Signal amplification strategies for optical biodetection at the liquid crystal–solid interface

Liquid crystals (LCs) are reliable signal transducers for biosensors with chemical and biological sensing potentials demonstrated on the basis of their anisotropy. Thanks to the high sensitivity and fast response to analytes, the LC–solid, LC–aqueous and LC droplet interfaces facilitate sensing platforms to be established without the requirement of sophisticated and costly analytical instruments. In this mini-review, we summarise strategies of optical signal amplification to improve the detection limit of biological analytes at the LC–solid interface. Because approaches towards signal amplification for a single target analyte are seldom compared by discussing various LC-based biosensing platforms, this mini-review may provide implications for integrating current technologies to promote the development of multiplex platforms based on the LC–solid interface.