Surface functionalized AuNCs optical biosensor as an emerging food safety indicator: Fundamental mechanism to future prospects

Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) are represented to be a versatile class in terms of functionality with appealing photoluminescence and optoelectronic properties, revealing huge potential in food safety. With the increased globalization of food supply, the need for stringent food regulations and safety measures has taken a prime position among health concerns. Unsafe food, harmful pathogens, or chemical substance, can be linked to an estimated 2 million deaths annually, including children. Therefore, the prior decades grasped the insurgencies in real-time monitoring devices and nanotechnology-based biosensing. The present review primarily emphasizes the development of AuNCs optical sensors to facilitate food safety assurance. Briefly, it explained the development of AuNCs optical sensors and their chemical and physical conjugation strategies of recognition elements to AuNCs. Moreover, it describes the expected synthesis principle, and sensing mechanism and summarized the recent progress of AuNCs as optical biosensors. Additionally, the present work also summarizes the application of optical AuNCs biosensors in food safety along with their sensing mechanism and challenges associated with the application of AuNCs based on recent signs of progress.