Bilge Selva, Erkmen Cem, Yücel Abdullah
Ankara University, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, Ankara 06100, Türkiye.
Istanbul Aydin University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Istanbul 34295, Türkiye; Istanbul Aydin University, Application and Research Center for Advanced Studies, Istanbul 34295, Türkiye.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Sep;321(Pt 3):146469. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.146469. Epub 2025 Jul 31.
Keratin, a fibrous structural protein abundant in biological materials, has recently garnered attention as a novel and environmentally friendly material for sensor platforms due to its diverse properties and biocompatibility. This review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of keratin-based sensor platforms, emphasizing the structural features, such as its complex disulfide (-S-S) bonding network and ability to form nanofibrous matrices, that make keratin particularly suitable for analytical sensing applications. The sensing performance of keratin-based materials is critically evaluated, with a focus on their sensitivity and selectivity toward various analytes, including pharmaceutical compounds, proteins, and heavy metals. Particular attention is given to the mechanisms by which keratin interacts with analytes to produce measurable electrical, optical, or mechanical signals. Furthermore, the review discusses current limitations, including the need for improved mechanical stability and long-term durability, and outlines strategies for functional modification. The review also addresses fabrication techniques such as electrospinning and layer-by-layer assembly used to integrate keratin into sensor platforms. Additionally, the potential for incorporating keratin-based sensors into wearable and implantable devices is explored, with a focus on their applications in medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and food safety. Unlike previous reviews that primarily address keratin's general biomaterial applications, this review presents a focused and in-depth analysis of keratin's role specifically in sensor technology, showcasing the most recent advances, fabrication strategies, and practical implementations. The review uniquely bridges the gap between fundamental keratin chemistry and real-world sensor development, offering novel insights into how keratin's molecular versatility can be harnessed to design next-generation, eco-friendly, and biocompatible sensing platforms.
角蛋白是一种在生物材料中大量存在的纤维状结构蛋白，由于其多样的特性和生物相容性，最近作为一种新型的环保材料在传感器平台领域受到关注。本综述全面且最新地概述了基于角蛋白的传感器平台，强调了其结构特征，如复杂的二硫键（-S-S）连接网络以及形成纳米纤维基质的能力，这些特征使角蛋白特别适用于分析传感应用。对基于角蛋白的材料的传感性能进行了严格评估，重点关注它们对各种分析物（包括药物化合物、蛋白质和重金属）的灵敏度和选择性。特别关注角蛋白与分析物相互作用以产生可测量的电、光或机械信号的机制。此外，综述讨论了当前的局限性，包括需要提高机械稳定性和长期耐久性，并概述了功能改性策略。综述还涉及用于将角蛋白集成到传感器平台中的制造技术，如静电纺丝和层层组装。此外，探讨了将基于角蛋白的传感器纳入可穿戴和植入式设备的潜力，重点关注它们在医疗诊断、环境监测和食品安全方面的应用。与以往主要论述角蛋白一般生物材料应用的综述不同，本综述对焦蛋白在传感器技术中的具体作用进行了重点深入分析，展示了最新进展、制造策略和实际应用。该综述独特地弥合了角蛋白基础化学与实际传感器开发之间的差距，为如何利用角蛋白的分子多样性来设计下一代环保且生物相容的传感平台提供了新见解。
