Mini Review: Electroanalytical Sensors of Mesoporous Silica Materials

Abstract

Mesoporous silica materials are promising substrates for electroanalytical sensors and electrocatalysis. Their characteristics include uniform pore sizes, surface areas in excess of 1000 m² g⁻¹, and long-range ordering of the packing of pores. The size scale, aspect ratio, and properties of mesoporous silica provide advantages in a variety of sensor applications. To improve performance, miniaturize platforms, and expand applications for trace analysis, novel materials with high sensitivity and rapid response have been developed and employed in recent years. These materials include pure mesoporous silica, mesoporous silica functionalized with organic groups, and composite or hybrid mesoporous silica. In this review, recent advances are outlined involving the application of mesoporous silica-based materials in electroanalytical sensors.

Keywords:

• Electroanalytical sensors
• Mesoporous silica
• Modified electrode

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21265009, 21265018, and 21107086), the Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province (1107RJYA073), the support project of Gansu University Academic Leaders (11ZX-05), and the Doctor Science Foundation of Lanzhou City University.

Notes

S _BET, BET specific surface area; Vp, primary mesopore volume; Vt, total pore volume; w _BJH, primary mesopore size (Hasanzadeh, Shadjou, de la Guardia et al. 2012; He et al. 2009).

^a BPA, bisphenol A; TNT, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene; DA, dopamine; o-NP, nitrophenol; AA, ascorbic acid; UA, uric acid; XA, xanthine; PAP, p-aminophenol; R, Rutin.

^b CPE, carbon paste electrode; GCE, glass carbon electrode.

^c HMS, hexagonal mesoporous silica.

^a o-AP, ortho-aminophenol; m-AP, meta-aminophenol; p-AP, para-aminophenol; TNT, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene.

^b CPE, carbon paste electrode; GCE, glass carbon electrode; GME, gold microelectrode.

^c HMS, hexagonal mesoporous silica; Ac-Phos SAMMS, acetamide phosphonic acid self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on mesoporous silica; SH-FMS, thiol-treated silica; NH₂-SBA15, amino-functionalized SBA-15 mesoporous silica; NH₂-FMS, amino-functionalized mesoporous silica; Au-MSN-HRP-Ab, Au nanoparticles mesoporous silica nanoparticles horseradish peroxidase antibody; SiO₂@mSiO₂@NH₂, amino functional 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane mesoporous silica microspheres.

^a HQ, Hydroquinone ; CC, Catechol; RC, Resorcinol; SAL, salbutamol; EP, epinephrine.

^b PE, platinum electrode; CPE, carbon paste electrode; GCE, glass carbon electrode; SPSE: screen-printed carbon electrode.

^c PPy/SBA-15, polypyrrole confined in ordered mesoporous silica SBA-15.