Nanoscale materials and approaches for optical glucose assays

•Overview of the basic components in the analytical process.•Review of strategies for glucose assays with nanoscale materials.•Recent advances in enzymatic and enzyme-free glucose sensing.

Glucose sensing remains a major concern worldwide due to the striking and growing number of diabetic patients. Extensive efforts have been made to achieve reliable glucose assays. The burgeoning nanotechnology offers an opportunity to facilitate glucose sensing for the extraordinary properties of nanomaterials. In this article, recent developments will be discussed toward the optical glucose assays based on nanoscale materials and approaches.