{"title":"From waste to worth: A comprehensive review on waste-derived nanomaterials for optical sensing applications","authors":"Elham Madani-Nejad , Ahmad Reza Bagheri , Ardeshir Shokrollahi , Faezeh Shahdost-Fard","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118694","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118694","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in the preparation, properties, and sensing performance of waste-derived nanomaterials (NMs). This article is novel and informative in its scope, since: (a) different approaches for the synthesis of NMs are investigated, considering the advantages and disadvantages of each one; (b) the efficiency of waste-derived NMs in optical sensors is evaluated; (c) it is discussed how waste precursor chemistry can dictate NM surface functionalities and resulting optical selectivity and sensitivity; (d) it is reviewed how heteroatom doping can tune the electronic structure, bandgap, defect states, and optical absorption of waste-derived NMs; (e) different optical sensing mechanisms of waste-derived NMs, including fluorescence enhancing/quenching, inner-filter effect, Förster resonance energy transfer, and surface-state modulation, are assessed; and (f) current trends and future bottlenecks in relation to the synthesis and use of waste-derived NMs in optical sensing platforms are illustrated.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 118694"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146074258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yinwei Gu , Tongtong Tian , Jing Jin , Yan Li , Wei Guo , Ning Gu
{"title":"Revealing the potential of magnetic micro-nano architectures in analytical chemistry: From design to application","authors":"Yinwei Gu , Tongtong Tian , Jing Jin , Yan Li , Wei Guo , Ning Gu","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118677","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118677","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Magnetic micro-and nano-architectures (MMNAs) have emerged as powerful tools in analytical chemistry due to their unique physicochemical properties, mainly responsible for the separation, enrichment, and signal detection of target analytes. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the properites, synthesis, design, and multifunctional applications of these materials. Firstly, we summarized the core magnetic properties and the synthesis strategies developed for their functionality. Then, we delved into their various cutting-edge applications, emphasizing their roles as separation and enrichment tools, signal sources in magnetic sensing, signal enhancers in biosensors, and actuators for droplet manipulation. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and future perspectives. MMNAs will undoubtedly be an important driving force for the development of next-generation analytical platforms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 118677"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146034662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tianren Liu , Javaria Ashiq , Mudassar Jamil , Sara Riaz , Yingming Ma , Mian Hasnain Nawaz , Li Niu
{"title":"Challenges in translating machine learning integrated microfluidic paper-based biosensors from lab to field: A critical analysis of scalability and socio-economic barriers","authors":"Tianren Liu , Javaria Ashiq , Mudassar Jamil , Sara Riaz , Yingming Ma , Mian Hasnain Nawaz , Li Niu","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2025.118637","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2025.118637","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Food safety and contamination are serious global challenges because of their magnified impact on health and social well-being. Conventional detection techniques, despite their accuracy, rely on laboratory equipment, skilled operators, and time-consuming steps, which limit their use for on-site analysis. Microfluidic paper-based biosensors (μPAD-BS) have appeared as a simple, low-cost, and reliable solution for rapid food testing. Additionally, the machine learning assisted microfluidic paper-based devices have more advantages in their analytical performances and reliability. These platforms can handle complicated data, improve detection accuracy, and facilitate real-time decision-making via portable devices like smartphones when paired with machine learning. This review critically examines the integration of machine learning algorithms with μPAD-BS. It also discusses fabrication methods, algorithm selection criteria, and the trade-offs between computational cost and interpretability. It also provides insights from related fields such as biomedical diagnostics and environmental monitoring to offer scalable, ethical, and user-friendly designs. In spite of machine learning-enhanced μPAD-BS showing promising outputs, the need for further research to develop more user-oriented and intelligent sensing tools for robust food safety analysis has also been discussed in the future perspectives section.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 118637"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146034667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yutong Wang , Sihang Zhang , Qingchun Yin , Jing Wei , Jiawei Liu , Long Wu
{"title":"TMB-mediated catalytic SERS systems: Applications, innovations, and future prospects","authors":"Yutong Wang , Sihang Zhang , Qingchun Yin , Jing Wei , Jiawei Liu , Long Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2025.118632","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2025.118632","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful analytical technique offering simplicity, ultra-high sensitivity, molecular fingerprint specificity, and rapid detection. The development of Raman probes is crucial for advancing SERS performance. Notably, 3,3′,5,5′-Tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), a widely used chromogenic substrate, possesses distinct redox, electrochemical properties and spectroscopic properties. The oxidized forms of TMB (ox-TMB) act as SERS probes, enabling sensitive and reliable SERS detection. Integration of TMB-SERS with other analytical techniques allows multimodal sensing, improving detection accuracy in applications such as disease diagnosis, environmental monitoring, and food safety. Although TMB has been mentioned in reviews on SERS substrates, probes, nanozyme-assisted SERS, and catalytic sensing, a comprehensive, substrate-focused review of TMB-mediated catalytic SERS is still lacking. This review systematically summarizes the chemical and redox properties of TMB, clarifies the mechanism of Raman activation, and highlights key applications. Design principles, current challenges, and future directions for TMB-mediated SERS systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 118632"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145839357","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dexiang Wang , Tianlong Zhang , Kewei Ding , Hongsheng Tang , Hua Li
{"title":"Near-infrared spectroscopy for energetic materials: Instruments, chemometrics, and process analytics (2001–2025)","authors":"Dexiang Wang , Tianlong Zhang , Kewei Ding , Hongsheng Tang , Hua Li","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2025.118631","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2025.118631","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Energetic materials (EMs) require analytical methods that are rapid, non-destructive, and capable of real-time monitoring—capabilities frequently lacking in classical techniques. Through a structured literature survey (2001–2025), this review demonstrates that Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) coupled with advanced chemometrics has emerged as a powerful tool to overcome these limitations. This review highlights pivotal applications in qualitative analysis for rapid identification of EMs and their precursors; in quantitative analysis, where high-precision determination of component concentrations and critical physicochemical properties is enabled; and in process analysis, where real-time monitoring of manufacturing steps is realized. These applications contribute to enhanced safety, quality control, and production efficiency. The realization of such diverse applications relies on a synergistic workflow combining advanced instrumentation with robust chemometric strategies. Finally, persistent challenges (such as complex matrices and model robustness) are addressed, and emerging trends are highlighted, including AI-driven data processing, multimodal sensor fusion, and digital-twin-enabled process optimization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 118631"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145839359","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paulo Pereira , Emoke Dalma Kovacs , Melinda Haydee Kovacs , Miguel Inácio , Eric C. Brevik , Damia Barcelo
{"title":"Microplastics and persistent organic pollutants' impacts on soil ecosystem services supply","authors":"Paulo Pereira , Emoke Dalma Kovacs , Melinda Haydee Kovacs , Miguel Inácio , Eric C. Brevik , Damia Barcelo","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118667","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118667","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microplastics and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) harm the environment. Although this topic is widely studied, few works have linked it to soil ecosystem services (ES). Here, we aim to discuss the impacts of microplastics and POPS on soil-regulating, provisioning, and cultural ES. These pollutants increase toxicity, alter biogeochemical processes, and microbial activity, affecting plants' health. This cascade of negative impacts hurts all the soil-regulating ES, including erosion, flood and climate regulation, pollination, air quality regulation, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, soil formation, and water purification. Soil degradation and reduced soil productivity also reduce the supply of food, water, biomass, timber, and medicinal resources. Soil pollution and its effects on vegetation degradation negatively affect Cultural ES, such as heritage and landscape aesthetics. It is important to highlight that microplastics and POPs adversely affect all soil-related ES, and it is urgent to develop cost-effective measures to remove them from the environment on a large scale.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 118667"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145973576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bo Peng , Yujie Li , Jichao Qin , Zhuoqun Qiao , Yue Li , Jie Yang , Peiyuan Zhou , Xiaojun Zhao , Ying Kuang , Kao Wu , Fatang Jiang
{"title":"Structure-engineered colorimetric sensors for volatile amine detection: Advances in freshness monitoring of meat and aquatic products","authors":"Bo Peng , Yujie Li , Jichao Qin , Zhuoqun Qiao , Yue Li , Jie Yang , Peiyuan Zhou , Xiaojun Zhao , Ying Kuang , Kao Wu , Fatang Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118661","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118661","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Timely and accurate monitoring of meat and aquatic product freshness is crucial for public health and food industry. Volatile amine (VA) colorimetric sensors show great potential, but require structural innovation to improve accuracy in complex environments. In this review, we focused on novel structures (porous film, multi-layer film, hydrogel, and aerogel structure) in VA colorimetric sensors. The formation processes and the mechanism for the enhancement in VA sensing performance by these structures were summarized. The macromolecular interactions were the crucial factors that influence sensor structure. By enhancing VA capturing efficiency, optimizing mass transport pathways, and extending diffusion paths of dyes, the sensing performances were improved. Then, recent advances in VA colorimetric sensors for meat and aquatic products’ freshness monitoring were summarized. We also suggested future prospects in this field, including establishing structure-performance relationship, engineering selectivity of the sensor, and using artificial intelligence for sensor design and freshness monitoring in practice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 118661"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145922593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Minzhi Liao , Lu Chen , Yuxuan Yang , Xinyao Yi , Mengyi Xiong , Lin Yuan
{"title":"From mechanism to sensitivity: Engineering CRISPR/Cas systems for clinical-grade diagnostics","authors":"Minzhi Liao , Lu Chen , Yuxuan Yang , Xinyao Yi , Mengyi Xiong , Lin Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118656","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118656","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate and sensitive molecular detection underpins modern clinical diagnostics and precision medicine. The advent of CRISPR/Cas systems has revolutionized nucleic acid detection, offering programmable specificity and versatile adaptability for clinical biomarker analysis. However, the intrinsically low abundance of disease-associated nucleic acids in clinical samples remains a major barrier, as the native sensitivity of CRISPR-based assays is often insufficient for direct quantification. To bridge this gap and enable clinical translation, extensive efforts have been devoted to enhancing CRISPR detection sensitivity through multifaceted engineering and optimization. Owing to the modular architecture of CRISPR systems, sensitivity can be improved at multiple levels including Cas protein engineering, crRNA design, signal transduction, and reaction condition optimization, many of which can act synergistically. This review provides a systematic overview of recent advances in sensitivity enhancement strategies for CRISPR-based diagnostics and discusses their implications for the development of robust, amplification-free, point-of-care testing platforms. We anticipate that this work will serve as a conceptual framework and technical reference for researchers advancing CRISPR technologies toward clinical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 118656"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146034659","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zhiliang Wu , Yanshan Yin , Nai Shi , Shihao Lv , Ruiqi Wang , Md Maksudur Rahman , Hongqi Wang , Zehua Wang , Wenran Gao , Carol Sze Ki Lin , Zhenyao Wang , Ao Xia , Bing Song
{"title":"Recent advances in analytical methods for plastic thermochemical conversion: from feedstocks to products","authors":"Zhiliang Wu , Yanshan Yin , Nai Shi , Shihao Lv , Ruiqi Wang , Md Maksudur Rahman , Hongqi Wang , Zehua Wang , Wenran Gao , Carol Sze Ki Lin , Zhenyao Wang , Ao Xia , Bing Song","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118681","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118681","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rising accumulation of plastic waste poses a global challenge, highlighting the need for efficient recycling and valorization. Thermochemical conversion offers a promising route for transforming plastics into value-added products, but its optimization relies on robust analytical methods capable of accurately identifying feedstocks and characterizing reaction products. This review summarizes recent advances in analytical methods across the entire thermochemical conversion chain. For feedstock identification, conventional sorting manual and density-based sorting have evolved toward advanced spectroscopic techniques like Fourier-transform infrared and Raman, enabling rapid and non-destructive polymer detection. For product characterization, chromatographic, thermal, spectroscopic, and microscopic tools are essential for analyzing gaseous, liquid, and solid products and for uncovering reaction pathways. Emerging integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning is also highlighted for enhancing real-time analysis and process decision-making. This review offers guidance for selecting and applying analytical tools to improve the environmental and economic feasibility of thermochemical plastic recycling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 118681"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146034666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Qian Zhang , Jin Li , Yuanman Yue , Naimov Alisher
{"title":"Selective enrichment for sensitivity enhancement in nanocomposite functionalized fiber-optic biosensors","authors":"Qian Zhang , Jin Li , Yuanman Yue , Naimov Alisher","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2025.118635","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2025.118635","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nanocomposites functionalized fiber-optic biosensors achieve highly sensitive and selective detection of biological and chemical substances by integrating the unique optical, electrical, and magnetic properties of nanomaterials with the optical fiber structure. The working mechanisms have been systematically reviewed, focusing particularly on the functionalization strategies for the optical fiber surface and the underlying physical and chemical mechanisms in improving sensing performance. After the introduction of nanomaterials, the sensor can significantly enhance the interaction between light and matter through new effects such as surface plasmon resonance, local field enhancement and fluorescence energy transfer. In addition, by introducing specific recognition elements into the functional layer, the sensor can selectively capture target molecules. This paper also discusses the practical application of such sensors in the fields of biomarker detection, food safety analysis and environmental pollutant monitoring. Finally, the current technical challenges are summarized and the future development is prospected.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 118635"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145882555","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}