Metal-Organic Frameworks for the Development of Biosensors: A Current Overview

Abstract

This review focuses on the fabrication of biosensors using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as recognition and/or transducer elements. A brief introduction discussing the importance of the development of new biosensor schemes is presented, describing these coordination polymers, their properties, applications, and the main advantages and drawbacks for the final goal. The increasing number of publications regarding the characteristics of these materials and the new micro- and nanofabrication techniques allowing the preparation of more accurate, robust, and sensitive biosensors are also discussed. This work aims to offer a new perspective from the point of view of materials science compared to other reviews focusing on the transduction mechanism or the nature of the analyte. A few examples are discussed depending on the starting materials, the integration of the MOF as a part of the biosensor and, in a deep detail, the fabrication procedure.