Smart Polythiophenes: Pioneering imprinted and functionalized materials in biosensor technology

Abstract

Smart designs beyond the limitations of the biosensors present fascinating opportunities for portable, flexible, versatile, and effective performance that allow for the rapid in-vivo, and real-time detection of potential targets. Conjugated polythiophenes (CPTs) are particularly valuable as biosensors because of their remarkable brightness, excellent photostability, and low toxicity. CPTs potentially molecularly self-assemble using an imprinted method resulting in imprinted conjugated polythiophenes (ICPTs). ICPTs combined the distinctive characteristics of CPTs with the excellent selectivity arising from robustly particular binding sites of molecular imprinting. ICPT-based biomimetic sensors represent a specialized subset within this extensive field. An overview of various types of CPT-based sensors was described to achieve a systematic analysis. These included biosensors based on printing technologies, microfluidic systems, film transistors, colorimetric methods, and electrochemical approaches. Additionally, we discussed the optical-electrical properties, and sub-types of polythiophene derivatives examining their specific applications and advantages in biosensor technology. The final section provided an in-depth exploration of the imprinted techniques employed in developing ICPTs-based sensors, with particular emphasis on applications in biochemical sensing.