Learning objectives
Provide students with an outlook on chemical sensors and biosensors based on innovative materials and their applications in environmental, food and health fields.
Course unit content
The course will feature an overview of the applications of innovative and sustainable materials used for chemical sensors and biosensors development. Different signal transduction technologies will be addressed, including the theoretical principles on which their working is based. Techniques of synthesis and characterization of the advanced materials and nanomaterials currently used as substrates will be briefly dealt with.
The course is articulated into the following points:
-Introduction to Chemical Sensors: Basics and mechanisms of Chemical Sensing; definition; classification based on transduction (electrochemical, optical, piezoelectric, electronic, chemoresistive); receptors and bioreceptors; performance metrics (Sensitivity, selectivity, response time, stability, and reproducibility)
-Materials as substrates for Chemical Sensors: conventional and advanced materials (metals, metal oxides, polymers, carbon-based materials, nanomaterials); functional and sustainable materials (conductive polymers, bio-inspired materials, biodegradable polymers, natural materials, recycled materials); synthesis and characterization of sensor materials (chemical vapor deposition, sol-gel processes, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, SEM and TEM microscopy, X-ray diffraction, surface analysis)
-Sensor Design and Fabrication: Lithography, etching, and deposition methods; Layer-by-layer assembly, printing techniques, and flexible substrates; challenges and techniques for miniaturizing sensors.
-Sensing Mechanisms and Signal Transduction: electrochemical transduction (Potentiometric, amperometric, and conductometric sensors); electronic (Field-Effect Transistor); chemoresistive (MOS); optical (colorimetric, fluorescence, and surface plasmon resonance); acoustic (mass-sensitive, quartz crystal microbalance)
-Applications of Chemical Sensors: environmental monitoring (detection of pollutants); healthcare and diagnostics ( biosensors for metabolite monitoring, disease markers, and wearable sensors); food and agriculture (detection of pesticides, food safety and authenticity); smart sensors and IoT (Integration of sensors with Internet of Things for real-time monitoring and data analysis); hybrid and multifunctional sensors (combination of multiple sensing mechanisms in a single device)
Bibliography
Florinel-Grabriel Banica: Chemical Sensors and Biosensors - Fundamentals and applications.
Ed. Wiley
