Development of sustainable SERS substrates for removal and detection of synthetic food dyes in aqueous media

• Grant number: 23/16725-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: April 01, 2024
• End date: March 31, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Carlos José Leopoldo Constantino
• Grantee: Isabela Bianchi Carvalho
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Presidente Prudente. Presidente Prudente , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/22214-6 - Towards a convergence of technologies: from sensing and biosensing to information visualization and machine learning for data analysis in clinical diagnosis, AP.TEM

Abstract

This Direct Doctorate (DD) project proposes the development of sustainable hybrid substrates based on microfibers of modified cellulose with Au nanoparticles (AuNPs - negative) or Cu nanoparticles (CuNPs - positive) on their surface for the removal and detection via Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) of synthetic food dyes in aqueous media. The research will also explore molecular-level interactions between cellulose substrates and the food dyes Allura Red (VA - anionic), Brilliant Blue (AB - zwitterionic), and Rhodamine B (RdB - cationic), seeking to understand and optimize the processes of removal and detection of these dyes. Cellulose is derived from a renewable source (sugarcane bagasse), biodegradable, cost-effective, and offers versatility in functionalizations. The synthesis of AuNPs and CuNPs occurs in situ, with cellulose acting as a reducing agent. The dyes VA, AB, and RdB were chosen for two fundamental reasons: i) they represent the main classes of synthetic food dyes in terms of their charges; ii) the potential environmental contamination and health hazards they pose. This DD proposal is linked to the Thematic Project FAPESP 2018/22214-6 "Toward a convergence of technologies: from molecular-level studies in cell membrane models and sensors to information visualization and machine learning for data analysis in clinical diagnosis" and envisions a BEPE internship with Dr. Santiago Sánchez Cortés' group at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) in Madrid, Spain. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

OLIVEIRA, MARCELO J.; BIANCHI-CARVALHO, ISABELA; RUBIRA, RAFAEL J.; SANCHEZ-CORTES, SANTIAGO; CONSTANTINO, CARLOS J.. Plasmonic Ag Nanoparticles: Correlating Nanofabrication and Aggregation for SERS Detection of Thiabendazole Pesticide. ACS OMEGA, v. 9, n. 41, p. 11-pg., 2024-10-02. (18/22214-6, 23/16725-6, 22/09619-2)