DEVELOPMENT OF FLUORESCENT NANOMATERIALS FOR SENSING AND POINT-OF-CARE APPLICATIONS

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed significant vulnerabilities in global health, food safety, and environmental monitoring systems, highlighting the urgent need for advanced chemical sensors capable of rapid and accurate detection of biological and environmental analytes. Latest generation smart devices and compact electronic detection systems were already in the market before COVID-19 but was not available to the majority of the population when the pandemic stuck. Conventional analytical techniques, though effective, are often time-consuming, require sophisticated instrumentation, and are inaccessible in resource-limited settings. The demand for smart, portable, and affordable detection systems has always existed, but COVID-19 has highlighted this need even more and served as a reminder. Nanotechnology has revolutionized fields such as energy, healthcare and sensors, where it has played and continues to play a crucial role in developing advanced techncology. The pandemic was a critical period for sensors and associated technology, especially in diagnostics and environmental monitoring, as existing systems were unable to meet the growing demand amid the rising need. To address this challenge, advancements in nanotechnology have paved the way for innovative sensor designs with enhanced performance and adaptability. Nanomaterials are particularly advantageous in fluorescence-based detection, as they offer high sensitivity, real-time response, and cost-effective analytical capabilities due to their tunable optical properties, biocompatibility, and versatility. While such systems have been widely reported and developed, the field still struggles to transition from lab-scale to market due to various constraints. Advancing this technology requires smart and innovative strategies to develop sensors that match the performance and efficiency of complex instruments, such as spectrometers and other advanced analytical tools, for real-world applications.