Boron Carbide Nanoskeleton-Engineered Wearable Biosensor for Real-Time Sweat Glucose Monitoring.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Wearable glucose sensors require improved enzyme stability, electron transfer, and durability.
• Existing sensors often need complex chemical modifications for enzyme immobilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a flexible, durable, and highly sensitive wearable glucose sensor.
• To enable real-time, non-invasive glucose monitoring in human sweat.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of boron carbide (B4C) nanoskeleton on activated cotton textiles (ACT) using vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) synthesis.
• Engineering 3D B4C nanowire networks by tuning catalyst parameters for optimal architecture.
• Immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx) via hydrogen bonding onto the B4C-ACT substrate.

Main Results:

• Achieved high sensitivity (36.288 µA mM⁻¹ cm⁻²) and an ultrafast response time (0.1 s) for glucose detection.
• Demonstrated excellent long-term stability (over 4 weeks) and preserved substrate flexibility.
• Successfully integrated the electrode into a wireless patch for real-time sweat glucose monitoring.

Conclusions:

• The B4C-ACT@GOx electrode offers a scalable platform for advanced wearable biosensors.
• This approach overcomes key challenges in wearable electrochemical sensor design.
• The developed sensor shows significant potential for personalized healthcare applications.