{"title":"Protein Adsorption on Solid Materials: Mechanisms, Surface-Engineering Strategies, and Affinity-Based Recognition Systems","authors":"Samuel Kowalczyk, Václav Slovák","doi":"10.1002/anse.70136","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anse.70136","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Protein adsorption on solid materials plays a central role in analytical, biomedical, and separation-based technologies. Depending on the application, protein–surface interactions may be exploited for selective capture or must be minimized to avoid nonspecific fouling. This review examines the fundamental mechanisms governing protein adsorption on solid surfaces, with emphasis on hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, π–π stacking, and confinement effects in porous materials. We discuss how material properties such as surface chemistry, porosity, and mineral composition influence protein binding, with particular focus on carbon-based and inorganic solids. Strategies for controlling protein–surface interactions through surface functionalization, polymer modification, and affinity-based approaches are critically reviewed. Special attention is given to molecularly imprinted polymers and aptamer-functionalized materials as routes to introduce molecular selectivity beyond nonspecific adsorption. Finally, representative applications in biosensing, selective adsorption, and solid-phase extraction are summarized, highlighting current capabilities and limitations of protein-interactive materials in analytical workflows.</p>","PeriodicalId":72192,"journal":{"name":"Analysis & sensing","volume":"6 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149205884","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":"Simultaneous Electrochemical Detection of Cd(II) and Pb(II) With a V2CTx MXene Modified Screen-Printed Electrode","authors":"Xinzhu Wang, Jingjing Zhao, Jingyi Peng, Weiming Tian, Shubin Li, Xiaojun Han","doi":"10.1002/anse.70134","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anse.70134","url":null,"abstract":"<p>High-precision and rapid screening of harmful heavy metal contaminants like cadmium and lead ions in water bodies plays an indispensable role in ecological supervision and human health maintenance. This study fabricates V<sub>2</sub>CT<sub><i>x</i></sub> doped screen-printed electrodes to realize concurrent electrochemical quantification of the two metallic ions in aquatic samples. The target V<sub>2</sub>CT<sub><i>x</i></sub> material was obtained through selective corrosion treatment on V<sub>2</sub>AlC raw material. Its surface structure and internal element dispersion state were analyzed with SEM and EDS characterization techniques. Under optimized experimental parameters, square wave anodic stripping voltammetry was adopted to carry out sample measurement. Independent testing yielded LOD of 1.01 μg/L for cadmium ions and 1.91 μg/L for lead ions, respectively. When the two ions were measured concurrently, the LOD reached 2.20 and 2.39 μg/L, respectively. The V<sub>2</sub>CT<sub><i>x</i></sub>/SPE possessed good anti-interference property, reusability, reproducibility, and favorable preservation stability. Real water sample recovery tests (mineral water and tap water) gave recoveries between 101% and 104%, confirming its practical applicability. The V<sub>2</sub>CT<sub><i>x</i></sub>/SPE holds great potential for on-site rapid detection of heavy metal ions owing to its disposability, low cost, and robust performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":72192,"journal":{"name":"Analysis & sensing","volume":"6 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149205721","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}
Carlos Alberto Ibarra-Becerra, Tenoch González-Sánchez, Osvaldo del Pozo-Zamudio, Ana Sofía Reyes-García, Vivechana Agarwal, Carlos Manuel Guerra-Galicia, Marisol Reyes-Reyes
{"title":"Mid-IR Ellipsometric Characterization of Eicosane Layers on VO2-Based Surfaces","authors":"Carlos Alberto Ibarra-Becerra, Tenoch González-Sánchez, Osvaldo del Pozo-Zamudio, Ana Sofía Reyes-García, Vivechana Agarwal, Carlos Manuel Guerra-Galicia, Marisol Reyes-Reyes","doi":"10.1002/anse.70133","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anse.70133","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This work presents a materials-and-methods study of vanadium dioxide/p-type silicon (VO<sub>2</sub>/Si(p)) substrates for the mid-infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry (MIR-SE) characterization of deposited eicosane layers, complemented by a preliminary Raman assessment. We assess the optical response of VO<sub>2</sub>-based surfaces after drop-coating with eicosane-based solution. Mid-infrared ellipsometric measurements identify characteristic vibrational fingerprints associated with the alkane, providing information on changes in the optical response of the VO<sub>2</sub>/eicosane interface. Temperature-dependent reflectance measurements were used to characterize the thermochromic behavior of the substrates, providing complementary information on their functional optical properties and supporting interpretation of the MIR response. As a qualitative proof-of-concept, preliminary surface-assisted Raman measurements on a titanium dioxide (TiO<sub>2</sub>)-containing VO<sub>2</sub> substrate (nominal 4%) revealed weak spectral features attributable to eicosane, providing qualitative support via an independent spectroscopic pathway. Overall, these results demonstrate the feasibility of VO<sub>2</sub>-based platforms for label-free MIR analysis of long-chain hydrocarbons, supporting their further investigation in complex lipid matrices potentially relevant to Parkinson’s disease research.</p>","PeriodicalId":72192,"journal":{"name":"Analysis & sensing","volume":"6 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149145821","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":"Integrated Multispectroscopic Identification of Organophosphorus and Triazine Pesticide Mixtures via DFT–Spectroscopy-Integrated Identification Method (D-SIIM)","authors":"Hye Jin Jeong, Jinkwang Jeong, Yonggoon Jeon, Yoonjae Cho, Seung-Ryul Hwang, Myunghee Lim, Keunhong Jeong","doi":"10.1002/anse.70128","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anse.70128","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The identification of unknown chemical agents in mixtures remains a critical challenge in chemical safety and forensic science. In this study, we extend the density functional theory–spectroscopy-integrated identification method (D-SIIM) to organophosphorus and triazine-class pesticide mixtures—the most structurally complex targets addressed by this framework to date. Six pesticide compounds featuring multiring heterocyclic architectures with diverse heteroatoms were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), infrared (IR), Raman, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, combined with quantum chemical calculations. GC–MS library screening was reproducible for chlorpyrifos, phosalone, and atrazine, which were assigned at match qualities of 94–99 in every mixture containing them, but not for the thermally labile azinphos-methyl, whose quality ranged from 38 to 91 across mixtures analyzed under identical conditions. Because such an outcome cannot be anticipated for a sample of unknown composition, library screening alone provides no dependable basis for identification. In contrast, the integrated D-SIIM approach—cross-validating experimental IR, Raman, and NMR spectra against density functional theory (DFT)-predicted values—successfully identified every component of each mixture, from binary through quaternary systems. Validated now across nerve agent simulants, designer drug stimulants, and pesticides, D-SIIM offers a library-independent identification platform for chemical safety and security.</p>","PeriodicalId":72192,"journal":{"name":"Analysis & sensing","volume":"6 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/anse.70128","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146921","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Electrochemical Impedimetric Biosensing for Ultrasensitive Glycan and Glycoprotein Detection","authors":"María Belén Piccoli, Camila Chiappetta, Omar Ezequiel Linarez Pérez, Nancy Fabiana Ferreyra","doi":"10.1002/anse.70132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anse.70132","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Glycans and glycoproteins encode biologically and clinically relevant information that influences molecular stability, immune recognition, disease-associated signaling, and biotherapeutic quality. Their analysis is therefore important for diagnostics, biomarker discovery, pathogen detection, and biopharmaceutical characterization. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) provides a label-free, miniaturization-compatible approach for converting glycan-mediated recognition events into electrical responses using small sample volumes and simple instrumentation. This review critically examines impedimetric biosensing strategies for targeted detection of glycans, glycoproteins, and disease-relevant glycoforms, as well as comparative glycoprofiling. We discuss the mechanistic foundations of Faradaic and non-Faradaic EIS, emphasizing equivalent circuit selection, frequency domain analysis, signal interpretation, and experimental artifacts. Lectin- and glycan-based interfaces, immobilization chemistries, antifouling layers, and nanomaterial-enabled architectures are evaluated for their effects on charge-transfer resistance, interfacial capacitance, receptor accessibility, interfacial stability, and reproducibility. Representative platforms are compared according to sample matrix, validation strategy, selectivity, matrix effects, and performance in clinical, biopharmaceutical, and pathogen-detection settings. EIS is positioned alongside quartz crystal microbalance and surface plasmon resonance as a complementary, fit-for-purpose technique rather than a replacement for structural glycomics. Key barriers to translation include lectin cross-reactivity, uncontrolled multivalent recognition, interfacial instability, inadequate real-matrix validation, and nonstandardized EIS acquisition and analysis, all of which hinder robust glycoform profiling and targeted glycoanalysis.</p>","PeriodicalId":72192,"journal":{"name":"Analysis & sensing","volume":"6 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146891","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}
Muhsin Dogan, Sophia Nazir, Yinghui Wei, David Jenkins
{"title":"Electrochemical Determination of Amyloid Beta Biomarker Ratios in Serum Using a Pyr-NHS-Functionalized 3D Graphene Foam Electrode","authors":"Muhsin Dogan, Sophia Nazir, Yinghui Wei, David Jenkins","doi":"10.1002/anse.70131","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anse.70131","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Recent studies have shown that the Aβ42/Aβ40 concentration ratio has emerged as a more reliable and clinically informative biomarker compared to the individual concentrations of Aβ42 and Aβ40. A decline in the circulating Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio is associated with the indication of early AD signs, and this ratio is increasingly considered a key parameter of minimally invasive AD diagnosis. To represent the Aβ42/Aβ40 dynamic, Aβ42/Aβ40 mixtures were prepared in human serum to test with the biosensor functionalized with Pyr-NHS. Electrochemical differentiation studies with simulated analytical ratios were conducted with control measurements using a paired electrochemical assay format, and all RSDs were found below 5%. The biosensor demonstrated high sensitivity and excellent linearity for Aβ42 (<i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.99, LOD: 0.27 fM) and Aβ40 (<i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.97, LOD: 0.65 fM) in serum. The stability was tested over 8 days (RSD < 10% over 4 days, RSD < 25% over 8 days). The repeatability experiments showed that the Aβ42 and Aβ40 biosensors had excellent repeatability and reproducibility (RSDs < 5%). This outstanding sensing performance was ascribed to the stable Pyr-NHS functionalization via noncovalent π-π stacking, which highly preserves the intrinsic electroconductivity; the 3D graphene foam, which facilitates enhanced conductivity and an increased electrode surface area; and the optimized binding approach.</p>","PeriodicalId":72192,"journal":{"name":"Analysis & sensing","volume":"6 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/anse.70131","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149068207","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Advances in Scanning Tunneling Microscope Break Junctions for Single-Molecule Detection: From Ion Sensing to Intelligent Analysis","authors":"Jia-Ying Huang, Li-Na Luo, Jun-Hua Chen, Ya-Li Zhang, Nan Sun, Shaoshao Jiao, Xiao-Shun Zhou","doi":"10.1002/anse.70129","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anse.70129","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Single-molecule recognition and detection can overcome the limitations of ensemble-averaged measurements by revealing molecular heterogeneity, transient interactions, and low-abundance analytes at the individual-molecule level. The scanning tunneling microscope break junction (STM-BJ) technique enables the repeated formation of metal–molecule–metal junctions and converts molecular structures, interactions, and interfacial processes into statistically analyzable conductance signals. Therefore, STM-BJ not only provides a powerful tool for probing single-molecule electron transport but also offers a label-free, low-sample-consumption, and ultrasensitive electrical sensing strategy. This review summarizes recent advances in STM-BJ-based single-molecule sensing, focusing on ion detection, biomolecular recognition, and organic small-molecule analysis. Representative applications involving metal ions, halide ions, pH sensing, nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, explosives, pesticides, and dyes are discussed. We also highlight the integration of artificial intelligence with STM-BJ for conductance-trace analysis, complex signal recognition, and molecular-scale intelligent devices. Finally, current challenges, including detection reliability, statistical standardization, complex sample adaptability, and instrument integration, are discussed, together with future perspectives on intelligent single-molecule analysis and ultrasensitive chemical sensing.</p>","PeriodicalId":72192,"journal":{"name":"Analysis & sensing","volume":"6 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149048251","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":"Facile Carbon Embedding in TiO2 Nanotube Arrays for Enhanced Cathodic Luminol Electrochemiluminescence and Choline Detection","authors":"Xi Zhang, Ruili Bai, Yan-Yan Song","doi":"10.1002/anse.70124","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anse.70124","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A sensitive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) platform for choline detection was developed based on carbon-embedded TiO<sub>2</sub> nanotube arrays (C/TiNTs) under mild alkaline conditions. The electrode was prepared by two-step anodization followed by argon annealing, during which residual electrolyte species confined in the nanotube channels were directly converted into an inner carbon-containing layer. This facile strategy introduces a conductive carbon layer into TiO<sub>2</sub> nanochannels without additional coating procedures. As a result, the cathodic luminol ECL of C/TiNTs was markedly enhanced relative to bare TiO<sub>2</sub> nanotube arrays, owing to improved interfacial charge transport and more efficient use of reactive intermediates within the confined nanotube channels. The enhanced ECL response was further used to construct a choline sensor, enabling highly sensitive choline detection over a linear range of 5.0 × 10<sup>−8</sup> to 2.0 × 10<sup>−4</sup> mol L<sup>−1</sup> with a detection limit of 2.0 × 10<sup>−8</sup> mol L<sup>−1</sup>. These results demonstrate that this facile electrolyte-derived carbon-embedding strategy can be extended to the construction of other biosensors based on enhanced nanochannel ECL interfaces.</p>","PeriodicalId":72192,"journal":{"name":"Analysis & sensing","volume":"6 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149047822","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}
Mayara Fontanelli, Gabrielle Rodrigues Conciani, Laura Correa, Mariana Martinussi de Godoy, Caterina G. C. Marques Netto
{"title":"Analytical and Spectroscopic Tools for Studying Enzyme Transition States","authors":"Mayara Fontanelli, Gabrielle Rodrigues Conciani, Laura Correa, Mariana Martinussi de Godoy, Caterina G. C. Marques Netto","doi":"10.1002/anse.70121","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anse.70121","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Enzyme transition states are central to catalysis but remain among the most difficult species to characterize, owing to their high energy, ultrashort lifetimes, and vanishingly small populations. Because they cannot be directly observed, their structural and electronic features must be inferred through a combination of advanced kinetic, spectroscopic, and structural methods. This review provides a concise overview of the principal experimental strategies for kinetics and mixing technologies, and the spectroscopies employed to probe transition states and short-lived intermediates in enzymatic reactions. We dedicate a higher focus on cryogenic techniques and phototriggering methods. Particular emphasis is placed on the complementarity between these approaches where time-resolved methods provide kinetic resolution, cryogenic trapping provides spectroscopic depth, and photocaging provides temporal precision. These strategies not only are powerful tools for mechanistic enzymology but also define the structural and kinetic parameters that govern the rational design of enzyme-based analytical platforms, including biosensors, where transition-state properties set fundamental limits on response time, selectivity, and sensitivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":72192,"journal":{"name":"Analysis & sensing","volume":"6 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148994155","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":"Benzimidazolium-Based Turn-On Fluorescence Detection of Endogenous Hydrogen Sulfide in Living Cells","authors":"Deepak Bains, Asifkhan Shanavas","doi":"10.1002/anse.70125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anse.70125","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Hydrogen sulfide (H<sub>2</sub>S) plays a vital role in several physiological and pathological processes as an endogenous gas transmitter. Considering the critical importance of this active biological molecule, it is extremely valuable for the development of reliable methods to monitor H<sub>2</sub>S. Herein, we have designed and synthesized a benzimidazolium based dipodal donor–acceptor type H<sub>2</sub>S selective probe <i><b>4</b></i>. The probe <i><b>4</b></i> was fully characterized by <sup>1</sup>H, <sup>13</sup>C NMR and mass spectrometry analyses. The probe <i><b>4</b></i> exhibited a red shifted absorption band at 530 nm, and the fluorescence signal increased specifically with the addition of H<sub>2</sub>S as evidence by UV–vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopy. Therefore, the synthesized probe <i><b>4</b></i> shows high selectivity and sensitivity as well as rapid detection of H<sub>2</sub>S in presence of other potential bio-analytes. The mechanism of action of <i><b>4</b></i> showed the enhanced intramolecular charge transfer process upon the treatment with H<sub>2</sub>S, accompanied by a noticeable color change. The probe <i><b>4</b></i> exhibited high efficiency in detection, with a low limit of detection (0.20 μM) as calculated by 3<i>σ</i> method. Owing to the low cytotoxicity and enhanced fluorescence emission, the probe <i><b>4</b></i> has been further utilized for the imaging of endogenous and exogenous H<sub>2</sub>S in living 4T1 cancer cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":72192,"journal":{"name":"Analysis & sensing","volume":"6 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148943260","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}