Recent advances in potentiometric biosensors

Potentiometry based on ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) has been injected with new vigor and gone through a renaissance with the improvements in the detection limits and selectivities of ISEs, the introduction of new materials, new sensing concepts (from conventional potentiometry to dynamic electrochemistry approaches), and deeper theoretical understanding and modelling of the potentiometric responses of ISEs. The new breakthroughs encourage innovations in ion sensing and biosensing applications. Moreover, with the introduction of new bioreceptors, such as enzymes, antibodies, aptamers, peptides, versatile sensing protocols have been designed for a broad range of different target molecules by using ISEs as powerful transducers. This paper reviews the recent trends in potentiometric biosensors. Their applications in biosensing of metal ions, small molecules, DNA, proteins, bacteria and toxicities have been discussed. This review provides the outlook of the potentiometric biosensing based on the integration of potentiometric ISEs with new materials and emerging techniques.