Potentiometric ion-selective electrodes (ISEs), which rely on selective and lipophilic ionophores, are commonly employed in clinical diagnostics. However, there are very limited specific ionophores for the detection of creatinine, a critical biomarker for renal function assessment. In the present research, we designed and synthesized an endo-functionalized cage, which is able to selectively bind the creatininium cation (Ka = 8.6 × 105 M−1) through the formation of multiple C–H⋯O and N–H⋯N hydrogen bonds and cation⋯π interactions. ISEs prepared with this host show a Nernstian response to creatinine and exhibit excellent selectivity and a low detection limit of 0.95 μM. In addition, the creatinine levels in urine or plasma samples determined by our sensor are consistent with those analyzed using enzymatic assay on a Cobas c702. The method is simple, fast and accurate, and amenable to clinical detection of creatinine levels.
This article is Open Access
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