Progress in the Design and Application of Chemical and Biological Sensors Based on Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is a leading reversible deactivation radical polymerization method. It has become an emerging technology to synthesize well-defined, tailor-made polymers, promoting the development of advanced materials (e.g., bioconjugates and nanocomposites) with precisely designed and controlled macromolecular architectures. ATRP-produced polymers or polymeric materials have been successfully applied in the fields of drug delivery, tissue engineering, sample separation, environmental monitoring, bioimaging, clinical diagnostics, etc. In this review, we systematically summarize the progress of ATRP-based chemical and biological sensors in different application fields, including ion sensing, small-molecule detection, bioimaging, and signal amplification for biosensors. Finally, we briefly outline the prospects and future directions of ATRP. This review is expected to provide a fundamental and timely understanding of ATRP-based sensors and guide the design of novel materials and methods for sensing applications.