Saccharide Selectivity in Boronic Acid-Containing Polyelectrolytes

Advances in miniaturized analytical sensors will improve current techniques for measuring blood glucose. In contrast to the current enzyme-based approaches, non-enzymatic methods for measuring saccharides can be less expensive. We have synthesized a class of polyelectrolytes containing boronic acid, a synthetic saccharide receptor. These polymers can be used in a variety of sensing systems, including fluorescence-based assays. A key challenge in designing these sensors is selectivity of the polymers. By changing the structure of the phenylboronic acid receptor, different saccharide selectivities can be achieved. A fluorescence assay was used to measure saccharide selectivity. A fluorescent dye is quenched by the polymers, and when saccharides bind to the polymer, fluorescence is recovered. The fluorescence signal is dependent on the saccharide concentration. The assay was first optimized for maximum signal, and the binding affinity for three monosaccharides was determined. These experiments will determine the polymer with the best selectivity for glucose, leading to its use in an analytical sensor.