Boronic acid-based carbohydrate sensing

The covalent boron-diol interaction enables elaborate design of boronic acid-based saccharide sensors. Over the last decade, this research topic has been well developed thanks to the integration of boronic acid chemistry with a range of techniques, including supramolecular chemistry, materials chemistry, surface modification, and nanotechnology. New sensing strategies and platforms have been introduced and remarkable progress has been achieved to fully utilize the unique property of boron-diol interaction and to improve the binding affinity towards different targets, especially under physiological conditions. In this review, the latest progress over the past 30 months (from late 2012 to early 2015) is highlighted and discussed to shed light on this versatile and promising platform for saccharide sensing. Thats very sweet: This focus review highlights the latest progress in boronic acid-based saccharide sensing over the past 30 months, including significant achievements in the areas of molecular sensing, functionalized polymers, surface modification, electrochemical sensors, and nanosensors.