Nanocontainers for analytical applications

Nanocontainers such as mesoporous silica particles and polymersomes are versatile structures containing holes or pores used for the entrapment of small molecules and the introduction of specific functionalities. They are widely applied in drug delivery, biomedicine, bioreactors and analytical applications. In the latter, nanocontainers usually serve as amplification system. They are hence synthesized to entrap signaling molecules and to bear functional moieties at the outer surface, which in turn enable specific analyte recognition and control of the nanocontainer pore permeability. This review outlines the most important nanocontainer materials, discussing their synthesis, surface chemistry modifications and strategies for molecule entrapment. Their advantages, challenges and limitations in light of (bio)analytical applications are critically discussed in view of other common signal amplification strategies for different assay formats and various detection methods.

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