Biomaterials in the Design of Nanosensors for Disease Diagnosis

The monitoring of biomolecules and biochemical changes in cells, the detection of physical and chemical changes, and the evaluation of dangerous and polluting substances produced by industry and the environment are all examples of applications that fall within the broader category of nanotechnology. Nanosensors play an important part in each of these applications. Nanosensors often have one of its detecting dimensions come in at less than 100 nm. The fields of chemistry, biology, and medicine have all taken an interest in nanosensors since they have the potential to be sensitive, selective, and rapid in the diagnosis of diseases. Advantages for biosensing applications include portability, disposable nature, real-time detection, unprecedented accuracy, and the ability to analyze multiple analytes at once, all of which are made possible by the combination of microfluidics and biosensor technologies. One type of nanosensor can be distinguished from another based on the operating principle, construction, and potential applications of the nanosensor. Nanostructured materials are utilized in the manufacturing of nanosensors, and some examples of these nanostructured materials include nanoscale wires, thin films, carbon nanotubes, nanoparticles of metal, polymer, metal oxides, and biomaterials. The objective of this chapter is to give a detailed description overview of the main groups of nanosensors, focusing on the distinctive characteristics and underlying mechanisms of each type of nanosensor.