Nanoparticle/Nanochannels-Based Electrochemical Biosensors Chapter 1. Introduction

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a general comprehensive overview on the latest trends in the development of nanoparticle/nanochannels-based electrochemical biosensors. Given the importance of nanoparticles, some general considerations about their use in biosensors are given before focusing on nanochannels-based electrochemical biosensing systems. A detailed description of representative and recent works covering the main nanochannel arrays fabrication techniques and their application in electrochemical biosensing systems is also given. The combination of nanochannel array sensing capability with the known advantages of nanoparticles in immunosensing is shown as an ideal approach for the diagnostic of proteins and DNA. As conclusion, the integration of nanochannel arrays with electrochemical transducers (ex. screen-printed electrode) seems to be one of the most important challenges in the development of robust sensing devices that may bring electrochemical/nanochannel-based biosensing technology to the market.