@article{pittir17189, volume = {50}, number = {12}, month = {December}, author = {VL Alexeev and S Das and DN Finegold and SA Asher}, title = {Photonic crystal glucose-sensing material for noninvasive monitoring of glucose in tear fluid}, journal = {Clinical Chemistry}, pages = {2353 -- 2360}, year = {2004}, url = {http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/17189/}, abstract = {Background: We recently developed a photonic crystal glucose-sensing material (Alexeev et al., Anal Chem 2003;75:2316-23), which consists of a crystalline colloidal array embedded within a polymer network of a polyacrylamide-poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel with pendent phenylboronic acid groups. The aim of the present work was to improve this approach for application to noninvasive or minimally invasive monitoring of glucose. Methods: We used new boronic acid derivatives such as 4-amino-3-fluorophenylboronic acid and 4-carboxy-3-fluorophenylboronic acid as the molecular recognition elements to achieve sensing at physiologic pH values. Results: The improved photonic glucose-sensing material sensed glucose in the range of the 100 {\ensuremath{\mu}}mol/L concentrations found in tear fluid. The detection limits were {$\sim$}1 {\ensuremath{\mu}}mol/L in synthetic tear fluid. The visually evident diffraction color shifted across the entire visible spectral region from red to blue over the physiologically relevant tear-fluid glucose concentrations. This sensing material is selective for glucose over galactose, mannose, and fructose. Conclusions: These new glucose sensors have properties appropriate for use in such glucose-sensing applications as ocular inserts or diagnostic contact lenses for patients with diabetes mellitus. {\copyright} 2004 American Association for Clinical Chemistry.} }