Researchers at the Department of Chemistry, MS University, Vadodara, have developed an eco-friendly powder made from recycled copper that can instantly detect glucose levels in blood or sweat. This powder provides color changing results, with light blue indicating low glucose levels and dark blue indicating high glucose levels. It is a simple, affordable and sustainable option that can simplify diabetes monitoring compared to traditional electronic glucometers, especially in rural and resource-poor areas.
According to TOI, the research was led by Professor Sonal Thakor along with his PhD students, Abdima Samal and Sonal Thakor. The team developed a method to turn old electrical copper wire into a glucose-sensing material. The results were published in the International Journal of Chemical Engineering in July this year.
According to Professor Thakor, the team extracted copper from scrap copper wires and turned it into copper nanoparticles. These nanoparticles were stabilized with a natural polymer called chitosan and reinforced with a plant-based compound derived from renewable corn starch. “The final material behaves like a natural enzyme and is called a nanozyme,” he explained.
Copper nanozyme is available as a powder and detects glucose in a simple, dye-based way. “When glucose is present, it produces hydrogen peroxide, which turns a colorless solution dark blue in the presence of the nanozyme. The intensity of the color is directly related to the glucose concentration,” Thakor explained.
The system was tested on real blood serum samples, comparing data from diabetic and non-diabetic individuals with a standard glucometer. The results were similar. The team is now working on the next step: detecting glucose levels through human sweat. “We are also studying ways to convert the color codes into numerical values so that users can accurately know their blood glucose levels,” Thakor said.
The research took about a year to complete. According to Thakor, this powder can be easily used in paper-based strips or dip tests. “If mass-produced, it can make diabetes testing affordable, eco-friendly and easily available in rural areas, especially where electronic devices and test strips are not always available,” he said.
The research, which focused on the rapid detection of sugar using low-cost copper powder, was published in the International Journal of Chemical Engineering in July.