Glucose-responsive polymer brushes for microcantilever sensing

Glucose responsive polymer brushes were synthesized on gold substrates and microcantilever arrays. The response properties of these brushes were evaluated by exposing them to different glucose concentrations for a range of pH values. This work demonstrates the potential for polymer brush-functionalized micromechanical cantilevers as glucose detectors. Furthermore, the work demonstrates that stimulus-responsive polymer brushes on micromechanical cantilevers have a significantly larger bending response due to glucose binding compared with self-assembled monolayers. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2010.