Pushing the frontiers: Chip-based detection based on micro- and nano-structures

Changes in trace substances in human metabolites, which are related to disease processes and health status, can serve as chemical markers for disease diagnosis and symptom monitoring. Real-time online detection is an inevitable trend for the future of health monitoring, and the construction of chips for detection faces major challenges. The response of sensors often fails to meet the requirements for chip-based detection of trace substances due to the low efficiency of interfacial heterogeneous reactions, necessitating a rational design approach for micro- and nano-structures to improve sensor performance with respect to sensitivity and detection limits. This review focuses on the influence of micro- and nano-structures that used in chip on sensing. Firstly, this review categorizes sensors into chemiresistors, electrochemical sensors, fluorescence sensors, and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors based on their sensing principle, which have significant applications in disease diagnosis. Subsequently, commencing from the application requirements in the field of sensing, this review focuses on the different structures of nanoparticle (NP) assemblies, including wire, layered, core-shell, hollow, concave and deformable structures. These structures change in the size, shape, and morphology of conventional structures to achieve characteristics such as ordered alignment, high specific surface area, space limitation, vertical diffusion, and swaying behavior with fluid, thereby addressing issues such as poor signal transmission efficiency, inadequate adsorption and capture capacity, and slow mass transfer speed during sensing. Finally, the design direction of micro- and nano-structures, and possible obstacles and solutions to promote chip-based detection have been discussed. It is hope that this article will inspire the exploration of interface micro- and nano-structures modulated sensing methods.