Preparation of (Carbon Aerogel or Xerogel)/(Bi-Fe)/TiO₂ composites with application in amperometric sensor construction for heavy metal (Cd, Pb, etc.) and organic compound (H₂O₂, pharmaceutical compounds, etc.) detection, having the photorenewing capacity of the surface.

The project proposes the synthesis, characterization and testing of carbon porous structures of aerogels and xerogels types impregnated with Bi and Fe nanoparticles in order to obtain amperometric sensors for the detection of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, etc.) and organic compounds (H₂O₂, pharmaceutical products). Thus, an alternative to the Hg electrode, use in electroanalytical applications, is promoted. In order to photoregenerate the sensor surface, for the first time for this type of sensor, the composite will be modified with TiO₂ particles, a photocatalytic active material. Morphological and structural characterization of composite will be performed by N₂ adsorption-desorption, TEM, SEM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy. By composite immobilizing on the electrodes surface (e.g. glassy carbon), using polymer matrix (e.g. chitosan), will decrease the composite amount used for the sensor preparation, thus reducing its cost and giving it qualities for miniaturization. In order to assess the analytical performance of the obtained amperometric sensor (sensitivity, selectivity, detection limit, stability, reproducibility), electrochemically characterization by CV, SWV and testing for heavy metal and organic compound (by CV, SWV, RDE) detection are performed.The results will be the subject of four presentations at scientific meetings, three manuscripts submitted (one before 2017) for publication in ISI journals and a submission of national patent requirement.

According to the proposed objectives, samples of carbon xerogels and aerogels not/impregnated with Bi - Fe nanoparticles, and not/modified with TiO₂ have been prepared. These have been morpho-structural characterized (by N₂ adsorption-desorption, TEM, SEM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, etc.), electrochemical investigated and tested in sensing applications for detections of heavy metal (Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺) and H₂O₂, and in photodegradation of metil orange. The obtained results were included in twelve presentations at six international scientific meetings, in one published manuscript , in three submitted manuscripts in ISI journals / in work manuscript and in one national patent requirement.
Beside these, following the Project sustainability line and in order to improve the conducting-sensing properties of carbon materials, graphene based materials were investigated to be involved in the structure of obtained materials. Related to this target, other two papers have been published in ISI journals under project cover.
TOTAL: 3 ISI published papers, 12 presentations at conferences, 2 papers in evaluation/in work, 1 national patent requirement.

*End project: 30.09.2017