Silica–Quantum Dot Nanomaterials as a Versatile Sensing Platform

Traditional analytical methods are bounded due to required high consumption of reagents, time, expensive equipment and complicated sample preparation. Thus, there is a demand for easy, fast and sensitive procedure to determine various analytes. In this regards, quantum dots (QDs) as fluorescent nanomaterials have attracted considerable attention due to their unique optical properties. Numerous studies have been reported regarding the application of QDs in sensor development for the detection of different analytes. Moreover, mesoporous silica nanoparticles which show ideal properties including biocompatibility, uniform pore size, stability in wide range of pH and an extremely high surface area could offer great opportunity in combination with QDs for the construction of sensing platforms. The fluorescent, chemiluminescent and electrochemical sensors based on silica-QDs materials could be used for the quantitative recognition of an extensive range of analytes like organic compounds, metal cations, toxic industrial compounds, drugs, and biogenic composites. In this review, we have summarized sensors based on combined QD-silica nanomaterials and their applications in the recognition of different analytes which are published over approximately the past five years.