Metal-Organic Enzyme Nanogels as Nanointegrated Self-Reporting Chemobiosensors

Abstract

A fluorometric glucose biosensor based on fine-tuned chemoenzymatic nanohybrids is herein proposed. The successful integration of an engineered glucose oxidase enzyme and an optically responsive polymeric nanogel in a single entity has led to the fabrication of a highly efficient glucose chemobiosensor. The optical responsiveness has been achieved by the loading of preactivated polymeric hydrogel with fluorescent lanthanide, i.e., cerium (III), cations. A comprehensive investigation of the responsiveness of the biomaterial revealed the interplay between the oxidation state of the cerium lanthanide and the fluorescence emission of the polymer. Finally, a full structural, chemical, and biochemical characterization of the reported system supports the chemobiosensors as robust, specific, and sensitive materials that could be utilized to faithfully quantify the amount of glucose in tear fluids.