Electrochemical sensors between the academic world and harsh reality: a few thoughts on the past, present, and future
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Electrochemical sensors between the academic world and harsh reality: a few thoughts on the past, present, and future Vladimir M. Mirsky 1 Received: 2 June 2020 / Revised: 2 June 2020 / Accepted: 4 June 2020 # The Author(s) 2020
“There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine, and the cold hard truth.” Unknown author The development of electrochemical sensors and electroanalytical methods had a strong impact on the development of electrochemistry but also on other fields of science. The discovery of polarography has influenced the development of electrochemistry for a few decades. The invention of pH electrode was the main motivation in the formulation and development of the whole concept of chemical sensors. However, either due to geniality of Fritz Haber or because of the sarcasm of nature, even after over 100 years of the development, no single sensor with so unique analytical properties (selectivity, dynamic range, long-time stability) as pH electrode was developed. Although many types of chemical sensors became necessary components of our usual life or industrial processes, the real progress measured in the number of new devices and concepts realized as a commercial product is relatively slow. Not all unsolved problems of electrochemical sensors have an electrochemical nature. For example, the development of ion-selective electrodes is strongly dependent on the progress in molecular design and organic synthesis of corresponding ionophores. Very similar limitations define the development of selective electrocatalytical sensors and especially electrochemical affinity sensors, and also in these cases, there is a lack of chemical receptors with high affinity and selectivity. But in general, the number of known chemical receptors is very limited, and only very few of them possess high values
* Vladimir M. Mirsky [email protected] 1
Nanobiotechnology Department, Institute of Biotechnology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus - Senftenberg, 01968 Senftenberg, Germany
of the binding constant [1]. A promising approach in this field is the implementation of cyclic molecular evolution consisting of (i) a combinatorial organic synthesis, (ii) a high-throughput screening of the property to optimize, and (iii) data analysis (usually by using of neuronal networks) to design the next evolution cycle [2]. We tried to apply such approach for the development of affinity sensors based on conducting polymers [3], but an effective implementation of this strategy requires a formation of large scientific consortiums with extensive funding. Obviously, each general combinatorial approach for development of new materials with high affinity using standard protocols and allowing one to be realized without large investments always is the goal of intensive investigation. Two such concepts were suggested. The first one is the concept of molecularly imprinted polymerization [4], first mentioned in the 1930s, rediscovered in the 1980s, and being intensively studied since the end of the 1990s. The technology is bas
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