Electrode Modification in Viral Biosensors: A Review.

Infectious diseases are extremely common worldwide. Among them, viral infections are important because of their high transmissibility and rapid replication. Recently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the spread of emerging viral diseases, timely diagnosis of viral infections has become very important. In addition to reducing clinical complications and preventing the spread of the disease, timely diagnosis of viral diseases also reduces the socio-economic consequences of the disease. Therefore, there is a remarkable demand to identify viruses in a rapid, accurate, and selective way. The development of highly sensitive, selective, and accessible biosensors based on nanoparticles and nanotubes for pathogenic virus detection has been a significant progress. Biosensors can be modified with various materials to enhance their electrochemical performance. Precious metals, such as gold, silver, and platinum, are commonly employed due to their ability to significantly increase the electrochemical current intensity. Additionally, other materials, including copper, carbon nanotubes, iron, and thiols, have been successfully utilized as modifying agents to improve biosensor sensitivity and selectivity. The aim of this review article is to analyse the prominent compounds that are widely used in the biosensor method to detect viruses and also to highlight their significance in improving electrode performance.