ABSTRACT
Since the 1970s, conducting polymers (CPs) have been extensively applied in diverse fields like energy devices, color displays, solar cells, transistors, photonic devices, optical sensors, and electrochemical sensors. However, it is only recently that CPs have gained substantial attention in the field of developing miniaturized biosensor devices. In the last two decades, the functionalization of CPs with various biological moieties, like antibodies, enzymes, living cells, etc., has opened a road map for developing biocompatible, implantable, in vivo biosensors. Quite a few studies by deploying these CP-modified electrodes for bulk volume sensing have been reported. However, this approach hinders the in vivo studies. Hence, the incorporation of these strategically designed CPs and electrodes in microfluidic devices has proven to be extremely useful. Automated and fully integrated microfluidic biosensors, immunosensors, and biomimetic devices have overpowered the use of conventional bulk metal, nonmetal-based sensors. The literature reports suggest the excessive growth in the development of lab-on-a-chip microfluidic biosensors has taken place for real-time, rapid, point-of-care detection of proteins, enzymes, bacterial cells, biomarkers, neurotransmitters, DNA, etc. This chapter summarizes recent advances in the synthesis of functionalized CPs and their application as electrodes in microfluidic biosensing platforms.
