Iranian researchers from Isfahan University of Technology designed a new non-enzyme nanosensor that has applications in the measurement of blood glucose.
Results of the research can meet the needs of hospitals and diagnosis laboratories to a cheap, quick and accurate sensor for the measurement of blood sugar in patients.
At present, commercial sensors to detect glucose include enzyme electrochemical species. However, researchers try to produce non-enzyme sensors due to inevitable problems, including their complicated and multistage production process, chemical and thermal instability and the dependency of the respond to pH value of the environment. Researchers in this project tried to produce a cheap and enzyme-free nanosensor to measure blood sugar.
According to Dr. Ali Asqar Ensafi, member of the Scientific Board of Isfahan University of Technology, a new nanocomposite based on porous silicone has been used in the production of this electrochemical sensor. The interesting point is that zinc nanoparticles have been stabilized on the surface of the nanocomposite through galvanic (automatic) method. The produced sensor has desirable selectivity in the measurement of glucose in the presence of disturbing species such as dopamine, citric acid and uric acid. Among other advantages of the sensor, mention can be made of appropriate stability and repeatable respond.
Dr. Ensafi explained about other advantages of the results of this research, and said, "Taking into consideration the fact that at present, two expensive and time-consuming methods, including enzyme electrochemical sensors and spectroscopy methods, are used for common measurement of blood sugar, the presented sensor is a cheap and quick method that can play an important role in reducing costs and saving time."
This research has been carried out by Dr. Ensafi, Dr. Behzad Rezayee, both members of the Scientific Board of Isfahan University of Technology, and Mehdi Mokhtari Abarqooyee, a PhD student.