Interference-Compensated Glucose Detection via Stoichiometry-Based Signal Deconvolution in a Mono- and Diboronic Acid Dual-Channel System

Nonenzymatic boronic acid-based glucose sensors offer inherently superior stability over enzymatic counterparts, yet their selectivity is critically limited by ubiquitous structurally similar saccharide interferents. Herein, we report a highly selective dual-receptor colorimetric indicator-displacement assay (IDA) against typical endogenous saccharides, which mathematically deconvolutes overlapping interference signals to achieve precise glucose quantification. By integrating monoboronic acid (MBA) and diboronic acid (DBA) receptors with the reporter Alizarin Red S (ARS), we demonstrated that interfering saccharides─which consistently bind boronic acid groups with a 1:1 stoichiometry toward both MBA and DBA─can be mathematically treated as equivalent to fructose. In contrast, glucose uniquely forms a bidentate complex with DBA, producing a distinctly different response pattern. Leveraging this, a rigorous parallel equilibrium equation model using the dual MBA/ARS and DBA/ARS system was established to accurately isolate the exact glucose signal. Validated across five categories of saccharide interferents, the dual system achieved exceptional analytical reliability, with 100% of data points falling within Zone A of the Clarke error grid. Furthermore, this colorimetric assay was adapted to a customized smartphone application, enabling automated, smartphone-assisted digital optical-to-concentration readouts. By effectively neutralizing false-positive contributions from coexisting saccharides, this work establishes a robust, equivalence-based deconvolution strategy for highly selective glucose sensing based on phenol boronic acid, providing the foundation for interference-compensated continuous glucose monitoring systems.