Recent advances in metal oxide affinity chromatography materials for phosphoproteomics

Protein phosphorylation plays vital roles in biological processes, and some phosphorylated proteins are important biomarkers. However, the concentration of these biomarkers in biological samples is very low, and the determination is substantially influenced by co-existing substances. Therefore, biomarker analysis usually needs high-quality technology for sample enrichment and purification before high-sensitive detection. Metal oxide affinity chromatography (MOAC) nanomaterials have been widely developed for sample preparation in proteomics owing to their excellent physical and chemical properties. In this review, recent advances in MOAC nanomaterials for sample preparation, including the type, structure, design and construction of MOAC nanomaterials and application in the separation and analysis of phosphoproteomes, are summarised and discussed comprehensively. This review also focuses on and anticipates novel applications of MOAC nanomaterials as tools for biological separation and analytical chemistry, such as separation platforms for capturing exosomes.