Related Experiment Video For Boronic ester linkage
Updated: Jan 24, 2026

Regioselective O-Glycosylation of Nucleosides via the Temporary 2',3'-Diol Protection by a Boronic Ester for the Synthesis of Disaccharide Nucleosides
Published on: July 26, 2018
Specific cell capture and noninvasive release via moderate electrochemical oxidation of boronic ester linkage
Qian-Wen Zhang1, Jun Ouyang1, Yang Wang1
1State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
Abstract:
Early diagnosis and therapy of cancer metastasis are of great importance for disease outcome. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) offer the ability for noninvasive tumor profiling in real time. However, simply capturing and counting tumor cells are inadequate to provide valuable information about tumor. Efficiently releasing the captured cells is necessary for the downstream characterization. Herein, we describe a mild electrochemical strategy to effectively isolate CTCs from the bloodstream and rapidly release the captured cells in 2 min for downstream molecular characterization, as realized on a conductive poly(aminophenylboronic acid) derivatized electrode. The boronic ester linkage between dopamine (DA) and boronic acids-functionalized electrode is stable, and only upon the application of a weak potential perturbation does the boronic ester dissociate and release cells without compromising cell viability. This platform is reusable after acid treatment and has the potential to be the next-generation platform for cell capture and release, realizing the clinical value of CTCs as biomarkers.
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