Controlled/"living" radical polymerization-based biosensing

The defects of high cost and complex operation of conventional signal amplification strategies are adverse to their potential applications in early diagnosis and other fields. In recent years, a new kind of signal amplification strategies based on the use of controlled/"living" radical polymerization (CLRP) techniques such as atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization has been established for the simple, fast, low-cost, highly sensitive and selective detection of biological molecules (e.g., proteins and nucleic acids). In this paper, the research progress of the CLRP-based biosensing was reviewed. Firstly, the concept and characteristics of biosensors were introduced, as well as the pros and cons of the conventional and the polymer-based amplification strategies. Furthermore, the application of the ATRP-based and the RAFT polymerization-based amplification strategies in the highly sensitive biosensing was reviewed. Finally, the prospect of the CLRP-based biosensing was presented. By virtue of their advantages such as simple operation, low cost, and high efficiency, the CLRP-based amplification strategies show great potential in the highly sensitive detection of biological molecules. © 2021, Chemical Industry Press Co., Ltd. All right reserved.