Development and application of electrochemical sensors obtained by additive manufacturing for detection of quercetin and diquat

• Grant number: 24/16461-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Bruno Campos Janegitz
• Grantee: Lucas Ventosa Bertolim
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Agrárias (CCA). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Araras , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The determination of key compounds for the prevention and treatment of some diseases in food samples is extremely significant for improving the health conditions of the general population. In this context, electrochemical techniques allied with 3D printing provide a practical, versatile, and cost-effective alternative, enabling the creation of miniaturized and portable analysis systems with rapid response, which can be employed for the determination of various compounds. This way, the present work aims to develop a fully additively manufactured electrochemical system for detecting quercetin (QCT) and diquat (DQT) in samples of tap ad river water, honey, green tea, and apple juice, foods and beverages with a high presence of this compound. The platform will consist of a base made from a non-conductive filament and sensors prepared from lab-made conductive filaments based on carbon black, polypropylene, and polylactic acid (PP/PLA/CB). The emphasis feature of this filament will be the PP, which is highly significant due to being a recyclable polymer and providing flexibility. Electrochemical and morphological characterizations of the obtained sensors will be conducted to assess changes in the surface and conductivity of the material. Finally, the sensors will be applied to the voltammetric detection of QCT and DQT, following the selection of the optimal pH of the supporting electrolyte and the complete optimization of the operational parameters of the quantitative technique to be employed. Then, it will be possible to obtain a simple, accessible analysis system capable of detecting QCT and DQT even in complex samples, quickly and reliably.