Metal-organic frameworks and related materials for nonenzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors

Abstract

Rapid, highly sensitive, portable and low-cost glucose detection is crucial in the food industry, pharmaceutical field and medical sector (such as diabetes monitoring). Since the first-generation electrochemical glucose sensors were born in the 1960s, this important field has continued to be the hotspots of large-scale research activities. For half a century, electrochemical glucose sensors have been upgraded. However, the third-generation electrochemical glucose sensors still rely on glucose oxidases as reaction mediums, which brings out some limitations not yet fully addressed. During the past decade, a new-generation electrochemical glucose sensors have been thriving, completely abandoning glucose oxidases as reaction mediums. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a kind of high-performance biomimetic catalyst for direct electrochemical oxidation of glucose, have been developed to an ideal modifier for nonenzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors. As with composites formed by hybridization of MOFs and some novel materials with high catalytic activity, MOFs derived porous polyhedral materials can also greatly propel the applications of MOFs in nonenzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors. This review discusses the latest applications and research progresses of MOFs and their related materials in nonenzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors, focusing on the following five items: (1) Cu-MOFs and related materials, (2) Co-MOFs and related materials, (3) Ni-MOFs and related materials, (4) Other monometallic-MOFs and related materials, (5) Bimetallic-MOFs and related materials. Finally, some perspectives on overcoming significant limitations of MOFs and related materials are highlighted in this review, which will turn into some opportunities to obtain more stable, sensitive, selective, cost efficient, and real-time nonenzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors.