Highly Selective and Sensitive Self-Powered Glucose Sensor Based on Capacitor Circuit

Sci Rep. 2017 May 3;7(1):1471. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-01665-9.

Abstract

Enzymatic glucose biosensors are being developed to incorporate nanoscale materials with the biological recognition elements to assist in the rapid and sensitive detection of glucose. Here we present a highly sensitive and selective glucose sensor based on capacitor circuit that is capable of selectively sensing glucose while simultaneously powering a small microelectronic device. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is chemically modified with pyrroloquinoline quinone glucose dehydrogenase (PQQ-GDH) and bilirubin oxidase (BOD) at anode and cathode, respectively, in the biofuel cell arrangement. The input voltage (as low as 0.25 V) from the biofuel cell is converted to a stepped-up power and charged to the capacitor to the voltage of 1.8 V. The frequency of the charge/discharge cycle of the capacitor corresponded to the oxidation of glucose. The biofuel cell structure-based glucose sensor synergizes the advantages of both the glucose biosensor and biofuel cell. In addition, this glucose sensor favored a very high selectivity towards glucose in the presence of competing and non-competing analytes. It exhibited unprecedented sensitivity of 37.66 Hz/mM.cm2 and a linear range of 1 to 20 mM. This innovative self-powered glucose sensor opens new doors for implementation of biofuel cells and capacitor circuits for medical diagnosis and powering therapeutic devices.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Bioelectric Energy Sources
  • Biosensing Techniques / instrumentation*
  • Blood Glucose / analysis*
  • Electrochemical Techniques*
  • Electrodes
  • Electronics
  • Gluconates / chemistry
  • Glucose Dehydrogenases / chemistry*
  • Humans
  • Lactones / chemistry
  • Nanotubes, Carbon
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors / chemistry*
  • Oxygen / chemistry*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity

Substances

  • Blood Glucose
  • Gluconates
  • Lactones
  • Nanotubes, Carbon
  • Glucose Dehydrogenases
  • glucose dehydrogenase (pyrroloquinoline-quinone)
  • Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors
  • bilirubin oxidase
  • Oxygen
  • beta-glucono-1,5-lactone