Nanomaterials in electrochemical biosensors for pesticide detection: advances and challenges in food analysis

This overview (with 114 refs.) covers the progress made between 2010 and 2015 in the field of nanomaterial based electrochemical biosensors for pesticides in food. Its main focus is on strategies to analyze real samples. The review first gives a short introduction into the most often used biorecognition elements. These include (a) enzymes (resulting in inhibition-based and direct catalytic biosensors), (b) antibodies (resulting in immunosensors), and (c) aptamers (resulting in aptasensors). The next main section covers the various kinds of nanomaterials for use in biosensors and includes carbonaceous species (carbon nanotubes, graphene, carbon black and others), and non-carbonaceous species in the form of nanoparticles, rods, or porous materials. Aspects of sample treatment and real sample analysis are treated next before discussing vanguard technologies in tailor-made food analysis. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]