Supramolecular Catalyst for Improving the Sensitivity of Biomolecule Detection

Abstract

Supermolecule refers to two or more molecules that are bonded together by secondary bonds between molecules to form a multimolecular system at the level of more than molecules. At this point, the molecules form an orderly aggregation, showing its unique structure and function. Supramolecular catalysts can form structures with specific functions through non-covalent interactions (e. g., hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, etc.) to mimic the catalytic mechanism of natural enzymes and achieve susceptible and specific detection of biomolecules. The application of supramolecules is mainly focused on the self-assembly of components for the construction of sensing platform. Therefore, supramolecular catalysts have a huge potential in biomolecule detection. This article focuses on the application of cyclodextrins(CD), cucurbit[n]uril(CB), porphyrins(PP) and Calix[n]arenes(CA) in the field of catalysis and in improving detection sensitivity. Research progress of supramolecular catalysts in polymerization amplification is summarized in this paper.