Home » Advanced Self-Assembled Hybrid Nanoarrays with Controlable Inter-nanoelectrode Positions for Ultrasensitive Sensing in Medical Applications (SHIN-PULS)

Advanced Self-Assembled Hybrid Nanoarrays with Controlable Inter-nanoelectrode Positions for Ultrasensitive Sensing in Medical Applications (SHIN-PULS)

Title of the project: Advanced Self-Assembled Hybrid Nanoarrays with Controlable Inter-nanoelectrode Positions for Ultrasensitive Sensing in Medical Applications (SHIN-PULS)

Project manager: Dr. SZERB Elisabeta Ildyko

Total budget of the project: 1.198.032 lei

Co-financing budget: 0 lei

ICT eligibil budget: 1.198.032 lei

Contract period: 36 months (01.01.2021- 31.12.2023)

Financing entity: Executive Unit for the Financing of Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation

Abstract: The present project aims to explore the structure – property – electrochemical function relationship of a complex matrix nanoplatform based on metallomesogens (MMs) as precursors for in-situ generation of randomized/ordered metal oxide (MOx) nanoelectrode array (MONA) for the fabrication of electrochemical high performance hybrid sensors. The control of the size, the shape and the inter-nanoelectrode separation will be performed by controlling the supramolecular organisation in the liquid crystalline state of the coordination complex used to modify the nanostructured electrode. Based on the fundamental knowledge acquired, the development of a Wireless Electronics-integrated Portable ultrasensitive Sensors (WEPS) for real-time non-invasive biomedical applications will be also explored by using different possible scenarios and designs. The project will be realized using the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary expertise of renowned scientists together with young scientists and students following an integrative approach for an in-depth understanding of surface and interface chemistry and charge transport, as reference for opening other applied research areas.

Objectives: The aim of the project consists in obtaining complex matrix nanoplatforms bazed on MMs as precursors for the in-situ generation of randomized/ordered MOx nanoelectrode array (MONA) for the fabrication of electrochemical high performance hybrid sensors. Bioavailable metal-based coordination complexes will be employed based on copper, zinc, silver or iron. The ligands will be properly functionalized to induce self-assembling of the resulting coordination complexes into mesogenic supramolecular structures and used to modify non-innocent carbon-based, non-carbon based and hybrid supports to generate nanoelectrode lattices (MMNA) with controllable and/or ordered supramolecular organizations. MONA with randomized or organized structures, obtained upon electrochemical treatment of MMNA, will be used for the first time as advanced nanosensors for ultrasensitive detection in medical applications. A Wireless Electronics-integrated Portable ultrasensitive Sensor for non-invasive biomedical applications in real time (MONA-WEPS) will be developed. The sensor will permit the precise monitoring of different biologically active compounds in saliva or urine (glucose, uric acid or ascorbic acid) and will transmit wireless the data to mobile devices or will be storaged in cloud.

Specific scientific objectives:

  1. Synthesis of new low temperature MMs based biovailable metal centres (zinc, copper, iron, silver);

  2. Obtaining of MMs modified nanoelectrode arrays (MMNA);

  3. Obtaining optimized MONA by in-situ electrochemical treatment of MMNA. Development of protocols for individual/simultaneous/selective detection of bioanalytes;

  4. Fabrication of MONA_WEPS for real-time non-invasive biomedical application.

Members:

  • Prof. MANEA Florica

  • Ing. Dr. NICOLAE Ionel-Valentin

  • Dr. CSEH Liliana

  • Dr. CREŢU Carmen

  • Dr. DONNIO Bertrand

  • Dr. ILIEŞ Sorina

  • Dr. ANDELESCU Adelina-Antonia

  • Drd. NEGREA Sorina-Claudia

  • Drd. DELCIOIU Claudia: January 2021 – October 2022

  • Drd. BUTĂ Ildyko: July 2021

  • Masterand POPA Evelyn

  • Masterand BADESCU Bianca-Nicoleta: July 2021 – October 2022

  • Masterand VORGA Milenca: January 2021 – Mai 2021

  • Masterand VISAN Alexandru: January 2023

Published articles:

1st stage.

1. La Deda M., Di Maio G., Candreva A., Heinrich B., Andelescu A.-A., Popa E., Voirin E., Badea V., Amati M., Costişor O., Donnio B.*, Szerb E. I.*

Very intense polarized emission in self-assembled room temperature metallomesogens based on Zn(II) coordination complexes: an experimental and computational study, J. Mater. Chem. C 10, 115–125, 2022 IF = 7.393

2. Motoc S. (m. Ilies), Schinteie B., Pop A., Negrea S., Cretu C., Szerb E.I.*, Manea F.*

Graphene quantum dots and Cu(I) liquid crystal for advanced electrochemical detection of doxorubicine in aqueous solutions Nanomaterials, 11, 2788, 2021 IF = 5.076

3. Szerb E. I., Chatterjee S., La Deda M., Palermo G., Sancey L., Strangi G., Ricciardi L.*

A luminescent water-soluble Ir(III) complex as potential photosensitizer for two-photon photodynamic therapy Appl. Sci., 11, 11596, 2021 IF = 2.679
2nd stage.

1. Andelescu A.A., Ilies (b. Motoc) S., Cretu C., Popa E., Marinescu S., Heinrich B., Manea F.*, Negrea S., Donnio B., Szerb E.I*

Pentacoordinated Liquid Crystalline Zn(II) Complex Organized in Smectic Mesophase: Synthesis, Structural and Electrochemical Properties Appl. Sci., 12, 8306, 2022.IF = 2.838

2. Negrea S., Andelescu A.A., Ilies (b. Motoc) S., Cretu C., Cseh L., Rastei M., Donnio B., Szerb E.I.*, Manea F.*

Design of Nanostructured Hybrid Electrodes Based on a Liquid Crystalline Zn(II) Coordination Complex-Carbon Nanotubes Composition for the Specific Electrochemical Sensing of Uric Acid Nanomaterials, 12, 4215, 2022IF = 5.719
3rd stage.
1. Popa E., Andelescu A.A., Ilies S. (b. Motoc), Visan A., Cretu C., Scarpelli F., Crispini A., Manea F.* and Szerb E.I.* Hetero-Bimetallic Ferrocene-Containing Zinc(II)-Terpyridyl-Based Metallomesogen: Structural and Electrochemical Characterization Materials, 16, 1946, 2023  IF = 3.400
2. Cretu C., Popa E., Di Maio G., Candreva A., Buta I., Visan A., La Deda M., Donnio B. * and Szerb E.I.* Bimetallic liquid crystal blends based on structurally related 3d-metal coordination complexes Chem. Commun, 59, 10616-10619, 2023  IF = 6.065

List of registered patents:

3rd stage.
Patent application no. A/00777 submitted to OSIM – State Office for Inventions and Trademarks, Bucharest, Romania in 29th of November 2023.

Poster presentation at international or national conferences:

1st stage. Due to the pandemic situation, all conferences were held on-line

1. Popa E., Badescu B. N., Visan A., Marinescu S., Buta I., Cretu C., Szerb E. I.

Bimetallic liquid crystalline functional materials Symposium ICT: The 13th Edition of symposium with international participation “New trends and strategies in the chemistry of advanced materials with relevance in biological systems, technique and environmental protection”, 7-8 October 2021, Timişoara, România.

2. Ilies (born Motoc) S., Andelescu A., Cretu C., Popa E., Szerb E. I., Manea F., Donnio B.

Zn(II) metallomesogen-carbon nanotubes paste electrode for glucose detection Young Researchers’ International Conference on Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (YRICCCE III), 04 – 05 June 2021, Cluj-Napoca, România.

3. Andelescu A. A., Popa E., Crețu C., Vorga M. M., Motoc S., Nicolae I.-V., Manea F., Szerb E. I.

New transition metal-based coordination complexes for electrochemical sensing Young Researchers’ International Conference on Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (YRICCCE III), 04 – 05 June 2021, Cluj-Napoca, România.
2nd stage.

1. Buta I., Cretu C., Popa E., Badescu B., Szerb E.I.

Isostructural Metallomesogens based on Ni(II) and Zn(II). Synthesis, Liquid-Crystalline. Properties of pristine complexes and their mixtures 14th National SICL Meeting, 22 – 23 September 2022, Padua, Italy.

2. Badescu B., Popa E., Ilies S., Manea F., Szerb E.I.

Bimetallic mesogens based on Zn(II) and Fe(II) ions National Conference of Chemistry, XXXVI Edition, 04-07 October 2022, Călimăneşti- Căciulata, Romania.

3. Popa E., Cretu C., Buta I., Szerb E.I.

Bimetallic liquid crystalline materials based on Zn(II) and Cu(II) coordination complexes Symposium ICT: The 14th Edition of symposium with international participation “New trends and strategies in the chemistry of advanced materials with relevance in biological systems, technique and environmental protection”, 20-21 October 2022, Timişoara, Romania.

4. Buta I., Cretu C., Popa E. Badescu B. Szerb E.I.

Structural and optical properties of 3d metal coordination complexes with N- and O-donor ligands Symposium ICT: The 14th Edition of symposium with international participation “New trends and strategies in the chemistry of advanced materials with relevance in biological systems, technique and environmental protection”, 20-21 October 2022, Timişoara, Romania.

5. Vişan A., Popa E., Cretu C., Szerb E., Andelescu A.A. Gallate ligands functionalized with ferrocene containing alkyl chains as precursors for bimetallic liquid crystals Symposium ICT: The 14th Edition of symposium with international participation “New trends and strategies in the chemistry of advanced materials with relevance in biological systems, technique and environmental protection”, 20-21 October 2022, Timişoara, Romania.
3rd stage.
1. Visan A., Andelescu A.A., Popa E., Cretu C., Szerb E.I., Aggregation studies on a hetero-bimetallic coordination complex, The 15th Edition of the Conference “New trends in chemistry research”, 21-22 septembrie 2023, Timişoara, România, Book of abstracts, pag. 103.

2. Buta I.M., Cretu C., Szerb E.I., Perspectives on the structural design of copper(II) liquid crystalline complex based on Schiff base ligand, The 15th Edition of the Conference “New trends in chemistry research”, 21-22 septembrie 2023,Timişoara, România, Book of abstracts, pag. 98

3. Baciu A., Motoc S., Negrea S.-N., Vitan D., Orha C., Tudoran C., Manea F. Application of cellulose nanostructured sponges for contaminated sediments remediation, 12th International conference on environmental engineering and management – ICEEM12 Circular Economy and Sustainability Conference, 13 – 16 September 2023, Iași, Romania, p. 167.

4. Negrea S.-C., Motoc S., Baciu A., Șăulean A.A., Matei E., Trușcă R., Manea F., Innovative polymer enhanced ultra-filtration to treat lake water for both cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins removal, 12th International conference on environmental engineering and management-ICEEM12 Circular Economy and Sustainability Conference, 13 – 16 September 2023, Iași, Romania, p. 207.

Oral presentations at international or national conferences:

1st stage. Due to the pandemic situation, all conferences were held on-line

1. Andelescu A. A., La Deda M., Di Maio G., Candreva A., Popa E., Voirin E., Heinrich B., Donnio B., Szerb E. I.

Polarized Emission from columnar Zn(II) metallomesogens IUPAC World Chemistry Congress (WCC) and Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition (CCCE), 13 – 20 August 2021

2. Ilies (born Motoc) S., Schinteie B., Manea F., Pop A., Negrea S., Szerb E.I.

Graphene quantum dots-multiwalled carbon nanotubes paste electrode for sensitive determination of doxorubicin in aqueous solution Conferinţa internaţională: 7th Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology Meeting, 17-20 May 2021, Ostrava, Czech Republic.

3. Ilies (born Motoc) S., Szerb E.,Pop A., Negrea S., Manea F.

Nanostructured carbon-based electrode for enhanced determination of sodium diclofenac in water 11th International conference on environmental engineering and management–ICEEM11, 8-10 Septembrie 2021, Muttenz, Switzerland

4. Cretu C., Ilies S., Manea F., Szerb E. I.

Cu(I)-based metallomesogens for the fabrication of electrochemical high performance hybrid sensors for non-invasive real time biomedical applications Smart functional nanomaterials: From synthesis to advanced applications, 07-08 Mai 2021, Rome, Italy.

5. Szerb E. I.

Materiale funcţionale pe bază de combinații complexe ale metalelor din blocul d Conferința Cercetării Științifice din Academia Română (CCSAR-2021), 22 November 2021, Academia Română, România.

6. Badescu B., Elisabeta I. Szerb, Florica Manea, Sorina Ilieş (b.Moțoc)

Square-wave voltammetry technique for sensitive and fast detection of doxorubicin from aqueous solutions Student Scientific Session, Faculty Of Food Engineering, Tourism And Environmental Protection, “Aurel Vlaicu” University Of Arad, XIXth Edition, November 25-26, 2021. Ist Section: Environmental Science and Engineering, Environmental Protection, Biodiversity, Health, Applied Biology.

7. Buta I., Shova S., Ilies S., Manea F., Andruh M., Costisor O.

Mono- and oligonuclear complexes based on Schiff base ligand Scientific Communications Of Young Researchers MacroYouth’2021, 2nd Edition, November 19, 2021, Iasi, Romania.
2nd stage.

1. Andelescu A. A., Ilies S., Popa E., La Deda M., Di Maio G., Donnio B., Manea F., Szerb E.I.

Zn(II) metallomesogens: from polarized emission to electrochemical sensing 14th National SICL Meeting, 22-23 September 2022, Padua, Italy.

2. Szerb E.I., Manea F., Donnio B., Ilies S., Andelescu A.A., Cretu C., Buta I.

Metallomesogens as functional materials for advanced electrochemical sensing 22nd Romanian International Conference on Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 07-09 September 2022, Sinaia, Romania.

3. Creţu C., Popa E., Buta I., Ilies S., Manea F., Donnio B., Szerb E.I.

Functional materials based on bimetallic metallomesogens National Conference of Chemistry, XXXVI Edition, 04-07 October 2022, Călimăneşti-Căciulata, Romania.

4. Szerb E.I., Nicolae V.I., Manea F.

Liquid crystals, electrochemistry and sensors Symposium ICT: The 14th Edition of symposium with international participation “New trends and strategies in the chemistry of advanced materials with relevance in biological systems, technique and environmental protection”, 20-21 October 2022, Timişoara, Romania.

5. Bută I., Cretu C., Popa E., Szerb E.I.

New 3d metal coordination complexes with N- and O- donor ligands: synthesis, structural characterization and optical properties 28th International Symposium on Analytical and Environmental Problems (ISAEP 2022)” online, 14-15 November 2022, Szeged, Hungary.
3rd stage.
1. Szerb. E.I.: keynote invitat Metallomesogens from design to functional properties, 16th European Conference on Liquid Crystals ECLC 2023, 10-14 July 2023, Universitá della Calabria, Rende, Italy

2. Cretu C., Andelescu A.A., Ilies S., Manea F., Szerb E.I. Cu(I) and Zn(II) metallomesogens for electrochemical sensing of glucose and uric acid, Conferinţă Internaţională: Progress in Organic and Macromolecular Compounds, Editia 29 – MACROIasi 2023, 4-6 Octombrie 2023, Iasi, Romania.

3. Buta I., Nistor M.A., Muntean S.G., Costisor O. One dimensional coordination polymers based on Schiff base ligand: structures, properties and potential applications, Conferinţă Internaţională: Progress in Organic and Macromolecular Compounds, Editia 29 – MACROIasi 2023, 4-6 Octombrie 2023, Iasi, Romania.

4. Manea F., keynote invitat Emerging electrochemical processes for water circularity, 12th International conference on environmental engineering and management – ICEEM12 Circular Economy and Sustainability Conference, 13 – 16 September 2023, Iași, Romania, p. 21.

Awards:

1st stage.

Masterand Badescu Bianca-Nicoleta Ist Prize for the oral presentation with the title „Square-wave voltammetry technique for sensitive and fast detection of doxorubicin from aqueous solutions” at Student Scientific Session, Faculty Of Food Engineering, Tourism And Environmental Protection, “Aurel Vlaicu” University Of Arad, XIXth Edition, November 25-26, 2021, Ist Section: Environmental Science and Engineering, Environmental Protection, Biodiversity, Health, Applied Biology.

2nd stage.

BADESCU Bianca: Scholarship won through a selection process from Romanian Society of Chemistry for participation at the National Conference of Chemistry, XXXVI Edition, Călimănești-Căciulata, 04-07 October 2022, Romania.

Other results:

1st stage.

Dissemination: European Researchers Night, 28 September 2021, Nokia Campus, Timisoara –on-line.

2nd stage.

European Researchers Night – 2022, 30 September 2022, Nokia Campus, Timisoara, Romania.

Participation to the program “Educaţia e cheia/Education is the key”, within the project “Teach with inEDU”, 3-10 October 2022, INCUBOXX Timişoara, Romania.

Special section dedicated to the thematic area of the project with the title: “Liquid crystals, electrochemistry and sensors” organized within the Symposium with international participation „New Trends and Strategies in the Chemistry of Advanced Materials with Relevance in Biological Systems, Technique and Environmental Protection”, annually event organized by the „Coriolan Drăgulescu” Institute of Chemistry. Site web: New Trends in Chemistry 2022 – Event Page.

3rd stage.
European Researchers Night – 2023, September 29th, 2023, NOKIA Campus, Timişoara, România – poster prezentare proiect PCE 48/2021

Reports:

1st stage:

Report (pdf)

2nd stage:

Report (pdf)

3rd stage:

Executive report (pdf)

Final report

Acnowledgements: This work was supported by a grant of the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, CNCS/CCCDI – UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2020-1958, within PNCDI III

Romania Webmail