Bentonite-modified electrochemical sensors: a brief overview of features and applications

Bentonites are promising materials for electrochemical sensing because of their unique physicochemical properties. They have relatively high surface area, good adsorption and ion-exchange ability, highly tunable surface and interlayer composition, non-toxic nature, and excellent biocompatibility. Moreover, they are outstanding substrates for stable immobilization of different functional moieties. The primary focus of this review article is to highlight the applications of bentonite-modified electrodes for the analysis of organic and inorganic analytes in different matrices. A brief summary on the necessity of analysis of different compounds is provided. For the first time, features and applications of bentonite-modified electrodes are critically appraised. The key features of bentonite-modified electrodes that enhance their electrocatalytic activity toward detection of certain target analytes are highlighted. At the end, an account of current status of bentonite-modified electrodes along with future research directions is provided.