PREPARATION OF ELECTROCHEMICAL SENSORS FROM TREE LEAVES USING CO2 LASER PYROLYSIS

• Grant number: 23/14943-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2024
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Bruno Campos Janegitz
• Grantee: Beatriz Fernandes Germinare
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Agrárias (CCA). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Araras , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Using dehydrated green leaves as a substrate for manufacturing electrochemical sensors is an innovative approach that provides a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional sensor substrates. In this context, the CO2 laser represents an attractive area of research that has the potential to revolutionize the way sensors are manufactured. CO2 laser pyrolysis allows the fabrication of electrodes on various substrates, contributing to the development of high-performance, environmentally friendly and economical sensors. The green leaf sensor will be optimized and standardized according to the adjustment possibilities of the laser cutting printer, such as laser distance, potential and burning speed. In this sense, the leaves used to manufacture the electrochemical sensors will come from S. macrophylla and P. americana, tree species widely and easily found in Brazil. The system created will be used for the detection of guaiacol, a phenolic compound found in food and biological samples, as well as the determination of paracetamol in pharmaceutical and biological samples, which is an analgesic and antipyretic medication, being one of the most prescribed for pain in general.