An Optoelectronic Sensing Real-Time Glucose Detection Film Using Photonic Crystal Enhanced Rare Earth Fluorescence and Additive Manufacturing

In this research, a novel detection method employing rare-earth upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) as the core, coated with MnO₂ nanosheets is designed, which formed a color and fluorescence dual-responsive UCNP composite material, MnO₂-modified NaYF₄:Yb,Tm@NaYF₄. By enabling both colorimetric and fluorescence methods simultaneously, this composite material allows for the detection of glucose concentration under different conditions, while exhibiting strong resistance to environmental interference, chemical stability, and accuracy. To further enhance the sensitivity of the detection method, a photonic crystals (PCs)-PDMS array where polymethyl methacrylate PCs are deposited onto a substrate composed of PDMS-glass slice with hydrophobic surfaces is developed. This array can serve as a substrate that specifically reflected blue light while allowing other colors of light to pass through, which effectively reduced background signal interference and improved detection sensitivity (1.2 µm) with a wider linear range (20-800 µm). Finally, a portable fluorescence intensity detection device is designed to enhance the portability of the platform. Numerous experimental results demonstrated that this research significantly improved the sensitivity of glucose detection, providing new research directions for the field of fluid biomarker detectio.