Supramolecular Photonic Hydrogel for High-Sensitivity Alkaline Phosphatase Detection via Synergistic Driving Force

Structurally-colored photonic hydrogels which are fabricated by introducing hydrogels into thin films or photonic crystal structures are promising candidates for biosensing. Generally, the design of photonic hydrogel biosensors is based on the sensor-analyte interactions induced charge variation within the hydrogel matrix, or chemically grafting binding sites onto the polymer chains, to achieve significant volume change and color variation of the photonic hydrogel. However, relatively low anti-interference capability or complicated synthesis hinder the facile and low-cost fabrication of high-performance photonic hydrogel biosensors. Here, a facilely prepared supramolecular photonic hydrogel biosensor is developed for high-sensitivity detection of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), which is an extensively considered clinical biomarker for a variety of diseases. Responding to ALP results in the broken supramolecular crosslinking and thus increased lattice distancing of the photonic hydrogel driven by synergistic repulsive force between nanoparticles embedded in photonic crystal structure and osmotic swelling pressure. The biosensor shows sensitivity of 7.3 nm spectral shift per mU mL(-1) ALP, with detection limit of 0.52 mU mL(-1). High-accuracy colorimetric detection can be realized via a smartphone, promoting point-of-care sensing and timely diagnosis of related pathological conditions.

Automated summary

Structurally-colored photonic hydrogels are promising biosensing materials that can be fabricated by introducing hydrogels into thin films or photonic crystal structures. However, the fabrication of high-performance photonic hydrogel biosensors is hindered by low anti-interference capability or complicated synthesis. In this study, a facilely prepared supramolecular photonic hydrogel biosensor is developed for high-sensitivity detection of alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The biosensor shows a sensitivity of 7.3 nm spectral shift per mU mL(-1) ALP and a detection limit of 0.52 mU mL(-1), enabling accurate colorimetric detection via a smartphone for point-of-care sensing and timely diagnosis.