Mesoporous materials for glycopeptide separation

Protein glycosylation plays a critical and non-negligible role in many biological processes, and some glycosylated proteins are important biomarkers. However, the identification and analysis of these biomarkers usually require the aid of effective enrichment strategies and high-quality mass spectrometric detection techniques. Among these, mesoporous nanomaterials with large specific surface areas and abundant tunable pore channels stand out, and their use for the development of novel glycopeptide enrichment and separation strategies has attractive potential. In this review, we discuss recent advances in mesoporous nanomaterials in glycoproteomics over the past five years, including their different compositions and mechanisms of the synthesis process, with a particular focus on their application in complex samples including body fluids, cells, tissues, and food. Additionally, bottlenecks and future directions in the development of mesoporous materials for glycopeptide separation are discussed, such as the capture of serum-derived and cell-derived exosomes and the exploration of related areas. •The recent five years of mesoporous nanomaterials are summarized.•The types, structures, designs, and benefits of mesoporous nanomaterials are summarized.•Mesoporous nanomaterials are used in the pretreatment of glycoproteomics.•The applications of mesoporous nanomaterials in several biological systems are evaluated.•New applications of mesoporous nanomaterials as tools to capture exosomes are discussed.