Electrochemical DNA Hybridization Sensors Based on Conducting Polymers

TLDR

Conducting polymers possess unique electronic, chemical, and biochemical properties that enable their use in diverse devices such as LEDs, electrochromic materials, solar cells, and biosensors, including electrochemical DNA sensors for health applications. This review summarizes recent progress in developing and applying CP‑based electrochemical DNA hybridization sensors. The authors discuss how CPs facilitate probe DNA immobilization on electrode surfaces, detailing immobilization techniques and transduction methods used in these sensors. The review highlights challenges in CP‑based DNA hybridization sensors and offers future perspectives for overcoming them.

Abstract

Conducting polymers (CPs) are a group of polymeric materials that have attracted considerable attention because of their unique electronic, chemical, and biochemical properties. This is reflected in their use in a wide range of potential applications, including light-emitting diodes, anti-static coating, electrochromic materials, solar cells, chemical sensors, biosensors, and drug-release systems. Electrochemical DNA sensors based on CPs can be used in numerous areas related to human health. This review summarizes the recent progress made in the development and use of CP-based electrochemical DNA hybridization sensors. We discuss the distinct properties of CPs with respect to their use in the immobilization of probe DNA on electrode surfaces, and we describe the immobilization techniques used for developing DNA hybridization sensors together with the various transduction methods employed. In the concluding part of this review, we present some of the challenges faced in the use of CP-based DNA hybridization sensors, as well as a future perspective.