Development of an Enzymeless/Mediatorless Glucose Sensor Using Ruthenium Oxide‐Prussian Blue Combinative Analogue

Presented in this work is the first step towards an enzymeless/mediatorless glucose sensor. We first observed remarkable electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose using combinative ruthenium oxide (RuOx)‐Prussian blue (PB) analogues (designated as mvRuOx‐RuCN, mv: mixed valent) at ca. 1.1 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in acidic media (pH 2 Na₂SO₄/H₂SO₄). Individual RuOx and PB analogs failed to give any such catalytic response. A high ruthenium oxidation state (i.e., oxy/hydroxy‐Ru^VII, E°≈1.4 V vs. RHE), normally occurring in strong alkaline conditions at RuOx‐based electrodes, was electrogenerated and stabilized (without any conventional disproportionation reaction) in the mvRuOx‐RuCN matrix for glucose catalysis. Detail X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies can fully support the observation. The catalyst was chemically modified onto a disposable screen‐printed carbon electrode and employed for the amperometric detection of glucose via flow injection analysis (FIA). This system has a linear detection range of 0.3–20 mM with a detection limit and sensitivity of 40 μM (S/N=3) and 6.2 μA/(mM cm²), respectively, for glucose. Further steps towards the elimination of interference and the extendibility to neutral pHs were addressed.