Fullerenes in Electrochemical Catalytic and Affinity Biosensing: A Review

Nanotechnology is becoming increasingly important in the field of (bio)sensors. The performance and sensitivity of electrochemical biosensors can be greatly improved by the integration of nanomaterials into their construction. In this sense, carbon nanomaterials have been widely used for preparation of biosensors due to their ability to enhance electron-transfer kinetics, high surface-to-volume ratios, and biocompatibility. Fullerenes are a very promising family of carbon nanomaterials and have attracted great interest in recent years in the design of novel biosensing systems due to fullerenes’ exceptional properties. These include multiple redox states, stability in many redox forms, easy functionalization and signal mediation. This paper outlines the state-of-the-art and future directions in the use and functionalization of fullerene-C60 and its derivatives, both as electrode modifiers and advanced labels in electrochemical catalytic and affinity biosensors through selected applications