Authors: Feifei Tong | Junliang Han | Jie Yang | Shibo Luo
Source: Sensor Review (article, 2026-01-30)
Field: Materials Science — Materials Chemistry

Nanozymes as signal amplifiers: a review of electrochemical sensing strategies for ultrasensitive detection of foodborne pathogens Purpose This study aims to systematically review recent advances in nanozyme-amplified electrochemical biosensors for ultrasensitive detection of foodborne pathogens. It highlights how nanozymes, as catalytic nanomaterials with enzyme-like activities, have revolutionized signal amplification strategies in pathogen detection, addressing the limitations of conventional methods such as lengthy analysis time and poor field applicability. Design/methodology/approach An extensive literature survey was conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed (January 2010 to August 2025) using combinations of the keywords “nanozyme,” “enzyme-mimicking nanomaterial,” “electrochemical biosensor,” “foodborne pathogen” and specific pathogen names (e.g. Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio). Original experimental studies were included when they employed nanozyme-based catalytic amplification in an electrochemical biosensor, targeted at least one bacterial foodborne pathogen, and reported analytical performance metrics. Based on this corpus, the review classifies nanozymes by catalytic function and material composition, critically analyzes the main electrochemical transduction mechanisms (voltammetry, amperometry, impedance spectroscopy), and synthesizes case studies to compare sensor performance, amplification strategies, and applicability in real food matrices. Findings Nanozyme-integrated electrochemical biosensors demonstrate remarkable sensitivity, achieving limits of detection as low as 1–10 CFU/mL and analysis times under 1 h. Rationally designed architectures enable dynamic, target-responsive catalysis, while multifunctional platforms combining antibodies, aptamers, and imprinted polymers offer superior specificity and stability. Despite these achievements, challenges persist in catalytic efficiency, matrix interference, reproducibility, and standardization, which must be addressed to enable regulatory and industrial adoption. Originality/value This review consolidates the interdisciplinary evolution of nanozyme-based signal amplification in electrochemical biosensing with a specific focus on foodborne bacterial pathogens. In contrast to earlier reviews that have discussed nanozyme-based food immunosensors or multifunctional nanozymes for food safety at a broader level, this paper provides a pathogen-centered and electrochemistry-focused synthesis that links nanozyme catalytic mechanisms, material platforms and electrochemical transduction schemes to analytical performance in real food matrices. It offers an integrative framework that compares signal amplification architectures across Salmonella, E. coli, L. monocytogenes, Campylobacter, S. aureus, and Vibrio spp., and highlights emerging directions such as single-atom nanozymes, miniaturized impedance platforms, and machine-learning-guided nanozyme design, multiplexed detection and smartphone-integrated point-of-care systems, thereby providing a roadmap for translating laboratory innovations into practical foodborne pathogen monitoring solutions. Foodborne pathogen ; Biosensor ; Nanomaterials ; Complex matrix ; SIGNAL (programming language) Advanced Nanomaterials in Catalysis ; Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques ; Biosensors and Analytical Detection