Electrospun fibers based on chitosan-carbon materials for electrochemical enzyme biosensor: advances and prospects to commercialization

Authors

  • Camilo Zamora-Ledezma Bioengineering & Regenerative Medicine Research Group (Bio-ReM), Escuela de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño (EIAD), Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio (UAX), Avenida de la Universidad 1, 28691 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, España. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8704-1539

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70099/BJ/2025.02.03.18

Keywords:

biosensor, electrospinning, chitosan, carbon, graphene, nanofiber

Abstract

Electrospinning is a tunable technique for fabricating nanofibrous materials with exceptional properties for biosensing. The high surface area, interconnected porosity, and loading capacity of these nanofibers create an ideal microenvironment for enhancing sensor performance. This article focuses on composite platforms that synergistically combine the biocompatibility of chitosan with the improved electrical properties of carbon-based materials to develop highly sensitive and selective biosensors. Despite promising results, significant challenges hinder their commercial translation, including long-term enzyme stability, matrix interference from complex samples, fabrication protocols, and performance validation in real-world applications. Accordingly, this work critically assesses recent advancements in electrospun chitosan-carbon electrochemical enzyme biosensors, analyzes key technical hurdles, and discusses immobilization strategies crucial for achieving the reproducibility and scale required for industrial adoption.

References

1. Vizureanu P, Yamaguchi S, Baltatu MS, Göller G, Sandu AV, Zamora-Ledezma C, et al. Functionalized Materials Applications in Biomedicine [Internet]. 1st ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press; 2025 [cited 2025 Sept 10]. Available from: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781003642855

2. Gómez-Castillo NY, Sallo-Chabla NJ, Pérez-Zárate D, Bósquez-Cáceres MF, Chacón-Torres JC. Graphene-enhanced Raman spectroscopy in ultra-low concentrations of pharmaceuticals. Carbon Trends. 2025 Aug;20:100505.

3. Maurmann N, Sperling LE, Pranke P. Electrospun and Electrosprayed Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering. In: Chun HJ, Park CH, Kwon IK, Khang G, editors. Cutting-Edge Enabling Technologies for Regenerative Medicine [Internet]. Singapore: Springer Singapore; 2018 [cited 2025 Sept 2]. p. 79–100. (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology; vol. 1078). Available from: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-981-13-0950-2_5

4. Zamora-Ledezma C, Solano-Orrala D, Narváez-Muñoz C, Bonadies I, Gomez d’Ayala G, Ryzhakov P, et al. Tailored Electrospun Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering. In: Functionalized Materials Applications in Biomedicine [Internet]. 1st ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press; 2025 [cited 2025 Sept 12]. p. 85–121. Available from: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781003642855/chapters/10.1201/9781003642855-5

5. Maurmann N, Sperling LE, Pranke P. Electrospun and Electrosprayed Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering. In: Chun HJ, Park CH, Kwon IK, Khang G, editors. Cutting-Edge Enabling Technologies for Regenerative Medicine [Internet]. Singapore: Springer Singapore; 2018 [cited 2025 Sept 11]. p. 79–100. (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology; vol. 1078). Available from: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-981-13-0950-2_5

6. Wang C, Wang J, Zeng L, Qiao Z, Liu X, Liu H, et al. Fabrication of Electrospun Polymer Nanofibers with Diverse Morphologies. Molecules. 2019 Feb 26;24(5):834.

7. Maurmann N, Sperling LE, Pranke P. Electrospun and Electrosprayed Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering. In: Chun HJ, Park CH, Kwon IK, Khang G, editors. Cutting-Edge Enabling Technologies for Regenerative Medicine [Internet]. Singapore: Springer Singapore; 2018 [cited 2025 Sept 9]. p. 79–100. (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology; vol. 1078). Available from: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-981-13-0950-2_5

8. Narvaez-Muñoz CP, Carrion-Matamoros LM, Vizuete K, Debut A, Arroyo CR, Guerrero V, et al. Tailoring Organic–Organic Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) Microparticles and Fibers with Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes for Reinforced Composites. ACS Appl Nano Mater. 2019 Jul 26;2(7):4302–12.

9. Saallah S, Naim MN, Lenggoro IW, Mokhtar MN, Abu Bakar NF, Gen M. Immobilisation of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibres via electrospinning. Biotechnol Rep. 2016 June;10:44–8.

10. Bagheri H, Khanipour P, Roostaie A. A flow injection μ-solid phase extraction system based on electrospun polyaniline nanocomposite. J Chromatogr A. 2016 Feb;1433:34–40.

11. Ding Y, Li W, Zhang F, Liu Z, Zanjanizadeh Ezazi N, Liu D, et al. Electrospun Fibrous Architectures for Drug Delivery, Tissue Engineering, and Cancer Therapy. Adv Funct Mater. 2019 Jan;29(2):1802852.

12. Mishra RK, Nawaz MH, Hayat A, Nawaz MAH, Sharma V, Marty JL. Electrospinning of graphene oxide onto screen-printed electrodes for heavy metal biosensors. Sens Actuators B Chem. 2017 Aug;247:366–73.

13. Eivazzadeh-Keihan R, Bahojb Noruzi E, Chidar E, Jafari M, Davoodi F, Kashtiaray A, et al. Applications of carbon-based conductive nanomaterials in biosensors. Chem Eng J. 2022 Aug;442:136183.

14. Mercante LA, Pavinatto A, Pereira TS, Migliorini FL, Dos Santos DM, Correa DS. Nanofiber Interfaces for Biosensing: Design and Applications. Sens Actuators Rep. 2021 Nov;3:100048.

15. Liu Y, Hao M, Chen Z, Liu L, Liu Y, Yang W, et al. A review on recent advances in application of electrospun nanofiber materials as biosensors. Curr Opin Biomed Eng. 2020 Mar;13:174–89.

16. Narváez-Muñoz C, Ponce S, Durán C, Aguayo C, Portero C, Guamán J, et al. Polyacrylonitrile/Silver Nanoparticles Composite for Catalytic Dye Reduction and Real-Time Monitoring. Polymers. 2025 June 26;17(13):1762.

17. Kilic NM, Gelen SS, Er Zeybekler S, Odaci D. Carbon-Based Nanomaterials Decorated Electrospun Nanofibers in Biosensors: A Review. ACS Omega. 2024 Jan 9;9(1):3–15.

18. Yildirim-Tirgil N, Akkoyun S, Atan HU, Bozkurt B. Development of a Polypyrrole–Chitosan Electrospun Nanofiber-Based Enzymatic Biosensor for Sensitive and Rapid Detection of Acetylcholine. ACS Appl Polym Mater. 2025 Jan 24;7(2):611–21.

19. Yezer I, Demirkol DO. Cellulose acetate–chitosan-based electrospun nanofibers for bio-functionalized surface design in biosensing. Cellulose. 2020 Nov;27(17):10183–97.

20. Coşkuner Filiz B, Basaran Elalmis Y, Bektaş İS, Kantürk Figen A. Fabrication of stable electrospun blended chitosan-poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibers for designing naked-eye colorimetric glucose biosensor based on GOx/HRP. Int J Biol Macromol. 2021 Dec;192:999–1012.

21. Teepoo S, Dawan P, Barnthip N. Electrospun Chitosan-Gelatin Biopolymer Composite Nanofibers for Horseradish Peroxidase Immobilization in a Hydrogen Peroxide Biosensor. Biosensors. 2017 Oct 15;7(4):47.

22. Numnuam A, Thavarungkul P, Kanatharana P. An amperometric uric acid biosensor based on chitosan-carbon nanotubes electrospun nanofiber on silver nanoparticles. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2014 June;406(15):3763–72.

23. Eivazzadeh-Keihan R, Bahojb Noruzi E, Chidar E, Jafari M, Davoodi F, Kashtiaray A, et al. Applications of carbon-based conductive nanomaterials in biosensors. Chem Eng J. 2022 Aug;442:136183.

24. Hao C, Ding L, Zhang X, Ju H. Biocompatible Conductive Architecture of Carbon Nanofiber-Doped Chitosan Prepared with Controllable Electrodeposition for Cytosensing. Anal Chem. 2007 June 1;79(12):4442–7.

25. Liu Y, Hao M, Chen Z, Liu L, Liu Y, Yang W, et al. A review on recent advances in application of electrospun nanofiber materials as biosensors. Curr Opin Biomed Eng. 2020 Mar;13:174–89.

26. Kaewda C, Sriwichai S. Label-Free Electrochemical Dopamine Biosensor Based on Electrospun Nanofibers of Polyaniline/Carbon Nanotube Composites. Biosensors. 2024 July 18;14(7):349.

27. Maleki F, Razmi H, Rashidi MR, Yousefi M, Ramezani S, Ghorbani M. Electrospun EU/HPMC nanofibers decorated by ZIF-8 nanoparticle as the advanced electrochemical biosensor modifier for sensitive and selective detection of c-MET cancer biomarker in human plasma sample. Biosens Bioelectron. 2024 Aug;257:116319.

28. Kour R, Arya S, Young SJ, Gupta V, Bandhoria P, Khosla A. Review—Recent Advances in Carbon Nanomaterials as Electrochemical Biosensors. J Electrochem Soc. 2020 Feb 1;167(3):037555.

29. Mohammadpour-Haratbar A, Mohammadpour-Haratbar S, Zare Y, Rhee KY, Park SJ. A Review on Non-Enzymatic Electrochemical Biosensors of Glucose Using Carbon Nanofiber Nanocomposites. Biosensors. 2022 Nov 11;12(11):1004.

30. Reyes-De-Corcuera JI, Olstad HE, García-Torres R. Stability and Stabilization of Enzyme Biosensors: The Key to Successful Application and Commercialization. Annu Rev Food Sci Technol. 2018 Mar 25;9(1):293–322.

31. Cavalcante FTT, De A. Falcão IR, Da S. Souza JE, Rocha TG, De Sousa IG, Cavalcante ALG, et al. Designing of Nanomaterials-Based Enzymatic Biosensors: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications. Electrochem. 2021 Mar 12;2(1):149–84.

32. Ahuja T, Mir I, Kumar D, Rajesh. Biomolecular immobilization on conducting polymers for biosensing applications. Biomaterials. 2007 Feb;28(5):791–805.

33. Xie H, Luo G, Niu Y, Weng W, Zhao Y, Ling Z, et al. Synthesis and utilization of Co3O4-doped carbon nanofiber for the fabrication of a hemoglobin-based electrochemical sensor. Mater Sci Eng C. 2020 Feb;107:110209.

34. Baek SH, Roh J, Park CY, Kim MW, Shi R, Kailasa SK, et al. Cu-nanoflower-decorated gold nanoparticles-graphene oxide nanofibers as electrochemical biosensors for glucose detection. Mater. Sci. Eng. C. 2020 Feb;107:110273.

35. Dhawane M, Deshpande A, Jain R, Dandekar P. Colorimetric point-of-care detection of cholesterol using chitosan nanofibers. Sens Actuators B Chem. 2019 Feb;281:72 9.

36. Sapountzi E, Braiek M, Farre C, Arab M, Chateaux JF, Jaffrezic-Renault N, et al. One-Step Fabrication of Electrospun Photo-Cross-Linkable Polymer Nanofibers Incorporating Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes and Enzyme for Biosensing. J Electrochem Soc. 2015;162(10):B275–81.

37. Numnuam A, Thavarungkul P, Kanatharana P. An amperometric uric acid biosensor based on chitosan-carbon nanotubes electrospun nanofiber on silver nanoparticles. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2014 June;406(15):3763–72.

38. Christ HA, Daniel NP, Solarczek J, Fresenborg LS, Schallmey A, Menzel H. Application of electrospun chitosan-based nanofibers as immobilization matrix for biomolecules. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2023 Dec;107(23):7071–87.

39. Smith S, Goodge K, Delaney M, Struzyk A, Tansey N, Frey M. A Comprehensive Review of the Covalent Immobilization of Biomolecules onto Electrospun Nanofibers. Nanomaterials. 2020 Oct 27;10(11):2142.

40. Usama M, Khan M, Peng X, Wang J. Chitosan/graphene oxide-based biocomposite dynamic films for enzyme-free biosensing application. Mater Sci Eng B. 2024 Dec;310:117766.

41. Omar A, Bayoumy AM, Aly AA. Functionalized Graphene Oxide with Chitosan for Dopamine Biosensing. J Funct Biomater. 2022 Apr 27;13(2):48.

42. Ahmadi A, Khoshfetrat SM, Kabiri S, Fotouhi L, Dorraji PS, Omidfar K. Impedimetric Paper-Based Enzymatic Biosensor Using Electrospun Cellulose Acetate Nanofiber and Reduced Graphene Oxide for Detection of Glucose From Whole Blood. IEEE Sens J. 2021 Apr 1;21(7):9210–7.

43. Mehdizadeh B, Maleknia L, Amirabadi A, Shabani M. Glucose sensing by a glassy carbon electrode modified with glucose oxidase/chitosan/graphene oxide nanofibers. Diam Relat Mater. 2020 Nov;109:108073.

44. Wang X, Wang Y, Jiang M, Shan Y, Jin X, Gong M, et al. Functional electrospun nanofibers-based electrochemiluminescence immunosensor for detection of the TSP53 using RuAg/SiO2NPs as signal enhancers. Anal Biochem. 2018 May;548:15–22.

45. Brennan DA, Conte AA, Kanski G, Turkula S, Hu X, Kleiner MT, et al. Mechanical Considerations for Electrospun Nanofibers in Tendon and Ligament Repair. Adv Healthc Mater. 2018 June;7(12):1701277.

46. Al‐Mezrakchi RYH, Naraghi M. Interfused nanofibres network in scalable manufacturing of polymeric fibres via multi‐nozzle electrospinning. Micro Nano Lett. 2018 Apr;13(4):536–40.

47. Ji G, Chen Z, Li H, Awuye DE, Guan M, Zhu Y. Electrospinning-Based Biosensors for Health Monitoring. Biosensors. 2022 Oct 15;12(10):876.

48. Rodríguez-Gómez FD, Monferrer D, Penon O, Rivera-Gil P. Regulatory pathways and guidelines for nanotechnology-enabled health products: a comparative review of EU and US frameworks. Front Med. 2025 Mar 5;12:1544393.

49. Agrahari V, Agrahari V. Facilitating the translation of nanomedicines to a clinical product: challenges and opportunities. Drug Discov Today. 2018 May;23(5):974–91.

50. Rawal M, Singh A, Amiji MM. Quality-by-Design Concepts to Improve Nanotechnology-Based Drug Development. Pharm Res. 2019 Nov;36(11):153.

51. Tsoutsi D, Sanles-Sobrido M, Cabot A, Gil PR. Common Aspects Influencing the Translocation of SERS to Biomedicine. Curr Med Chem. 2018 Dec 3;25(35):4638–52.

52. Wu LP, Wang D, Li Z. Grand challenges in nanomedicine. Mater Sci Eng C. 2020 Jan;106:110302.

53. Zhang W, Li X, Zou R, Wu H, Shi H, Yu S, et al. Multifunctional glucose biosensors from Fe3O4 nanoparticles modified chitosan/graphene nanocomposites. Sci Rep. 2015 Jun 8;5(1):11129.

54. Shan C, Yang H, Han D, Zhang Q, Ivaska A, Niu L. Graphene/AuNPs/chitosan nanocomposite film for glucose biosensing. Biosens Bioelectron. 2010 Jan 15;25(5):1070–4.

55. Zhang W, Li X, Zou R, Wu H, Shi H, Yu S, et al. Multifunctional glucose biosensors from Fe3O4 nanoparticles modified chitosan/graphene nanocomposites. Sci Rep. 2015 Jun 8;5(1):11129.

56. Pavinatto A, Mercante LA, Facure MHM, Pena RB, Sanfelice RC, Mattoso LHC, et al. Ultrasensitive biosensor based on polyvinylpyrrolidone/chitosan/reduced graphene oxide electrospun nanofibers for 17α 17α-ethinylestradiol electrochemical detection. Appl Surf Sci. 2018 Nov;458:431–7.

57. Yan L, Zhang C, Xi F. Disposable Amperometric Label-Free Immunosensor on Chitosan–Graphene-Modified Patterned ITO Electrodes for Prostate Specific Antigen. Molecules. 2022 Sept 11;27(18):5895.

58. Prabhakar T, Giaretta J, Zulli R, Rath RJ, Farajikhah S, Talebian S, et al. Covalent immobilization: A review from an enzyme perspective. Chem Eng J. 2025 Jan;503:158054.

Downloads

Published

2025-09-15

How to Cite

Zamora-Ledezma, C. (2025). Electrospun fibers based on chitosan-carbon materials for electrochemical enzyme biosensor: advances and prospects to commercialization. BioNatura Journal: Ibero-American Journal of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, 2(3), 14. https://doi.org/10.70099/BJ/2025.02.03.18

Issue

Section

Review Articles

Categories