Carbon Nanotube Yarn-Based Glucose Sensing Artificial Muscle

Small. 2016 Apr;12(15):2085-91. doi: 10.1002/smll.201503509. Epub 2016 Mar 1.

Abstract

Boronic acid (BA), known to be a reversible glucose-sensing material, is conjugated to a nanogel (NG) derived from hyaluronic acid biopolymer and used as a guest material for a carbon multiwalled nanotube (MWNT) yarn. By exploiting the swelling/deswelling of the NG that originates from the internal anionic charge changes resulting from BA binding to glucose, a NG MWNT yarn artificial muscle is obtained that provides reversible torsional actuation that can be used for glucose sensing. This actuator shows a short response time and high sensitivity (in the 5-100 × 10(-3) m range) for monitoring changes in glucose concentration in physiological buffer, without using any additional auxiliary substances or an electrical power source. It may be possible to apply the glucose-sensing MWNT yarn muscles as implantable glucose sensors that automatically release drugs when needed or as an artificial pancreas.

Keywords: artificial muscles; carbon nanotube yarns; glucose sensors; nanogels.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Artificial Organs*
  • Biosensing Techniques / methods*
  • Boronic Acids / chemical synthesis
  • Boronic Acids / chemistry
  • Cholesterol / chemistry
  • Glucose / analysis*
  • Hyaluronic Acid / chemistry
  • Muscles / metabolism*
  • Nanogels
  • Nanotubes, Carbon / chemistry*
  • Nanotubes, Carbon / ultrastructure
  • Polyethylene Glycols / chemistry
  • Polyethyleneimine / chemistry
  • Torsion, Mechanical

Substances

  • Boronic Acids
  • Nanogels
  • Nanotubes, Carbon
  • polyethylene glycol polyethyleneimine nanogel
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • Polyethyleneimine
  • Hyaluronic Acid
  • Cholesterol
  • Glucose