Development of an Optical Glucose Sensing Film with Signal Amplification Based on the Swelling of Polymeric Hydrogel

Abstract

We have developed a dimethylacrylamide (DMAA) coplymerized optical glucose sensing film with a semi-interpenetrating structure in which the bisbenzoboroxol (bisBB) receptor–dihydroxyazobenzene (DHAB) dye complex serves as a cross-linking point of the polymer. The color change response of the sensing film to glucose is amplified by swelling of the polymer, as the receptor–dye complex at the cross-linking point of the film dissociates due to competitive complexation of the receptor with glucose. It was found that the glucose response of the sensing film was strongly dependent on the film composition. Of the eight sensing films with different compositions we prepared, a film containing 0.5 mol % of bisBB receptor and 0.14 mol % of DHAB dye with respect to DMAA showed the largest reversible glucose response within the physiological concentration range.