Enzyme-free triboelectric biosensor with glucose response molecularly imprinted polymer for self-powered biomedical monitoring

The instability of enzymatic glucose biosensors hinders the development of glucose sensors with practical applications for diabetic patients. To overcome the issue of enzymatic-based biosensors, in this study, we designed a enzyme-free glucose responsive molecularly imprinted polymer-based triboelectric biosensor (GRMIP-TES). The GRMIP was fabricated by poly(3-APBA) glucose-templated polymers that exhibit different surface properties with glucose adsorption and extraction behaviors while serving as the friction layer in the GRMIP simultaneously. As the concentration of glucose increases, the GRMIP-TES selectively adsorbs of glucose, resulting in an increase in boronic anions with an enhancement in the voltage output of corresponding GRMIP-TES. The experimental results confirm that the GRMIP-TES has the advantages of outstanding selectivity, high stability, and good sensitivity (3.82 ± 0.13 mM−1). Moreover, GRMIP-TES could light up multiple LEDs without an external power supply as a self-powered glucose concentration warning platform for monitoring the glucose levels. [Display omitted] •Enzyme-free triboelectric biosensor (TES) with glucose response molecularly imprinted polymer (GRMIP) is proposed.•GRMIP can specifically identify target analytes by the binding and extraction of glucose.•GRMIP property altering in variable glucose environments endows surface condition change.•Enzyme-free GRMIP-TES is developed for self-powered glucose monitoring.•GRMIP-TES demonstrates the level of glucose concentration via LEDs without an external power supply.