Electrochemical sensors based on metal oxide-boron nitride nanocomposites in the detection of biomolecules and toxic chemicals

Abstract Boron nitride allotropes are 2D nanomaterials with hexagonal form, sometimes referred to as “white graphene.” In contrast to graphene, boron nitride is a dielectric material with a well-defined energy gap, being therefore suitable for several electronic devices. Its use in sensors and biosensors has been relatively little explored though. In this chapter, we present the recent advances of 2D boron nitride nanomaterials as sensors and biosensors. Surface functionalization and combination with other nanomaterials are key for tuning the sensitivity and selectivity of boron nitride-based sensors. One of the main challenges to extend applications of boron nitride and its composites is the identification of reaction mechanisms responsible for detection, which is being pursued by several research groups using first-principle calculations. With the wide variability of properties that can be obtained via functionalization, the discovery of new boron nitride composites suitable for target analytes may be performed in the near future with machine learning and other artificial intelligence approaches.