Advancements in photoelectrochemical sensors for analysis of food contaminants

Abstract

Background

Food is easily contaminated by harmful substances, such as foodborne pathogenic bacteria, biological toxins, and heavy metals. Rapid qualitative and quantitative detection of food contaminants is essential for ensuring food safety and safeguarding the health of consumers. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensors, which are a combination of optical and electrochemical technologies, have been widely used in food analysis because of their high efficiency, high sensitivity, low cost, and easy miniaturization.

Scope and approach

This review introduces the principles and composition of PEC sensors, describes the PEC materials that generate photocurrents, and categorizes PEC sensing strategies based on the changes in the detection signals. This review also summarizes the latest advancements in the application of PEC sensors for detecting food contaminants over the past five years, with a particular focus on the detection of foodborne pathogens owing to their high incidence and widespread occurrence. Finally, the prospects and challenges of PEC sensors for future applications are discussed.

Key findings and conclusions

PEC sensors have been widely used for the detection of food contaminants and have demonstrated good performance in terms of sensitivity, linear range, and portability. Furthermore, with the continuous development of surface modification technology, nanotechnology, biosensing technology, and portable devices, the performance of PEC sensors has been further enhanced to meet the demand for rapid and sensitive on-site detection of food hazards.