Glucose and sugar sensing

1 Fluorescent Sensors. As boronic acids can bind to saccharides reversibly, when attached to a fluorophore, the fluorescence of the fluoro-phore can be modulated upon the formation of boronate-saccharide complex. Numerous boronic acid-based fluorescence glucose sensors have been reported in the literature. However, most systems were designed for solution measurements, which are inconvenient for real-time and real-space measurements and can not be used repetitively. For a glucose sensor to be useful in a device, the sensing components must be immobilized to allow for real-time monitoring. 

FRET donor and acceptor can also be incorporated into the self-assembled nanofibers of supramolecular hydrogels. In this way Ikeda et developed a gel-based fluorocolorimetric sensor for polyols. The acceptor is boronic acid-appended. In the presence of polyols, it forms boronate ester complexes with the polyols, becomes negatively charged and more hydrophilic, and therefore migrates from the hydrophobic site. The increased distance between the donor and acceptor results in the fluorescence color change, from which the presence of polyols can be detected. 

2 Optical Sensors Based on Light Interference or Diffraetion. By 

The glucose-induced osmotic swelling pressure of the PBA-containing, glucose-sensitive hydrogel can be measured by confining it between a porous membrane and the diaphragm of a miniature pressure transducer. In this 

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