Design of nanostructured sol-gel coatings for (bio)sensing applications

Functionalized nanoporous coatings prepared by sol-gel processes are excellent sensing interfaces. Indeed, the high surface area combined with the specific functionalization using organic dyes and biologic entities has led to highly sensitive and selective optical (bio)sensors for gaseous or diluted species. Thus, biochips and optical fibers modified with functionalized nanoporous sensitive layers have been developed for environmental (e.g. gas detection, selective recognition of pesticides) and healthcare applications (e.g. wound monitoring).