Mask-Free Laser-Defined Nonenzymatic Glucose Biosensors for High-Sensitivity and Durable Monitoring

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Noninvasive glucose monitoring is crucial for wearable healthcare.
• Conventional enzymatic sensors have stability and lifetime limitations.
• Nonenzymatic alternatives are needed for robust biosensing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel nonenzymatic, noninvasive glucose biosensor.
• To fabricate durable and highly sensitive electrodes using laser irradiation and electroless plating.
• To evaluate the performance of the developed biosensor for glucose detection.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of SnO2/polyurethane acrylate composite electrodes using laser irradiation (LI).
• Metallization with Cu/Ni/Au via electroless plating (ELP) on exposed catalytic sites.
• Functionalization with platinum on carbon (Pt/C) catalyst for enhanced electrochemical activity.

Main Results:

• LI-ELP electrodes demonstrated low resistivity and excellent mechanical stability (100,000 folding cycles).
• The biosensor exhibited nearly 18-fold higher sensitivity compared to commercial electrodes.
• Improved linearity and superior glucose detection capability were achieved in the 0-0.5 mM range.

Conclusions:

• LI-ELP is an effective and scalable method for creating durable, conductive electrodes.
• The developed nonenzymatic biosensor shows significant potential for next-generation wearable healthcare devices.
• This approach offers a promising strategy for broader nonenzymatic electrochemical sensing applications.