Functionalization and customization of polyurethanes for biosensing applications: A state-of-the-art review

Abstract

Polyurethane (PU) offers advantageous physical-chemical properties for the fabrication of smart electronic sensing devices through the selection of suitable raw materials, structural modification, modifying the soft and hard segments, changing the NCO:OH ratio, nanofiller dispersion, and chemical functionalization. Over the past few decades, PU has attracted attention as valuable media for the construction of efficient diagnostic tools with the merit of upgrading sensing capacity and selectivity. Structurally and chemically modified PU has thus been shown to influence the performance of constructed sensors, although PU is mainly used to immobilize sensing components. In the present review, we explore the applicability of PU to the production of various types of biosensors. Definitions of biosensors and a general overview of PU are presented along with descriptions on the sensing mechanisms and synthesis approaches. Modern design trends, performance features, and future prospects of various PU-based biosensors are also discussed.