensors holds great potential for enhancing the accessibility and efficiency of DM biomarker detection, with ongoing research paving the way for their integration into point-of-care diagnostic platforms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":426,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators Reports","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100353"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144471258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vi T. Nguyen , Clifford Anderson , Karen S. Anderson , Jennifer Blain Christen
{"title":"Design, fabrication, and decontamination of low-cost microfluidics for nucleic acid amplification","authors":"Vi T. Nguyen , Clifford Anderson , Karen S. Anderson , Jennifer Blain Christen","doi":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100354","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100354","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Liquid assays, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), are difficult to implement in point-of-care microfluidic devices because bubbles often form. We present a reaction chamber design called same-depth inlet outlet (SDIO), which was found to reduce the instances of bubble formation by an average of 92.2 % across different flow rates when compared to traditional designs. We designed the fabrication process using xurography, laser cutting, and lamination techniques, which enable rapid and low-cost prototyping. The fabrication methods were evaluated for nuclease contamination, and best practices to reduce nucleases during and after chip assembly are detailed. Our technique, using a combination of ethanol rinses and ultraviolet-C light radiation, was found to reduce RNases up to tenfold. Different materials were tested for microfluidic compatibility with LAMP assay reagents by making chips that realistically emulate final surface areas and volumes. A variation in performance was found among different adhesives, where the best fluorescence ratio between positive and negative reactions was 4.63. Our microfluidic design was validated by amplifying a spiked RT-LAMP assay with SARS-CoV-2 primers in the reaction chambers. The overall findings aim to facilitate early-stage development and prototyping of microfluidic devices with consistent and reliable results.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":426,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators Reports","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100354"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144828274","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. Celesti , D. Iannazzo , C. Gugliandolo , V. Zammuto , L. Calabrese , P. Trifilò , L. Legnani , M.A. Chiacchio , G. Neri
{"title":"Bacteria derived bioactive compounds: A valuable tool for the electrochemical detection of arsenic (III) ions in contaminated water","authors":"C. Celesti , D. Iannazzo , C. Gugliandolo , V. Zammuto , L. Calabrese , P. Trifilò , L. Legnani , M.A. Chiacchio , G. Neri","doi":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100349","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100349","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A simple, fast and cost-effective electrochemical approach is here reported for the selective and quantitative detection of arsenic (III) ions in water starting from bacteria derived bioactive compounds<em>.</em> The exopolysaccharide (EPS B3–15) produced by the thermophilic, heavy metal tolerant <em>Bacillus licheniformis</em> B3–15, and the biosurfactant obtained from <em>Bacillus horneckiae</em> SBP3 (BS- SBP3) were used as sensitive elements for the electrochemical detection of As<sup>3+</sup> due to their known recognition abilities towards this toxic ion, their thermophilic properties and stability in harsh conditions. The covalent functionalization of screen-printed gold electrodes (SPGE) with these bioactive compounds demonstrated to be advantageous to selectively detect As<sup>3+</sup> in contaminated waters. Electrochemical measurements, performed for the developed sensors SPGE-EPS-B3–15 and SPGE-BS- SBP3, at the normal range of pH in surface water systems (6.5–8.5) demonstrated a higher sensitivity towards As<sup>3+</sup> with respect to the bare electrode, also in the presence of other competing ions, such as Al<sup>3+</sup>, Bi<sup>3+</sup>, Ni<sup>2+</sup> and Pb<sup>2+</sup>,with very low limits of detection (0.19 nM for SPGE-EPS-B3–15 and 0.03 nM for SPGE-BS- SBP3), which are below the legal limits for these heavy metal ions in drinking water (10 μg/L). The reported sensitivity was 1.8 µA nM<sup>−1</sup>cm<sup>−2</sup> for SPGE-EPS-B3–15 and 17.5 µA nM<sup>−1</sup>cm<sup>−2</sup> for SPGE-BS- SBP3. The preferred detection abilities of the chosen bioactive compounds towards As<sup>3+</sup> ions have been also confirmed by complete conformational analysis, using a combination of Molecular Dynamics (MD) and Density Functional Theory (DFT) studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":426,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators Reports","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100349"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144321729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Feng Zhou , Siyuan Yu , Ming Wu , Xuanqi Zhong , Xiaoxian Song , Haiting Zhang
{"title":"Broad spectrum UV–Vis-NIR photodetector based on mechanically exfoliated MoSSe thin film","authors":"Feng Zhou , Siyuan Yu , Ming Wu , Xuanqi Zhong , Xiaoxian Song , Haiting Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100350","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100350","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, binary transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have emerged as a highly promising class of optoelectronic materials, due to their exceptional stability and optoelectronic properties. However, binary TMDs are typically associated with deep defect states, impeding the enhancement of the device's photo responsivity and response time. The alloying of binary two-dimensional (2D) materials provides an effective solution to this problem. A broadband metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetector based on a mechanically exfoliated MoSSe thin film is reported. The device shows excellent responsivity and fast response at UV–Vis-NIR wavelengths (375–1550 nm). Under the irradiation of the 532 nm laser, the device shows a photo responsivity (R) of 15 mA/W, a specific detectivity (D<sub>1</sub>*) of 6.91 × 10<sup>9</sup> Jones and D<sub>2</sub>* of 6.48 × 10<sup>9</sup> Jones, a response rise time of 43 ms, and a fall time of 38 ms. Moreover, the photoelectric imaging of a photodetector at 1550 nm was achieved by a single-site scanning imaging system. This research has contributed to the field of 2D materials, particularly in MoSSe for broadband photodetectors and photoelectric imaging.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":426,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators Reports","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100350"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144313402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yuhuan Qin , Wenxue Sun , Joseph Brake , Sulin Gao , Qianqian Li , Xinrong Zhu , Jiang Bian , Xiaobin Wu
{"title":"A novel colorimetric lead ion detection method using lead-2′3-dimercaptosuccinic acid chelates to catalyze etching of gold nanostars","authors":"Yuhuan Qin , Wenxue Sun , Joseph Brake , Sulin Gao , Qianqian Li , Xinrong Zhu , Jiang Bian , Xiaobin Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100351","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.snr.2025.100351","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lead ions are an environmental pollutant and a threat to human health. Traditional methods for detecting lead ions suffer disadvantages such as being time-consuming and expensive, therefore there is a need to develop simpler and faster methods. We developed an optimized spectroscopic method to detect lead ions by first identifying a lead-specific chelator 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) which was screened using a novel biological screening system and verified by metal chromophore assays. Synthetic gold nanostars (GNSs) were explored for use as probes and we found that DMSA-Pb chelates catalyzed the etching of GNSs in solution resulting in a color change. We observed a change in the longitudinal local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peak of GNSs in the presence of DMSA-Pb which could be measured in subsequent experiments. The optimized etching reaction displayed strong sensitivity and selectivity for Pb<sup>2+</sup> and achieved a detection limit of 2 nM less than 2 min, which is well below the safety threshold of Pb<sup>2+</sup> in environmental water and food. The Pb<sup>2+</sup> contents of rice, beans, milk, grapes, peaches, and cabbage were detected by the DMSA-Pb GNSs method and were consistent with those of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Our study provides a novel and practical approach for rapid, safe, and cost-effective detection of lead ions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":426,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators Reports","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100351"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144331515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}