Nanotechnology in glucose monitoring: Advances and challenges in the last 10 years

Abstract

In the last decades, a wide multitude of research activity has been focused on the development of biosensors for glucose monitoring, devoted to overcome the challenges associated with smart analytical performances with commercial implications. Crucial issues still nowadays elude biosensors to enter the market, such as sensitivity, stability, miniaturisation, continuous and in situ monitoring in a complex matrix. A noteworthy tendency of biosensor technology is likely to push towards nanotechnology, which allows to reduce dimensions at the nanoscale, consenting the construction of arrays for high throughput analysis with the integration of microfluidics, and enhancing the performance of the biological components by using new nanomaterials. This review aims to highlight current trends in biosensors for glucose monitoring based on nanotechnology, reporting widespread representative examples of the recent approaches for nanobiosensors over the past 10 years. Progress in nanotechnology for the development of biosensing systems for blood glucose level monitoring will be discussed, in view of their design and construction on the bases of the new materials offered by nanotechnology.

Introduction

Nanotechnology deals with the properties of materials at the nanoscale, at dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nm, where particular physiochemical processes become more performant, such as improved plasticity, noticeable thermal and optical properties changes, higher reactivity and activity, faster electron/ion transport, novel quantum mechanical features (Vaddiraju et al., 2010). Nanotechnology provides a useful tool to acquire knowledge about biophysical phenomena at the nanoscale, and to project new materials with novel properties and functions for a wide range of applications. Among them, biosensors represent nowadays one of the main widespread result of this discipline (Jianrong et al., 2004), since interchangeable biocomponents, improved sensitivity and stability, miniaturisation and microfluidic integration can be provided (Fig. 1). In particular, biosensor research for glucose monitoring and diabetes management received enormous benefits from nanotechnology (Cash and Clark, 2010, Arya et al., 2008), concerning the design of new nanomaterials (such as electrodes, membranes, microfluidics, supporting hardware), the integration of nanostructured surface or nanomaterials able to improve biocomponents performances, and the construction of biocompatible and implantable devices for continuous monitoring.

In this review, progress in the development of glucose monitoring was described, specifically focusing on electrochemical and optical nanobiosensors, which were widely designed and realised over the last 10 years. Biosensors based on nanomaterials (nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanofibres, nanowires, and nanocomposites) were reported, highlighting the synergy between nanotechnology and enhanced biosensor performance. Finally, the challenges associated with the development of a nanobiosensor with a commercial success, such as sensitivity, stability, miniaturisation, continuous and in situ monitoring in a complex matrix, were reported.