Scalable, Non-Invasive Glucose Sensor Based on Boronic Acid Functionalized Carbon Nanotube Transistors

TL;DR

This paper presents a scalable, non-invasive glucose sensor using boronic acid-functionalized carbon nanotube transistors, capable of detecting glucose levels in blood and saliva with higher sensitivity than commercial meters.

Contribution

It introduces a novel, label-free, all-electronic glucose sensor based on functionalized carbon nanotubes with high sensitivity and selectivity for non-invasive glucose monitoring.

Findings

Sensor responds to glucose in 1 uM - 100 mM range

Functionalization with boronic acid enhances sensitivity and selectivity

Sensor outperforms commercial blood glucose meters

Abstract

We developed a scalable, label-free all-electronic sensor for D-glucose based on a carbon nanotube transistor functionalized with pyrene-1-boronic acid. This sensor responds to glucose in the range 1 uM - 100 mM, which includes typical glucose concentrations in human blood and saliva. Control experiments establish that functionalization with the boronic acid provides high sensitivity and selectivity for glucose. The devices show better sensitivity than commercial blood glucose meters and could represent a general strategy to bloodless glucose monitoring by detecting low concentrations of glucose in saliva.