These platforms use the porous, tunable, and often catalytic structures of MOFs to convert biological recognition events into measurable signals for applications in healthcare, environmental monitoring, and food safety.?
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What is a MOF and How Can it be used in Biosensors?
MOFs are crystalline porous materials formed by coordinating metal ions or clusters with organic linkers that create 3D networks.
This modular structure has extremely high surface areas, adjustable pore sizes, and abundant functional sites, making it an unusually versatile material. These properties are particularly appealing for immobilizing biomolecules and enabling analyte transport in biosensors.?1,2
In MOF-based biosensors, the MOF typically acts as a recognition host, a signal transduction matrix, or both, depending on the design.
Biomolecules, like enzymes and nucleic acids, can be anchored on or encapsulated within MOFs, while the framework participates in electrochemical, optical, or catalytic processes that generate a detectable response.?2,3,4
How do MOF-based Biosensors work?
Electrochemical MOF-based biosensors measure changes in current, potential, or impedance generated by redox reactions or charge transfer events at MOF-modified electrodes.
Electroactive MOFs or MOF composites incorporate conductive materials, which can enhance electron transport and enable low detection limits in amperometric, voltammetric, and impedimetric assays.?1,4,5 These materials include carbon nanostructures, metallic nanoparticles, or conducting polymers,
Optical MOF-based biosensors depend on luminescence, fluorescence, colorimetric shifts, or photoelectrochemical signals that respond to analyte binding or catalytic transformation.
Many MOFs possess intrinsic photoluminescence or can incorporate fluorescent ligands, lanthanide centers, or dye molecules, while changes in emission intensity, lifetime, or wavelength serve as readouts in sensing schemes.?2,5
Why are MOFs Useful in Biosensors?
The large internal surface area and porosity of MOFs allow a large volume of recognition elements to be 'loaded' onto the material, increasing the probability of interactions between target analytes and sensing sites.
In addition, the interconnected pore system can be tuned to match the size and charge of biomolecules or small analytes, improving diffusion and selectivity within the biosensor.?1,2,5
Chemical tunability depends on the choice of metal nodes and organic linkers in the MOF, as well as post-synthetic modifications that introduce functional groups or catalytic centers.
Researchers can exploit this tunability to adjust hydrophilicity, charge distribution, coordination sites, and redox activity, tailoring MOFs for specific targets such as reactive oxygen species, metal ions, nucleic acids, or pathogens.?1,2,3
Electrochemical Platforms and Design
MOF-based electrochemical biosensors are quickly becoming one of the most active corners of the field, with studies showing they can pick up small molecules, biomarkers, and nucleic acids even in complicated samples.
Researchers have grown MOF films directly on electrodes, drop-cast powders with conductive binders, and even built hybrid systems that fuse MOFs with metal oxides, metal nanoparticles, or carbon materials, pairings that boost both catalytic activity and conductivity.?1,4
Electroactive MOFs have additional flexibility. Some frameworks pack redox-active metal centers or ligands that take part in electron transfer, while others act as massive surface-area hosts for redox mediators or enzymes.
These designs enable label-free detection by tracking shifts in impedance or faradaic currents. They support enzyme-based sensors with amplified signals thanks to fast substrate diffusion and efficient product removal inside the MOF structure.1,3,6
Optical and Opto-electrochemical Biosensors
Optical MOF-based biosensors are just as interesting, but use a different branch of analytical science. Leaning on effects such as fluorescence quenching or enhancement, resonance shifts, or even visible color changes, they report on analyte binding or catalytic reactions.
Mechanisms such as photoinduced electron transfer, inner filter effects, and energy transfer between MOF chromophores and analytes modify the optical output in a concentration-dependent manner, leading to quantitative detection.?2,5
Luminescent MOFs, in particular, are gaining traction for monitoring antibiotics, hormones, and reactive oxygen species in both environmental and biological samples.
In these systems, carefully selected ligands and metal centers control emission properties, and analytes with specific electronic structures induce predictable modulation of luminescence or absorbance, which improves selectivity.?2,3,5
Opto-electrochemical and photoelectrochemical platforms integrate MOFs into electrodes that respond to light and chemical stimuli simultaneously. Such hybrid designs can reduce background noise, separate excitation and detection pathways, and provide dual-mode readouts that enhance measurement reliability even in complex matrices.?5
Representative Biological Targets
Image Credit: Vink Fan/Shutterstock.com
MOF-based biosensors can detect a wide range of analytes like small biomolecules, nucleic acids, proteins, pathogens, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). For small molecules such as glucose, dopamine, uric acid, and hydrogen peroxide, MOFs often serve as artificial enzyme mimics or supports that enhance catalytic turnover at electrode surfaces or within optical sensing volumes.?1,2,3
Nucleic acid and protein biosensors usually combine MOFs with aptamers, DNA probes, or antibodies that provide molecular recognition.1,2,4
Pathogen detection uses MOF-based platforms that recognize bacterial cell wall components or whole cells via surface functionalization with antibodies or aptamers.7,8
MOF-based Biosensors in Healthcare
In diagnostics, MOF-based biosensors are being miniaturized to fit into portable, point-of-care tools. Electrochemical systems pair well with handheld potentiostats and microfluidic chips, while optical sensors can work with smartphone cameras or compact light sources for decentralized testing.1,2
Several groups have demonstrated MOF-based biosensors for oxidative stress monitoring, such as the detection of reactive oxygen species and hydrogen peroxide in serum, which relate to conditions like inflammation and cancer.
MOF nanozymes with peroxidase-like or oxidase-like activity help translate changes in analyte concentration into measurable colorimetric or electrochemical outputs under physiological conditions.?1,2,3
Environmental and Food Safety Applications
Environmental monitoring uses MOF-based biosensors to detect contaminants in water and soil. MOFs with targeted binding sites or luminescent responses enable sensitive tracking of antibiotics and hormones, supporting assessments of ecological risk and regulatory compliance.2,5,6
In food safety, MOF biosensors assist in detecting toxins, pathogens, and oxidants in products such as milk, meat, and beverages.
The high porosity and tunable chemistry of MOFs enable them to accommodate complex food matrices while maintaining selectivity against common interfering species, improving their applicability to real samples.?5,6
Real-time and in situ Sensing
A recent work in Trends in Analytical Chemistry showed that MOF biosensors are starting to support real-time, in situ measurements, bringing MOF prototypes out of the lab and into the clinic.
Achieving fast response times requires careful control of MOF thickness, morphology, and adhesion at the electrode interface.9
In situ biosensing in environmental or clinical contexts also requires operational stability in complex matrices, resistance to fouling, and tolerance to fluctuating temperatures or ionic strengths.
Work on smartphone-connected electrochemical MOF sensors for hormones exemplifies this transition, coupling a MOF-based transducer with portable electronics for on-site measurements relevant to health monitoring and doping control.?6,9
Challenges in MOF-based Biosensor Development
As with any scientific advancement, with rapid progress come developmental obstacles. A key issue is that many MOFs struggle with stability in water or in strongly acidic and basic conditions, and this instability can compromise the durability and consistency of the devices - particularly when used for continuous monitoring tasks.1,2
Electrical conductivity is another issue for purely MOF-based electrochemical sensors, since many frameworks behave as insulators. The need for conductive additives or composites introduces additional complexity in fabrication and can alter pore accessibility or biocompatibility if not carefully controlled.?1,4,5
From a manufacturing perspective, scalable synthesis of MOFs with consistent particle size, morphology, and defect density is still under development. The integration of MOF coatings or films onto flexible substrates, microelectrodes, and microfluidic platforms requires reproducible deposition methods that preserve the framework integrity and biosensing performance.?1,2
Future Directions and Perspectives
Next-gen MOF-based biosensors will likely rely on frameworks with stronger water and chemical resilience to handle complex biological and environmental samples.
Innovations in green synthesis and efficient fabrication methods will cut costs and enhance sustainability, supporting their wider adoption.1,2,3
This field, like so many others, is also moving toward more intelligent sensing systems. Pairing MOF biosensors with data analytics and wireless communication could lead to advanced diagnostic platforms capable of real-time signal processing and remote monitoring.
Research into multiplexed sensing arrays will enable the simultaneous detection of multiple analytes, improving health and environmental assessments through tailored MOF applications that balance sensitivity and durability.3,4,5
References and Further Reading
- Li, M. et al. (2021). Recent Advances in Metal-Organic Framework-Based Electrochemical Biosensing Applications. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 9, 797067. DOI:10.3389/fbioe.2021.797067. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioengineering-and-biotechnology/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2021.797067/full
- Nandi, I., Rai, S., & Chandra, P. (2023). MOF-based nanocomposites as transduction matrices for optical and electrochemical sensing. Talanta, 266, 125124. DOI:10.1016/j.talanta.2023.125124. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0039914023008755
- Ibadi, I. et al. (2025). A comprehensive review of metal-organic framework based biosensors for detection of reactive oxygen species and hydrogen peroxide in biomedical applications. GSC Advanced Research and Reviews, 24(3), 268–294. DOI:10.30574/gscarr.2025.24.3.0286. https://gsconlinepress.com/journals/gscarr/content/comprehensive-review-metal-organic-framework-based-biosensors-detection-reactive-oxygen
- Sohrabi, H. et al. (2022). Metal–Organic Framework-Based Biosensing Platforms for the Sensitive Determination of Trace Elements and Heavy Metals: A Comprehensive Review. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. DOI:10.1021/acs.iecr.2c03011. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.iecr.2c03011
- Oladipo, A. A. et al. (2023). Metal-organic framework-based nanomaterials as opto-electrochemical sensors for the detection of antibiotics and hormones: A review. Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology, 14, 631–673. DOI:10.3762/bjnano.14.52. https://www.beilstein-journals.org/bjnano/articles/14/52
- Tavares, M. et al. (2025). Metal-organic frameworks based electrochemical sensors for emerging pharmaceutical contaminants in the aquatic environment. Trends in Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 47, e00271. DOI:10.1016/j.teac.2025.e00271. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214158825000145
- Yin, S. et al. (2025). Metal–organic framework (MOF)-based biosensors for monitoring pathogens in public health. Chemical Engineering Journal, 521, 167122. DOI:10.1016/j.cej.2025.167122. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1385894725079616
- Muslihati, A. et al. (2025). High-performance electrochemical biosensor comprising Mn-ZIF-67 conjugated with anti-O antibody for Escherichia coli detection. Communications Chemistry, 8(1), 290. DOI:10.1038/s42004-025-01703-y. https://www.nature.com/articles/s42004-025-01703-y
- Farzin, M. A., Naghib, S. M., & Rabiee, N. (2025). Emerging metal-organic framework (MOF)-based biosensors with high potential for point-of-care determination of biomarkers: Mechanisms and applications. TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 191, 118345. DOI:10.1016/j.trac.2025.118345. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165993625002134
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