Recent advances in multifunctional nanomaterials enhanced immunochromatographic assays

Abstract

With continuous advancements in material science, nanomaterials with excellent multifunctional properties resulting from synergistic or complementary effects as an alternative to traditional gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have emerged as a research hotspot to improve the analytical performance of immunochromatographic assay (ICA). This review first discusses various design strategies of multifunctional nanomaterials through the rational integration of different functional components into a single nanocomposite. Then, novel dimensional strategies to enhance the analytical performance of ICA, including sample pretreatment, regulation of fluid dynamics, multi-signal approaches and catalytic amplification of nanomaterials, are also described. Furthermore, this review provides an overview of the challenges encountered in the engineering of multifunctional nanomaterials-based ICA. Finally, the future trends of ICA strips based on these advanced materials are forecasted. Overall, this review serves as an important reference for understanding the current status of multifunctional nanomaterials and offers insights into the development of the next generation of ICA platforms.