Glucose sensing based on hydrogel grating incorporating phenylboronic acid groups

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Continuous glucose monitoring is crucial for diabetes management.
• Existing methods often require invasive procedures or lack real-time feedback.
• Development of non-invasive, sensitive glucose sensors is highly desirable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel hydrogel grating sensor for accurate glucose detection.
• To investigate the use of femtosecond laser inscription for sensor fabrication.
• To evaluate the sensor's performance, including sensitivity, response time, and reusability.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a phenylboronic acid (PBA)-functionalized polyacrylamide hydrogel film via UV polymerization.
• Direct inscription of a diffraction grating onto the hydrogel film using a femtosecond (fs) laser.
• Characterization of the hydrogel grating's swelling and diffraction properties in response to varying glucose concentrations.

Main Results:

• The hydrogel grating sensor demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.61%/mM for glucose detection.
• The sensor exhibited a fast response time to glucose presence.
• Experimental results confirmed the sensor's reusability and biocompatibility.

Conclusions:

• The proposed PBA-functionalized hydrogel grating sensor offers a promising approach for glucose detection.
• Femtosecond laser inscription provides a versatile and template-free method for sensor fabrication.
• The sensor has potential applications in wearable devices, such as contact lenses, for continuous tear glucose monitoring.