Nanoparticle-Based Colorimetric and Fluorescent Sensors for Rapid Detection of Ions and Pathogens
This research community develops portable, low-cost diagnostic tools that use gold and silver nanoparticles to visually detect heavy metals, nucleic acids, and pathogens in water, food, and biological samples.
The work centers on lateral flow assays and biosensors that employ gold nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles, and quantum dots as signal reporters. These devices utilize colorimetric and fluorescent probes to achieve rapid, selective, and highly sensitive detection of targets such as mercury ions, other heavy metals, and specific nucleic acid sequences. Signal amplification strategies are frequently integrated to enhance detection limits, while the primary application domains include environmental water monitoring, food safety analysis, and point-of-care medical diagnostics. The methodology prioritizes visual readouts and minimal instrumentation, enabling testing in field conditions without specialized laboratory equipment.
The largest share of the community's output is found in gold research, accounting for 3.1% of all gold research, and 6,396 papers here. Mercury research follows with 1.8% of its total research volume, and silver research with 1.1%.
The community comprises 21,882 papers, published predominantly in Analytical Chemistry, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, and Sensors and Actuators B Chemical.
Recent work focuses on integrating artificial intelligence with biosensors for foodborne pathogen detection, developing wearable lateral flow assays for continuous monitoring, and advancing intelligent multi-mode lateral flow assays using multi-metallic nanomaterials.