ABSTRACT
Sensitive and reliable discrimination of the analytical signal ascribed to one specific chemical species within a functioning organism-for example, in vivo detection of neurotransmitters-is invariably complicated by the complex matrix of the biological system being monitored. Similarly, in situ detection of a single analyte of interest without prior treatment (e.g., separation) to remove interfering species from the complex mixture of a real-life sample continues to be one of the most formidable challenges facing analytical chemists today. In a recent review of chemical sensors in Analytical Chemistry: Fundamental Reviews, it was noted that “the quest for better selectivity remains the cornerstone of the chemical sensing research”; and biosensing has been the most reviewed topic in the past 5 years [1]. A biosensor has been described as an analytical detector (such as an electrode or fiberoptic transducer) whose selectivity is enhanced by immobilizing a sensitive and selective biological element (typically an enzyme) within close proximity of the sensor [2]. The development of new biosensors is seen as essential to solving the inherent difficulties of many challenging in situ and in vivo analyses.
