Electrospinning-based (bio)sensors for food and agricultural applications: A review

Sensors and biosensors for monitoring food traceability, quality, safety, and nutritional value are of outmost importance nowadays. Electrospinning, a simple, straightforward and versatile technique to fabricate 1D micro- and nanomaterials, is among the most potential strategies to further advance the development of chemical (bio)sensors. Electrospun nanofibers are capable of improving several attributes of chemical (bio)sensors due to the high specific surface area, high porosity and 1-D confinement characteristics. Furthermore, the possibility to buildup multifunctional nanostructures by functionalizing the nanofiber surface with a wide range of distinct nanomaterials (such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, nanoparticles and conjugated polymers), enhances the (bio)sensing capabilities through additional properties and synergistic effects. In this review, we outline the representative progress in the last decade on the development of multifunctional hybrid electrospun nanofibers of varied morphology and composition, and their applications in chemical (bio)sensor platforms for analysis of food and agricultural products. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.