MOF based electrochemical sensors for the detection of physiologically relevant biomolecules: An overview

It is known that biomolecules are physiologically significant in controlling homeostasis. Any deviation in homeostasis is often detected by a change in the concentrations of these biomolecules. Hence, these biomolecules are often referred to as biomarkers and its accurate detection is of significant importance in clinical diagnosis. Electrochemical sensing is a well-known, simple, cost-effective and convenient method to detect various biomolecules, that also includes an excellent potential for the miniaturization of healthcare devices. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a recent emerging class of materials that are self-assembled porous network structured architectures of organic linkers connecting metal nodes. Therefore, MOFs are potential candidates to be effectively utilized as electrochemical sensors to detect the biomolecules due to their large surface area, controlled diverse pore structure, enhanced functionality and unique catalytic activity. This review covers the various properties and notable approaches for functionalizing MOFs. Based on these aspects, a systematic and comprehensive overview of MOF-based research for selective electrochemical sensing of physiologically important biomolecules is the main focus of this review.