An enzyme-free highly glucose-specific assay using self-assembled aminobenzene boronic acid upon polyelectrolytes electrospun nanofibers-mat

A highly selective enzyme-free amperometric glucose sensor based on electrostatic self-assembling of 3-aminobenzene boronic acid (ABBA) onto a poly(styrene-co-acrylamide)/polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSA/PSSA) electrospun nanofibers-mat was investigated. Emerging ability of phenylboronic acid to bind with the diols of sugars has been extended for rapid response of glucose with a pH-sensitive redox mediator, hematein natural dye. ABBA was adsorbed on the PSA/PSSA nanofibers-mat/Pt-disc electrode that resulted in an ABBA/PSA/PSSA glucose active electrode. The interaction of ABBA onto the PSA/PSSA nanofibers-mat/Pt-disc electrode was characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ζ-potential, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle and cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements. The prepared enzyme-free sensor exhibited a fast amperometric response, i.e., about 4 s and linearity ranging from 0.75 to 14 mM to glucose with a sensitivity of 0.987 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻². Compared to other types of glucose biosensors viz. use glucose oxidase as sensing elements, present glucose sensor offers basic advantages including ease of fabrication, high affinity-selectivity to the glucose upon the electrode surface and quick response.