Fast Responsive Crystalline Colloidal Array Photonic Crystal Glucose Sensors

We developed new photonic crystal polymerized crystalline colloidal array (PCCA) glucose sensing materials, which operate on the basis of formation of cross-links in the hydrogel. These materials are composed of hydrogels that embed an array of ∼100-nm-diameter monodisperse polystyrene colloids that Bragg diffract light in the visible spectral region. The hydrogels change volume as the glucose concentration varies. This changes the lattice spacing, which changes the wavelength of the diffracted light. In contrast to our previous glucose sensing photonic crystal materials, we no longer require Na+ chelating agents. These photonic crystal materials are being designed for use in glucose sensing contact lens for people with diabetes mellitus. We describe methods to speed up the response kinetics of these PCCA sensing materials. Rapid-response kinetics is achieved by controlling the elasticity and the hydrophilic−hydrophobic balance of the hydrogel system. A more hydrophobic hydrogel composition is obtained by copolymerizing n-hexylacrylate into an acrylamide−bisacrylamide hydrogel. The response rate significantly increases to where it fully responds within 90 s to the average glucose concentrations found in blood (5 mM) and within 300 s to the average glucose concentrations found in tear fluid (0.15 mM). We find unusual temperature-dependent kinetics, which derive from glucose mutarotation in solution. It is shown that α-d-glucose is the glucose anomer binding to the boronic acid derivative. Care must be taken in any glucose determination to ensure that the glucose mutarotation equilibrium has been established. We have demonstrated that the sensor is responsive to ∼0.15 mM glucose concentrations in artificial tear fluid solution.