Electrochemical Biosensors Based on Niobium-containing Oxides: A Review

Background

The diagnosis area is an expanding field, and methodological alternatives for the traditional techniques have been sought. In this context, electrochemical biosensors have attracted attention due to their low cost per analysis, portability, and high sensitivity and specificity. Over the past two decades, niobium-containing oxides have been proposed for the construction of electrochemical biosensors due to their favorable properties, such as chemical stability, good biocompatibility, and the possibility of obtaining nanostructured morphologies. Additionally, biosensor development has other critical steps for its success, such as surface biofunctionalization and electrochemical detection strategy.

Results

This work provides a concise overview of niobium-containing oxides applied in developing electrochemical biosensors. From the literature, it was possible to observe that most of the works neglect the elucidation of the singular role of niobium-containing oxide and there is a lack of discussion of its advantages over other materials. However, considering the results of the reviewed works, it can be concluded that niobium-containing oxides are a suitable candidate for electrochemical biosensor construction. In addition, this review explores electrode construction and details chemical and biological surface functionalization techniques that are used to achieve electrostatic or covalent immobilization, especially emphasizing how surface morphological structures impact bioreceptor immobilization and the assembly of each type of biosensor. Electrochemical detection strategies are analyzed, focusing on their specific applications in different biosensor types. Besides, future perspectives of niobium-containing oxides applied to biosensor construction are discussed.

Significance and Novelty

This review article offers valuable insights for researchers working in the fields of electrochemical biosensors, nanomaterials, and diagnostics. It provides an overview, without time constraints, of the knowledge base regarding the use of niobium-containing oxides for the development of electrochemical biosensors, focusing on synthesis methods, morphology and electrode construction, surface biofunctionalization, and electrochemical detection.