Lignocellulosic biomass and its main structural polymers as sustainable materials for (bio)sensing applications

Abstract

(Bio)sensors are integral to various aspects of daily life, contributing to safety, monitoring, and awareness. In modern sensor devices, polymers play an important role, with increasing interest in bio-based materials. Biopolymers, unlike their synthetic counterparts, are abundant in nature and exhibit interesting functional properties that make them highly suitable as biomaterials for sensor technologies. Enhancing sensor performance to achieve a rapid response to stimuli is a key objective in sensor development. Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) from plants holds promise in meeting such requirements due to its high surface area, tunable surface characteristics (including diverse pore sizes and morphologies), flexibility, printability, low density, and favorable physicochemical and thermal properties. Growing research in recent decades has focused on lignocellulosic composite materials due to their functional and environmentally friendly attributes. This review focuses on the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass and its three main biopolymer constituents (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) for the development of electrochemical (bio)sensors. It also explores the macromolecular structure, sources, and inherent properties of LCB, with emphasis on the three main biopolymers and their applications in sensor technologies. Recent advances in the use of LCB and its structural biopolymers as materials for (bio)sensing applications are described and reviewed. The challenges associated with using these biomaterials in electroanalytical applications are also discussed, along with the exploration of their future potential for developing high-performance sensing technologies.