Strategies for enhancing the selectivity of quantum dot-based fluorometric methods

In recent decades, quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as highly efficient fluorophores, enabling the quantification of various species across diverse fields. However, their typically unspecific sensing mechanisms, arising from their high reactivity and propensity to establish nonspecific interactions, frequently lead to a lack of selectivity, which hinders their application in the analysis of complex samples. This review presents the state-of-the-art of the most commonly applied QD-based analytical approaches to circumvent these limitations and improve selectivity. Moreover, several interesting examples of surface modification, sample preparation, and chemometric tools are highlighted to demonstrate their potentialities and shortcomings. This review profiles the trends and perspectives to broaden the analytical application of QDs.