0000000000022802
AUTHOR
N. Jornet-martínez
Colorimetric determination of alcohols in spirit drinks using a reversible solid sensor
Abstract A sensor for the colorimetric estimation of the alcoholic content has been developed based on the entrapment of the reagent (4-N,N-dioctylamino)-4‘-trifluoroacetylazobenzene (ETHT 4001) into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) modified with tretraethylorthosilicate (TEOS). When exposed to an alcoholic media, the sensor delivers ETHT 4001 so that it reacts with alcohols, resulting in a change in the solution color. The diffusion of the entrapped ETHT 4001 from the polymeric sensor to the working solution depends on the hydrophobicity of both the sensor matrix and the media, while the time of exposure determines whether the reagent reacts with methanol, or with methanol and ethanol. Thus, th…
A solid colorimetric sensor for the analysis of amphetamine-like street samples.
A solid sensor obtained by embedding 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonate (NQS) into polydimethylsiloxane/tetraethylortosilicate/silicon dioxide nanoparticles composite has been developed to identify and determine amphetamine (AMP), methamphetamine (MAMP), 3,4-methylenedioxymetamphetamine (MDMA) and 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA). The analytes are derivatized inside the composite for 10 min to create a colored product which can be then quantified by measuring the diffuse reflectance or the color intensity after processing the digitalized image. Satisfactory limits of detection (0.002–0.005 g mL−1) and relative standard deviations (<10%) have been achieved. The proposed kit has been successfu…
In tube-solid phase microextraction-nano liquid chromatography: Application to the determination of intact and degraded polar triazines in waters and recovered struvite.
Abstract In-tube solid-phase microextraction (IT-SPME) coupled to miniaturized liquid chromatography (LC) techniques are attractive mainly due to the column efficiency improvement, sensitivity enhancement and reduction of solvent consumption. In addition, the nanomaterials based sorbents can play a key role in the improvement of the extraction efficiency taking into account their interesting physical and chemical properties. Thus, in this work the performance of IT-SPME coupled to nano LC (NanoLC) has been compared with the performance of IT-SPME coupled to capillary LC (CapLC) with similar configurations for the determination of polar triazines including their degradation products. In both…
New silica based adsorbent material from rice straw and its in-flow application to nitrate reduction in waters: Process sustainability and scale-up possibilities.
Abstract This paper shows a particular example to move to a sustainable circular economical process from valorization of rice straw ashes by developing a green synthesis for obtaining a useful sub-product. This strategy can palliate negative effects of the agriculture waste practices on the environment and also the obtained silica reduced nitrate content in waters. It is demonstrated that the silica synthesis developed at lab was scalable more than a hundred times with good results. Adsorption studies of nitrate in standards and real well waters at lab scale and scaling-up provided similar results. Adsorption values near to 15 mg/g for nitrate standards and 8.5 mg/g for well water were obta…
Analysis of Contact Traces of Cannabis by In-Tube Solid-Phase Microextraction Coupled to Nanoliquid Chromatography
Because of its inherent qualities, in-tube solid-phase microextraction (IT-SPME) coupled on-line to nanoliquid chromatography (nanoLC) can be a very powerful tool to address the new challenges of analytical laboratories such as the analysis of traces of complex samples. This is the case of the detection of contact traces of drugs, especially cannabis. The main difficulties encountered in the analysis of traces of cannabis plants on surfaces are the low amount of sample available (typically <
Development of a polydimethylsiloxane–thymol/nitroprusside composite based sensor involving thymol derivatization for ammonium monitoring in water samples
This report describes a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-thymol/nitroprusside delivery composite sensor for direct monitoring of ammonium in environmental water samples. The sensor is based on a PDMS support that contains the Berthelot's reaction reagents. To prepare the PDMS-thymol/nitroprusside composite discs, thymol and nitroprusside have been encapsulated in the PDMS matrix, forming a reagent release support which significantly simplifies the analytical measurements, since it avoids the need to prepare derivatizing reagents and sample handling is reduced to the sampling step. When, the PDMS-thymol/nitroprusside composite was introduced in water samples spontaneous release of the chromophore…
A Colorimetric Membrane-Based Sensor with Improved Selectivity towards Amphetamine
Due to their simplicity, speed and low cost, chemical spot tests are increasingly demanded for the presumptive identification of illicit drugs in a variety of contexts such as point-of-care assistance or prosecution of drug trafficking. However, most of the colorimetric reactions used in these tests are, at best, drug class selective. Therefore, the development of tests based on chemical reactions with improved discrimination power is of great interest. In this work, we propose a new colorimetric assay for amphetamine (AMP) based on its reaction with solutions of alkaline gold bromide to form an insoluble yellow–orange derivative. The resulting suspensions are then filtered onto nylon membr…
Zein as biodegradable material for effective delivery of alkaline phosphatase and substrates in biokits and biosensors
A biodegradable material, zein, is proposed as a reagent delivery platform for biokits and biosensors based on alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity/inhibition in the presence of phosphatase substrates. The immobilization and release of both the substrate and/or the active ALP, in a biodegradable and low-cost material such as zein, a prolamin from maize, and in combination with glycerol as plasticizer have been investigated. Three zein-based devices are proposed for several applications: (1) inorganic phosphorus estimation in water of different sources (river, lake, coastal water and tap water) with a detection limit of 0.2mg/L - compared to at least 1mg/L required by legislation, (2) estimat…
Quantifying both ammonium and proline in wines and beer by using a PDMS composite for sensoring.
Abstract Two of the reagents involved in the Berthelot's reaction, thymol and nitroprusside, were embedded in a PDMS composite in order to apply this assay to determine ammonium and proline, in wine and beers. Safety, portability, rapidity, cost-effectiveness and simplicity of the assay were improved. For the proline determination, a modified Berthelot's reaction, which included a ring cleavage of proline, was optimized. The accuracy of the assay was tested. The limits of detection for ammonium was 0.12 µg mL−1 and for proline was in the range from 0.7 to 4.1 µg mL−1, depending on the kind of wine (white, red, or sweet), for beer the LOD was 6 µg mL−1. The precision achieved was slower than…
A passive solid sensor for in-situ colorimetric estimation of the presence of ketamine in illicit drug samples
Abstract A colorimetric sensor has been developed for the presumptive detection of ketamine in illicit drug samples. The sensor has been prepared by immobilized the reagent Co(SCN) 2 into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). When exposed to solutions of ketamine at a basic pH, the sensor color changes from brown to blue-purple due to the diffusion of the analyte molecules to the polymeric matrix and subsequent interaction with the reagent particles. The sensor enables the visual identification of amounts of drug as low as 30 μg in a few minutes. Quantification of ketamine is also possible through the measurement of the absorbance in diffuse reflectance mode. Under the proposed conditions, linear re…
Microextraction with phases containing nanoparticles.
In this article, the state of the art of microextraction techniques that involve nanoparticles or nanomaterials (NPs) is reviewed, with special emphasis on the applications described in the biomedical field. The uses and advantages of the different types of NPs such as carbon nanotubes (either single- and multi-walled) and other carbon-based materials, metallic NPs, including gold, silver and magnetic NPs, and silica NPs are summarized. The main strategies used to modify the selectivity, extractive capacity and/or the stability of NPs through a chemical reaction are also reviewed. The potential advantages of NPs in different forms of off-line and on-line microextraction are discussed, and …
Designing solid optical sensors for in situ passive discrimination of volatile amines based on a new one-step hydrophilic PDMS preparation
Abstract We reported an optimal material for embedding chemoresponsive dyes based on modified commercial PDMS. A new approach to impart hydrophilicity to H-PDMS in an unique step was developed by addition of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and in absence of basic or acid aqueous mixtures or hydroxyl-compounds during the PDMS coating process. This incorporation significantly enhances the performance of PDMS-based devices for sensing applications. New colorimetric sensors for passive detection and in situ discrimination of volatile amines have been obtained. The limit of detection achieved was 1.5 mg m −3 for both, dimethylamine and methylamine, suitable to control real working atmospheres. T…
Estimation of the presence of unmetabolized dialkyl phthalates in untreated human urine by an on-line miniaturized reliable method
Abstract At present, human exposure to dialkyl phthalates is assessed through urinary measurement of their metabolites due mainly to contamination in their analysis by their ubiquitous presence. An on-line miniaturized method and the processing of the untreated urine samples have been the key factors for minimizing contamination and achieving unbiased results. Di(2-ethylhexyl) (DEHP), diethyl (DEP), dibutyl (DBP) and mono-ethylhexyl (MEHP) phthalates in urine samples have been included in the study; MEHP as metabolite of the main dialkyl phthalate such as DEHP. On-line in-tube solid-phase microextraction (IT-SPME)-capillary liquid chromatography (CapLC) with diode array detection (DAD) is e…
Sensitive and selective plasmonic assay for spermine as biomarker in human urine.
A simple, fast, and highly selective and sensitive colorimetric assay to detect nanomolar levels of spermine in human urine (healthy donors, cancer patients) is reported. This assay is based on the absence of a competitive organic capping on the gold nanoparticles together with the high affinity of the amine groups of the analyte for the nanoparticle surface.
Nylon-Supported Plasmonic Assay Based on the Aggregation of Silver Nanoparticles: In Situ Determination of Hydrogen Sulfide-like Compounds in Breath Samples as a Proof of Concept
A procedure for supporting silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on nylon is proposed. Besides, the membrane has been developed as a solid-phase colorimetric plasmonic sensor for volatile sulfide compounds (VSCs) like H2S, CH3SH, and (CH3)2S. AgNP behavior in the membrane has been studied by UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectrometry, Raman spectrometry, High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The sensor responded by changing its color from yellow in absence of VSCs to several orange/brown colors in the function of VSC concentration as occurs in solution; an increase in the hydrodynamic diameter, estimated by both asymmetrical flow field-flow f…
Delivering Inorganic and Organic Reagents and Enzymes from Zein and Developing Optical Sensors.
Nowadays, interest in using environmentally friendly materials is increasing in many fields. However, the rational design of sensors with biodegradable materials is a challenge. The main aim of this work is to show the possibility of using zein, a protein from corn, as a biodegradable and low-cost material for immobilizing, stabilizing, and delivering different kind of reagents for developing optical sensors. Enzymes, metallic salts, and aromatic and small organic compounds were tested. In addition, different techniques of immobilization, entrapment and adsorption, were used, and different formats, such as solid devices and also multiwell platforms, were proposed. The capacity of zein for i…
Scopolamine analysis in beverages: Bicolorimetric device vs portable nano liquid chromatography
Abstract Scopolamine (SCP) is often involved in sexual assaults and robberies, particularly in recreational environments. Therefore, analytical tools are required for the analysis of this compound amenable for the field. In this work, a sensor for SCP is described based on the entrapment of KMnO4 into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The possibility of using KMnO4 in combination with the reagent 1,2-naphtoquinone-4-sulfonate (NQS) giving a double sensor acting as a bicolorimetric device is also demonstrated. In contact with the sample, the PDMS composite delivers MnO4−, which reacts rapidly with SCP under basic conditions causing a change of the color of the solution that can be related to the …
On-line in-tube solid phase microextraction-capillary liquid chromatography method for monitoring degradation products of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in waters
Abstract The main di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) degradation products, (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), diethyl phthalate (DEP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), have been tested. The proposed cost-effective method combines on-line, in-tube solid-phase micro extraction (IT-SPME) in in-valve configuration and capillary liquid chromatography with UV diode array detection (Cap-LC-DAD). Acidification of the samples at pH 3 improved markedly the estimation of MEHP. Aliquots of 4 mL of acidified water samples were directly processed. After sample loading, the analytes were desorbed with the mobile-phase and transferred to the monolithic capillary column. Satisfactory linearity and precision, absen…
New Reusable Solid Biosensor with Covalent Immobilization of the Horseradish Peroxidase Enzyme: In Situ Liberation Studies of Hydrogen Peroxide by Portable Chemiluminescent Determination.
Herein, we reported a chemiluminescent biosensor based on the covalent immobilization of the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme on a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) support to quantify in situ hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The chemiluminescent reaction based on the use of luminol as an oxidizable substrate, with HRP as the catalyst, has been used in order to quantify H2O2 as the oxidizing agent. The performance of the proposed biosensor has been demonstrated to determine H2O2 liberated by cells in a culture medium and for evaluating the delivery of H2O2 from denture cleaner tablets, as examples of application. For both analyses, the results indicated that the biosensor is cost-effective, sensitive…
Towards sarcosine determination in urine for prostatic carcinoma detection
Abstract Sarcosine, a potential biomarker for prostate cancer, can be detected in a solid state enzyme based biosensor using sarcosine oxidase, with particle immobilised reagents. A novel fusion protein of the fluorescent protein, mCherry, sarcosine oxidase (SOx), and the polypeptide R5 (R52-mCherry-SOx-R5-6 H), was explored, which allowed self-immobilization on silica microparticles and long-term (90 days +) retention of activity, even at room temperature. In contrast, commercial wildtype SOx lost activity in a few days. A silica-R52-mCherry-SOx-R5-6H microparticle sensor for determination of sarcosine in urine, linked the SOx coproduct, H2O2, to a measurement catalysed by horseradish pero…
In Situ Analysis Devices for Estimating the Environmental Footprint in Beverages Industry
Abstract The need to calculate the environmental footprint could mean the integration of sustainability in differentiation strategies for beverages industries. The parameters for estimating the footprint are outlined and discussed. The main negative impacts are related to water pollution, atmospheric pollution, and solid waste. Agro-industrial effluents may contain pesticides, complex oils, alkaline or acidic compounds, and other organic substances. As for atmospheric emissions, particulate material, SO2, NOx, hydrocarbons, and other organic compounds, can be mentioned. The state of art of in situ analysis devices for this purpose is described. The devices are compared through the tool CALI…
Modifying the reactivity of copper (II) by its encapsulation into polydimethylsiloxane: A selective sensor for ephedrine-like compounds
This paper demonstrates that the reactivity of copper (II) can be modified through its entrappment in a polymeric matrix of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which makes possible the reaction into the support instead of in solution. Amino-containing compounds such as amino acids, proteins and sugars, which react with Cu (II) in solution, do not react inside the polymer. As a prove of concept, a highly specific Cu (II) PDMS-based sensor for ephedrines has been developed in this work. When the sensors are put into contact with solutions of these drugs under basic conditions, a change in their color from pale green to purple is observed. This change enables the visual identification of ephedrine (E…