Recent development of boronic acid-based fluorescent sensors

Area of Science:

• Chemical Sensing
• Materials Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Boronic acids act as Lewis acids, reversibly binding to diols to form cyclic esters, which induces fluorescence changes.
• This property enables the development of boronic acid-based compounds as effective sensors for various substances.
• While previous reviews exist, recent years have seen a surge in novel boronic acid fluorescent sensors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review emerging boronic acid-based fluorescent sensors developed in the last five years.
• To cover sensors for carbohydrates (e.g., glucose, ribose) and other analytes (e.g., catecholamines, reactive oxygen species, ionic compounds).
• To include novel sensor materials like nanoparticles, smart polymer gels, and quantum dots, as well as electrochemically integrated systems.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of scientific publications from the past five years.
• Categorization of sensors based on detected analytes and material platforms.
• Analysis of emerging trends in boronic acid-based fluorescent sensor technology.

Main Results:

• Identification of numerous new boronic acid fluorescent sensors for diverse targets.
• Highlighting advancements in sensor materials, including functionalized nanoparticles, smart gels, and quantum dots.
• Showcasing the integration of electrochemical methods with fluorescence detection.

Conclusions:

• The field of boronic acid-based fluorescent sensors has rapidly advanced with innovative designs and materials.
• These sensors show significant potential for detecting a wide range of biologically and environmentally relevant compounds.
• Emerging trends suggest continued innovation in materials and detection methodologies for enhanced sensing capabilities.