Micromotor-Assisted Human Serum Glucose Biosensing

Artificial self-propelled micromachines have shown great promise in biomedical sciences. In this work, we use Mg/Pt Janus micromotors with self-rejuvenating surfaces to enhance the electrochemical sensing performance and sensitivity toward glucose in human serum. The detection of glucose is based on the glucose oxidase enzyme and ferrocenemethanol shuttle system, where mass transfer was dramatically enhanced by the rapid motion of Mg/Pt Janus micromotors. The obtained chronoamperometric data show that Mg/Pt Janus micromotors play a synergistic role in enhancing the current response at millimolar concentrations of glucose in human serum. The current signals increased with the corresponding increase in amount of micromotors introduced. Furthermore, a linear relationship between current signal and glucose concentration was established, while the limit of detection improved when mobile Mg/Pt Janus micromachines were used. Glucose detection enhanced by micromachines may pave the way for their future applications in biomedicine and medical diagnostic devices.