Synthesis-Modification Integration: One-Step Fabrication of Boronic Acid Functionalized Carbon Dots for Fluorescent Blood Sugar Sensing

In this paper, we have presented a novel strategy to fabricate fluorescent boronic acid modified carbon dots (C-dots) for nonenzymatic blood glucose sensing applications. The functionalized C-dots are obtained by one-step hydrothermal carbonization, using phenylboronic acid as the sole precursor. Compared with conventional two-step fabrication of nanoparticle-based sensors, the present "synthesis-modification integration" strategy is simpler and more efficient. The added glucose selectively leads to the assembly and fluorescence quenching of the C-dots. Such fluorescence responses can be used for well quantifying glucose in the range of 9-900 μM, which is 10-250 times more sensitive than that of previous…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China
• NS
  Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province