Photopatternable Hydrogel Material for Reversible Optical Hydrogen Peroxide and Glucose Sensors

In this work, a novel photopatternable hydrogel-based material for the fluorescent detection of hydrogen peroxide and glucose was developed and studied as a possible sensing element in optical glucose biosensors. This composite hydrogel material was developed to maximize analyte transport, be amenable to existing microfabrication techniques, and dovetail with various enzyme immobilization strategies. Nanoparticles loaded with a hydrogen peroxide sensitive europium tetracycline complex (EuTc) were mixed with monomer and crosslinker to form a photopolymerizable precursor. Sensitivity to glucose can be introduced through addition of methacrylated glucose oxidase into the precursor solution, allowing for covalent immobilization of the enzyme. As a result, the material can be integrated directly into optical biosensors for continuous glucose monitoring.