Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) for electrochemical sensing

The past, present, and future of the application of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) in electroanalytical chemistry is reviewed. SAMs for electroanalytical applications have been introduced in the early 1990s and since then have been exploited for the detection of different species ranging from metal ions to biomolecules and microorganisms. This review describes the different types of monolayers, surfaces on which they have been assembled, the various analytes, which were determined, and the various electrochemical techniques employed. The prospective and perspectives of this topic are discussed.