Page 106 - Read Online

Hussain et al. Soft Sci. 2025, 5, 21 https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/ss.2025.02 Page 9 of 19

Figure 2. (A) Schematic illustration of the oxidation of lactate by LOx; (B) λ PBG values as a function of LOx concentration; insets show
real photographs of CLCN-IPN films immobilized with different concentrations of C LOx ; (C) Redshift in λ PBG values as a function of
Lox
lactate concentration; insets show photographs of the CLCN-IPN films treated with varying concentrations of C Lactate in aqueous
Lox
solutions; (D) UV-Vis spectra of the CLCN-IPN films treated with different C Lactate concentrations. Error bars in (B) and (C) represent
Lox
the standard deviations from triplicate experimental results. CLCN: Cholesteric liquid crystal network; IPN: interpenetrating polymer
network; UV-Vis: UV-Visible.
metabolism, and its concentration in sweat can rise significantly during intense exercise or when the body is
in a state of oxygen deficit. Elevated lactate levels in sweat are often used as a biomarker for muscle fatigue,
hydration status, and metabolic conditions. Monitoring these levels can help assess athletic performance or
detect underlying health issues. Figure 2D shows the corresponding UV-Vis spectra of the CLCN-IPN
Lox
films, where a redshift is observed as lactate concentration increases. Supplementary Figure 6C presents a
bar graph of Δλ values, showing a maximum shift of 144 nm, which is easily distinguishable by the naked
PBG
eye, making the sensor highly sensitive to lactate concentration changes. The LOD was calculated to be
3.11 mM, with a linear detection range 4-50 mM, as shown in Supplementary Figure 6D. This Figure also
serves as a standard calibration curve for determining unknown lactate concentrations. Overall, the sensor’s
ability to detect lactate levels within the physiological range, as well as its response to elevated
concentrations, highlights its potential as a practical tool for real-time monitoring in both sports
performance and clinical diagnostics.

Glucose monitoring with the circular photonic CLCN-IPN biosensor film
For glucose monitoring, we utilized a 2.8% reactive CLC mixture combined with an IPN constructed from
AA-co-DMAEMA. The choice of the 2.8% reactive CLC mixture was strategic to achieve an initial green