Review—Reaction-Based Microcantilever Sensors

Microcantilevers (MCLs) have proven to be a cost-effective, label-free, and portable analytical technique for the detection of chemical and biological species. The MCL method offers significant benefits, primarily owing to its high sensitivity, which enables the detection of cantilever motion with sub-nanometer precision. Additionally, this method is well-suited for fabrication into a multi-element sensor array, further enhancing its capabilities. Most of the sensors are based on adsorption-induced frequency or surface stress changes of MCLs. Multiple review articles on this concept have been published, but no review has been published summarizing the MCL sensors with a focus on reactions. Other than detecting chemical species, another unique application of MCLs is their ability to characterize the morphology and mechanical properties of materials on a solid-liquid or solid-gas interface during a reaction process. We will review the reaction-based MCL sensors and also their potential applications in monitoring reactions in this short review article.