Nanocrystal electrochemiluminescence Biosensor: Paving the way from lab discovery to market innovation

The commercial viability of a biosensor depends on its capability to accurately and precisely perform detection of target molecules in real physiological body fluids such as whole blood, serum, plasma, urine, saliva, tears, or sweat. A biosensor is considered ideal for detecting molecules if enriched with specific characteristics crucial for accurate outputs, namely low detection limit, high sensitivity, selectivity to target analyte, reproducibility and repeatability, and performance in real samples. Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) is a strong analytical technique with major applications in biosensing due to its inherent features from electrochemistry and photoluminescence. While existing ECL biosensors can deliver satisfactory performance in laboratory settings, only a limited number are effective in real complex matrices. The stability of biosensors in real samples is a significant concern, which often limits their commercial applications. Incorporation of nanomaterials in ECL biosensors has transformed the biomolecule detection process by providing unparalleled selectivity and sensitivity. This article deliberates on rendering contributions of nanomaterials in advancing traditional ECL biosensors to pave the way from lab discovery to market innovation. Furthermore, the article highlights the various roles of nanomaterials in addressing the critical challenges associated with the commercialization of ECL biosensors. Moreover, various essential concepts are highlighted with relevant figures and comparative tables to provide a general overview of the nanomaterial based ECL biosensors. Lastly, the future outlook and prospects of ECL biosensors in advancing molecular and clinical diagnostics is discussed. • Role of nanomaterials in developing ECL biosensors is thoroughly discussed. • Advances in smartphone-enabled microfluidics ECL systems are explored. • Application of ECL biosensors in clinical diagnostics is explored. • Future perspective and challenges towards commercialization are highlighted.