Porous Silicon‐Based Biosensors for Food Safety and Quality Monitoring: A Comprehensive Review
Porous silicon (PSi) has attracted significant attention as a functional material for biosensing due to its tunable porosity, large surface area, and compatibility with various surface chemistries. This review highlights recent advances in PSi‐based biosensors for food safety monitoring, covering the detection of bacteria, viruses, enzymes, mycotoxins, pesticides, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds. Developments in optical and electrochemical transduction strategies, including reflectance interferometry, photoluminescence, impedance, and surface‐enhanced Raman scattering, are discussed with emphasis on improving sensitivity and selectivity. Functionalization with aptamers, antibodies, peptides, and nanomaterials like Ag, TiO 2 , and ZnO has enabled rapid, label‐free, and multiplexed detection of food contaminants at trace levels. In addition, hybrid and microstructured architectures, including Fabry–Pérot interferometers and photonic microcavities, have enhanced real‐time signal response and analytical reproducibility. The integration of PSi with plasmonic nanostructures and portable platforms further supports its application in on‐site monitoring. Future efforts should focus on improving stability, reproducibility, sensor miniaturization, and multiplex capability in complex food matrices. Combining PSi biosensors with artificial intelligence‐assisted analysis and Internet of Things‐enabled systems may further accelerate a sustainable, cost‐effective, and scalable pathway for the development of intelligent and automated food safety diagnostics.