An ultra sensitive saccharides detection assay using carboxyl functionalized chitosan containing Gd2O3 : Eu3+nanoparticles probe

Abstract

A novel saccharides detection assay based on covalent immobilization of amino phenyl boronic acid (APBA) in thin films of carboxyl functionalized chitosan (HOOC-chitosan) containing <5 nm Gd₂O₃ : Eu³⁺ nanoparticles at a platinum disc electrode was developed. The resulting HOOC-chitosan/Gd₂O₃ : Eu³⁺ nanocomposite film exhibited excellent electrochemical response to changes in the pK_a values of boronate esters yielded from different vicinal diols of sugars. The covalent interaction of APBA onto the HOOC-chitosan/Gd₂O₃ : Eu³⁺ Pt-disc electrode was characterized with FT-IR, SEM, contact angle and cyclic voltammetry, whereas Gd₂O₃ : Eu³⁺ nanoparticles and HOOC-chitosan/Gd₂O₃ : Eu³⁺ nanocomposite was identified using XRD, EDX and TEM. A wide linear response was measured to boronate esters ranging from 25 nM to 13.5 μM (r² = 0.963) with good reproducibility. The excellent electrochemical activity of the assay might be attributed to the synergistic effects of the balanced de-/protonated HOOC-chitosan, APBA and Gd₂O₃ : Eu³⁺ nanoparticles. With APBA as a model, the HOOC-chitosan/Gd₂O₃ : Eu³⁺ nanocomposite-modified Pt-electrode was constructed through a simple drop coating method. The resulting assay exhibited a good potentiometric response to different saccharides including glucose, and could be a promising application for the precise electrochemical detection of vicinal diols of specific sugars for clinical diagnostics, medicine validation, bioscience research and food analysis.