ABSTRACT
Since the development of the first electrochemical biosensor, the glucose electrode, in 1962, electrochemical biosensors have represented a thriving area of research in both academia and industry. It is fueled by an ever-growing need in biomedical, industrial, and environmental testing for improved sensors that allow early detection for taking timely remedial steps. The success in biosensors is owed as much to the fundamental research in finding novel biorecognition mechanisms as to a number of rapidly evolving technologies, such as the microfabrication of sensors and the production and immobilization of enhanced biorecognition elements. The area of electrochemical biosensors has also greatly benefited from the remarkable advances made in microelectronics over the last two decades to give powerful and reliable instrumentation. The articles that follow in the first section of the book represent some of the exciting new developments in electrochemical biosensors. The purpose of this introductory chapter is to present the fundamentals of electrochemical biosensors so that the reader can better appreciate these articles. In keeping with the theme of the book, emphasis is given to biomedical applications of electrochemical biosensors. The reader is also referred to the biannual review of chemical and biosensors in the journal Analytical Chemistry [1] and several books that deal with biosensors in general but that also have a significant part dedicated to electrochemical biosensors [2-7].
