3D-printed CuO nanoparticle-functionalized flow reactor enables online fluorometric monitoring of glucose.

An online flow reactor was fabricated by using a fused deposition modeling three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology along with thermoplastic poly(lactic acid) filaments incorporating copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs). In the presence of glucose, the flow reactor displays multi-catalytic activities because accelerates the oxidation of 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein to form fluorescein which displays green fluorescence under 480 nm excitation (emission wavelength: 530 nm). The CuO NPs exert two functions to mediate electron transfer at a basic reaction condition, viz. direct oxidation of glucose to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), and prompting the ROS to oxidize 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate. The flow reactor coupled to a microdialysis sampler and a fluorometer was applied for online fluorometric monitoring of brain extracellular glucose levels in living rats based on scanning of time-resolved fluorescence intensities. After optimization of (a) the manufacture of the flow reactor, (b) the reaction conditions (pH 10; 50 °C), and (c) the online analytical system, the detection limit of the method (when using 10-µL samples of microdialysate) is as low as 6.1 µM (linear range: 0.05-5 mM) with a sampling frequency of 7.5 h-1. To illustrate the method's applicability, analyses of spiked off-line-collected rat brain microdialysates were conducted. In addition, rat brain extracellular glucose levels were monitored in-vivo and online upon neuronal depolarization triggered by perfusing a high-K+ medium. The results demonstrate that functionalizing raw 3DP materials with appropriate nanomaterials can simplify the manufacturing of analytical devices and related analytical procedures. This will extend the diversity and adaptability of current 3DP-enabling analytical strategies. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of an online flow reactor fabricated using a fused deposition modeling 3D printer along with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) filaments incorporating CuO NPs. The manufactured flow reactor displays multi-catalytic activities and simplifies online fluorometric monitoring of living rat brain extracellular glucose.