Results
Summary of results:
Environmental pollution is one of the biggest problems that mankind is facing worldwide and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Water pollution is caused by, among other things, pesticides and herbicides from agricultural practices and pharmaceuticals that end up in water either as a result of drug treatments used by humans or in the livestock industry because they cannot be completely removed in treatment plants.
In this project we have developed a detection platform integrating nanostructured metal films capable of detecting emerging environmental pollutants by combining optical spectroscopy (Raman) with electrochemistry. The electrochemically-assisted optical detection method is suitable for the simple, rapid, and selective detection of some pharmaceutical pollutants (e.g. propranolol) in relevant media (surface water, drinking water, processed wastewater, etc.). The selective and efficient identification of environmental pollutants demonstrated in this project may have applications in water quality monitoring and thus have a direct positive impact on the quality of life.
The results of the project have been disseminated through presentations at international conferences and the publication of scientific articles in prestigious international journals with impact factors up to 14, such as Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Micromachines, Sensors or Microchemical Journal. In addition, the project team was co-organizer and host of a workshop dedicated to detection methods on environmental and food safety issues, which was attended by representatives of the political and social environment, such as the Cluj Public Health Directorate, but also of the economic environment and students from universities in Cluj.
Results:
Simulated optical spectra of plasmonic nanostructures serving as ‘SERS electrodes’. Electrochemical behavior of propranolol. Gold nanostructured films fabricated, characterized and tested as SERS substrates for propranolol detection and analysis. Redox profile of propranolol on unmodified and MIP-modified electrodes. EC-SERS analysis/ detection of propranolol with portable equipment. EC-SERS analysis/ detection of propranolol in simulated samples.
Articles:
1. R. Chira, J. Fangmeyer, O.I. Neaga, V. Zaharia, U. Karst, E. Bodoki, R. Oprean, Simulation of the oxidative metabolization pattern of netupitant, a NK1 receptor antagonist by electrochemistry coupled to mass spectrometry, Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2021, 11(5), 661-666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
2. R. Moldovan, V. Toma, B.-C. Iacob, R.I. Stiufiuc, E. Bodoki, Off-Resonance Gold Nanobone Films at Liquid Interface for SERS Applications, Sensors 2022, 22, 236. https://doi.org/10.3390/
3. A. Csapai, D. Toc, F. Popa, N. Tosa, V. Pascalau, C. Costache, A. Botan, C. Popa, 3D Printed Microfluidic Bioreactors Used for the Preferential Growth of Bacterial Biofilms through Dielectrophoresis, Micromachines 2022, 13(9), 1377. https://doi.org/10.3390/
4. C. Muntean, D. Cuibus, S. Boca, A. Falamas, N. Tosa, I. Brezestean, A. Bende, L. Barbu-Tudoran, R. Moldovan, E. Bodoki, C. Farcău, Gold vs. Silver Colloidal Nanoparticle Films for Optimized SERS Detection of Propranolol and Electrochemical-SERS Analyses, Biosensors 2023, 13(5), 530. https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13050530 [IF 5.4]
Conference presentations:
1. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of propranolol on different SERS substrates – a step towards dual SERS-electrochemical sensors for pharmaceutical pollution monitoring, 13th International Conference PROCESSES IN ISOTOPES AND MOLECULES 2021, 22-24 September 2021, Cluj-Napoca.
2. Highly Sensitive Electrochemical Detection of Endosulfan on Polybithiophene Modified Gold Electrodes, prezentare online poster, 10th International Workshop on Surface Modification for Chemical and Biochemical Sensing, 5-9 November 2021, Polonia.
3. Quality Enhancement of the SEM Images, IEEE International Conference on Automation, Quality and Testing, Robotics (AQTR), 19-21 May 2022, Cluj-Napoca.
4. Electrochemically assisted SERS for detection of pharmaceutical pollutants, oral presentation, Workshop on nano-biosensing with portable/handheld Raman systems, 6 October, Cluj-Napoca.
5. Self-assembled nanostructured SERS substrates, oral presentation, Workshop on nano-biosensing with portable/handheld Raman systems, 6 october, Cluj-Napoca.
6. SERS of propranolol: Au vs Ag, oral presentation, Workshop on nano-biosensing with portable/handheld Raman systems, 6 October, Cluj-Napoca.
Workshop – 6th of October 2022
A workshop was held on detection methods for environmental and food safety issues. The topics focused on the detection of persistent pharmaceutical pollutants in the environment, of pesticides in fruit and vegetables, as well as on food control and quality assessment using Raman spectroscopy and electrochemical methods. Within the event, team members presented results obtained during the implementation of the project. Also, colleagues from INCDTIM, UMF and UBB presented their results on similar research areas. The event was public and included, among others, representatives of the political and social environment, such as the Cluj Public Health Directorate, but also of the economic environment, such as Colina Farms, SC Cojocna Băi SRL, La Nasal. Moreover, practical demonstrations and presentations of portable instruments for on-site analysis from Total Spectrum were held. The impact of this event was the identification of new topics of interest with potential transferability to the business environment and the initiation of new collaborations.
