Recent advances in photoelectrochemistry-coupled dual-modal biosensors: From constructions to biosensing applications

Precise and sensitive bioanalysis has been the major and urgent pursuit in pathologic diagnosis, food safety, environment monitoring, and drug evaluation. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) bioanalysis, as one of the most promising detection technologies, has rapidly expanded within the field of analysis. However, most of reported PEC analysis approaches still suffer from weak external anti-interference ability, high background, and the risk of false positive or negative errors due to their inherent single-signal readout. To overcome these shortcomings, new PEC-coupled dual-modal analysis approaches have been developed, where a dual-response signal can be derived through two completely different mechanisms and independent signal transduction pathways. This review introduces the basic principles of PEC biosensing and enumerates and classifies the substrate or probe selections, constructions, and applications of PEC-coupled dual-modal biosensors. Furthermore, the challenges and developmental prospects of PEC-coupled dual-mode sensing technologies are evaluated and discussed. We hope that this review will provide valuable insights into the latest advancements and practical applications of dual-mode PEC bioanalysis, which will be of great interest to those seeking to stay informed in this field.