Schiff bases and their transition metal complexes are inexpensive and easy to synthesize. These compounds display several structural and electronic features that allow their application in numerous research fields. Over the last three decades, electroanalytical scientists of various areas have developed electrochemical sensors from many compounds. The present review discusses the applicability of Schiff bases, their transition metal complexes and new materials containing these compounds as electrode modifiers in sensors to detect analytes of forensic, pharmaceutical and environmental interest. In forensic sciences, Schiff bases are mainly used to analyze illicit drugs: chemical reactions involving Schiff bases can help to elucidate illicit drug production and to determine analytes in seized samples. In the environmental area, given that most methodologies provide Limit of Detection (LOD) values below the values recommended by regulatory agencies, Schiff bases constitute a promising strategy. As for pharmaceutical applications, Schiff bases represent an approach for analysis of complex biological samples containing low levels of the target analytes in the presence of a large quantity of interfering compounds. This review will show that new highly specific materials can be synthesized based on Schiff bases and applied in the pharmaceutical industry, toxicological studies, electrocatalysis and biosensors. Most literature papers have reported on Schiff bases combined with carbon paste to give a chemically modified electrode that is easy and inexpensive to produce and which displays specific and selective sensing capacity for different applications.

Schiff碱及其过渡金属络合物价格便宜且易于合成。这些化合物显示出几种结构和电子特征，使其可以在许多研究领域中应用。在过去的三十年中，各个领域的电分析科学家已经从许多化合物中开发出了电化学传感器。本综述讨论了席夫碱，其过渡金属配合物和包含这些化合物作为电极修饰剂的新材料在传感器中的适用性，以检测法医，制药和环境方面的分析物。在法医科学中，席夫碱主要用于分析违禁药物：涉及席夫碱的化学反应有助于阐明违禁药物的产生并确定缉获样品中的分析物。在环境方面，鉴于大多数方法所提供的检测限（LOD）值均低于监管机构建议的值，因此希夫碱是一种很有前途的策略。对于制药应用，席夫碱代表了一种在大量干扰化合物存在下分析含有少量目标分析物的复杂生物样品的方法。这项审查将表明，可以基于席夫碱合成新的高特异性材料，并将其应用于制药行业，毒理学研究，电催化和生物传感器。大多数文献都报道了将Schiff碱与碳糊结合使用的化学修饰电极，该电极易于生产且成本低廉，并且针对不同应用显示出特定的和选择性的感应能力。