Next-Generation Nanosensors: Role of Advanced Nanomaterials, Artificial Intelligence, and Smart Sensing Systems

Abstract

Nanomaterial based nanosensors have emerged as highly sensitive and selective analytical platforms for the rapid detection of physical, chemical, and biological analytes, offering significant advantages over conventional sensing technologies. The remarkable improvements in sensing performance have been made possible due to the exceptional physicochemical properties of nanomaterials such as their large surface area, tunable electronic and optical properties and their versatile surface functionalization. This review summarizes the key types of nanomaterials used in nanosensors, such as carbon-based nanomaterials, metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, silicon nanowires, quantum dots and hybrid nanostructures, with their structural properties, advantages and disadvantages. The basic transduction mechanisms such as optical, electrochemical, mechanical, thermal and magnetic transduction mechanisms are critically discussed along with their functions in increasing the sensitivity, selectivity and analytical reliability of the sensors. Moreover, recent developments in biomedical diagnostic, environmental monitoring, food safety, and precision agriculture are summarized, particularly highlighting the emerging intelligent nanosensors, which are revolutionizing the traditional role of nanosensors by combining features of artificial intelligence, machine learning, wearable electronics, Internet of Things (IoT), microfluidics and point-of-care technologies. In contrast to earlier reviews which mainly concentrated on individual sensing materials and/or on specific applications, this review combines the state-of-the-art advances in new generation of nanomaterials, smart sensing technologies and AI enabled analytical systems and critically examines existing challenges in regard to large-scale fabrication, repeatability, long-term stability, biocompatibility, regulatory clearance, data security and commercialization. Finally, future prospects such as explainable AI, sustainable synthesis of nanomaterials, multifunctional sensing platforms, and standardized regulations are discussed, offering a guideline for future development and successful clinical and industrial translation of next-generation nanosensors.