BrainMap

Denisa - Corina Cuibus

Research assistant -

Researcher

Expertise & keywords

Nanostructured microfluidic analytical platform for dual SERS-electrochemical detection of emerging environmental pollutants Call name: EEA Grants - Proiecte Colaborative de Cercetare
RO-NO-2019-0517 2020 - 2024

Role in this project: Partner team leader

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO); UNIVERSITATEA DE MEDICINA SI FARMACIE "IULIU HATIEGANU" (RO); SINTEF AS (NO); NANOM MEMS SRL (RO)

Affiliation:

Project website: https://www.itim-cj.ro/polsens/

Abstract:

Environmental contamination with pesticides causes negative impact on soil, water, and whole ecosystems. Studies evidenced links between pesticides and diseases such as Parkinson’s, prostate cancer, immune depression, allergies, and others in population groups heavily exposed to pesticides. Chronic exposure to low levels of pesticides also raises toxicity concerns. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are a class of very dangerous pollutants, capable of long-range transport, bio-accumulation in human and animal tissue, and bio-magnification in food chains. In such an exposed environment almost everyone has POPs in their body, including newborns or even embryos. Highly accessible analytical platforms for fast, selective and decentralized detection of dangerous chemicals are therefore of very high demand.

Within this project we propose to develop sensing platforms able to detect environmental pollutants by simultaneous optical spectroscopy and electrochemistry. A nanostructured plasmonic chip will be the core of the spectro-electrochemical sensor combining the advantages of highly specific and sensitive surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to the versatility, portability, and low costs of electrochemical (EC) sensing. The dual SERS-EC sensing platform will be integrated in a microfluidic system, in order to benefit from reproducible measurements due to highly defined environment, easy handling of small sample volumes, high throughput detection, and even sample preparation and mixing procedures in continuous flow. Additionally, a second dual sensing cell based on common spectrophotometer cuvettes, for ml-scale sample volumes will be developed. The proof of concept will be demonstrated on organohalide pesticide endosulfan, an emerging pollutant (EP) selected from the new POPs list of the Stockholm Convention and the JRC Watch List. Extending the adaptability of the proposed sensing platform to the detection of other environmental pollutants (e.g. lamda-cyhalotrin, thiabendazole) will be also pursued. Our research aims to provide sensing platforms by which these substances can be detected in surface waters samples and also to contribute to the scientific data regarding POPs accumulation and distribution. The design and experimental development of the SERS-electrochemical sensor aims for device portability for field (in-situ) applications, such as monitoring EPs in surface waters at critical sites (e.g. in the vicinity of a possible pollution source).

To overcome the involved scientific and technical challenges and achieve the proposed objectives, a diverse range of expertise, skills and infrastructure capacities are combined: optical simulations and experiments, nanofabrication, microsystems technologies and microfluidics, advanced characterisation tools, plasmonics, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, DFT calculations, electrochemistry, gas chromatography, chemometric tools. The proposed consortium is a highly trained and experienced one, relatively young, and with a very good gender balance. No ethical issues implying human or animal testing are raised by the implementation of this project.

The optimization of recycled lead for the applications on the automobile battery Call name: P 3 - SP 3.1 - Proiecte de mobilități, România-China (bilaterale)
PN-III-P3-3.1-PM-RO-CN-2018-0183 2018 - 2019

Role in this project: Partner team leader

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO); Institute of High Energy Physics Chinese Academy of Science, P. R. China (CN)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Project website: http://www.itim-cj.ro/bilateral/bm13/

Abstract:

The lead acid battery is a ”living” and the most successful electrochemical power source of all times. After consumption, the recycling of lead is important for the environment, but also for saving natural resources, in accordance with EU Directive 2006. The need for the built a ”society of recycling batteries” using environmentally friendly, low cost and low energy consumption methods remains a problem of the modern world. One of the highly aimed goals of electrochemist consists in the valorification of recycled materials in the environment from which they came from – like new electrodes for renewable batteries.

The aim of this project consists in the efficient optimizating of recycled lead from anodic and cathodic plates of a spent car battery by the incorporation of another oxides using a eco-innovative, low cost and low energy consumption method. The new structural features of the recycled lead will improve renewable battery performances due to the substantially reducing passivation on the surface of the anodic electrode. The most important factor is consists in the manufacturing of new electrodes using PN-III-CEI-BIM-CN recycled materials and the reframing of new product in the environment from which they came from - like optimized electrodes for renewable batteries.

The optimization of recycled lead for the applications on the automobile battery Call name:
PN-III-P3-3.1-PMRO-CN-2018-0183 2018 - 2019

Role in this project: Partner team leader

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Project website: http://www.itim-cj.ro/bilateral/bm13/index.htm

Abstract:

Necesitatea construirii unei ”Societăţi a reciclării bateriilor” utilizând metode nepoluante, cu cost scăzut şi consum de energie redus rămâne o problemă a lumii moderne. Ambiţiile unui electrochimist sunt valorificarea produşilor rezultaţi din reciclare în mediul de unde au provenit la baterii reîncărcabile.

The expertise of metallic oxides partial stabilized zirconia for applications in the stomatologic domain Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Transfer de cunoaștere la agentul economic „Bridge Grant”
PN-III-P2-2.1-BG-2016-0077 2016 - 2018

Role in this project: Partner team leader

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO); ZIRCON DENT SRL (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Project website: http://www.itim-cj.ro/ziroxstoma/index.htm

Abstract:

Increased demand for esthetics in stomatology domain has led to an increase in the use of CAD/CAM high-strength but expensive ceramics. Among the ceramics used in these new systems, zirconia was the main focus of research because it offers a range of properties that make it suitable for use in dentistry: biocompability, high fracture resistance, low thermal conductivity, resistance to corrosion and a totally crystalline microstructure. An inherent problem of the material is a phenomenon known as spontaneous aging, hydrothermal degradation or low temperature degradation. These factors change its crystalline phase from tetragonal to monoclinic, which increases the volume (4% to 5%) of the crystals causing the loss of their mechanical properties and the appearance of micro- and macro-cracks. By adding small percentages of yttria (3-5% Y2O3), these phases changes are eliminated, and the resulting material has superior thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties.

In brief, the research of upgraded or new biomaterials is related to the crucial topic of the enhancement of the life conditions with respect to the cost of healt care.

Our proposal refers to high-performance metallic oxides – stabilized zirconia material that combine the excellent structural properties of dopants in terms of chemical stability, biocompatibility and extremely low wear and of zirconia with its superior mechanical strength and fracture toughness.The effective dopants of the proposed materials for this study include MgO, CaO, Al2O3, HfO2, SiO2, Y2O3, TiO2, Fe2O3. High sensitivity techniques are used for structural investigations.

The final goal of the proposed project is: i. To develop solutions for a better stabilization of zirconia by adding of performanted metallic oxides. ii. To develop complex research on the structure-property interlations and on the characterization of the effects about the colour modifications, iii. To integrate advanced biomaterials in the stomatologic domain.

FILE DESCRIPTION	DOCUMENT
List of research grants as project coordinator or partner team leader
Significant R&D projects for enterprises, as project manager
R&D activities in enterprises
Peer-review activity for international programs/projects