Electrochemical Biosensing Techniques for Creatinine Detection

Electrochemical biosensing of creatinine has emerged as a versatile strategy for rapid, sensitive monitoring of kidney function biomarkers at the point of care. These techniques typically transduce the specific interaction between creatinine and a recognition element—such as an enzyme, metal complex or molecularly imprinted polymer—into an electrical signal. Enzymatic sensors exploit creatinine deiminase or creatininase to catalyse specific reactions, while non-enzymatic platforms rely on direct electrocatalysis or composite interfaces incorporating nanomaterials to enhance sensitivity and selectivity. Advances in electrode design, including modified carbon, metal‐organic frameworks and field‐effect transistors, have driven down limits of detection to the micromolar level, enabling measurement in blood, urine and alternative biofluids such as sweat. Integration with miniaturised electronics and microfluidic flow cells has opened pathways to wearable and portable devices that deliver real-time feedback. Together, these developments promise more accessible diagnostics, reduced reliance on central laboratories and tighter management of chronic kidney disease on a global scale.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have advanced the concept of wearable, non-invasive platforms for continuous creatinine monitoring. A 2024 perspective outlines the choice of biofluids—particularly sweat and interstitial fluid—and emphasises flexible electrochemical electrodes incorporating conductive polymers and nanostructured bioreceptors. It discusses strategies to overcome interference from other metabolites, to stabilise biorecognition layers against mechanical stress, and to integrate data processing units for real-time transmission. This work sets a roadmap for translating laboratory-scale sensors into comfortable, battery-powered devices that can track creatinine fluctuations in everyday settings.

Electrochemical Biosensing Techniques for Creatinine Detection publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in electrochemical biosensing techniques for creatinine detection across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Electrochemical biosensor: A device that converts a specific biochemical interaction into an electrical signal for quantitative analysis.

Non-enzymatic sensor: An electrochemical sensor that detects analytes through direct catalytic or adsorption processes without using enzymes.

Limit of detection (LOD): The smallest concentration of an analyte that can be reliably distinguished from background signal.

Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP): A synthetic polymer engineered with selective cavities complementary in shape and functional groups to the target molecule.

Zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8): A porous nanomaterial composed of zinc ions and imidazolate linkers, used to increase electrode surface area and catalytic activity.

References

1. Wearable sensors for monitoring chronic kidney disease. Communications Materials (2024).
2. Structural and Electrochemical Analysis of Copper-Creatinine Complexes: Application in Creatinine Detection. Journal of The Electrochemical Society (2022).
3. Electrochemical creatinine detection for advanced point-of-care sensing devices: a review. RSC Advances (2022).
4. ZIF-8 Nanoparticles Based Electrochemical Sensor for Non-Enzymatic Creatinine Detection. Membranes (2022).