Eco-friendly spark-generated CoO nanoparticle-modified graphite screen-printed sensing surfaces for the determination of HO in energy drinks.

The modification of graphite screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) is reported using an eco-friendly and extremely fast method based on the direct cobalt pin electrode-to-SPE spark discharge at ambient conditions. This approach does not utilize any liquids or chemical templates, does not produce any waste, and allows the in-situ generation of CoO nanoparticles onto the electrode surface and the development of efficient electrocatalytic sensing surfaces for the determination of HO. Co-spark SPEs were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), revealing the formation of surface confined CoO nanoparticles and the diverse oxidation states of cobalt species.

Exploring Next-Generation Engineering Bioplastics: Poly(alkylene furanoate)/Poly(alkylene terephthalate) (PAF/PAT) Blends.

Polymers from renewable resources and especially strong engineering partially aromatic biobased polyesters are of special importance for the evolution of bioeconomy. The fabrication of polymer blends is a creative method for the production of tailor-made materials for advanced applications that are able to combine functionalities from both components. In this study, poly(alkylene furanoate)/poly(alkylene terephthalate) blends with different compositions were prepared by solution blending in a mixture of trifluoroacetic acid and chloroform.

Direct Detection of Toxic Contaminants in Minimally Processed Food Products Using Dendritic Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrates.

We present a method for the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based detection of toxic contaminants in minimally processed liquid food products, through the use of a dendritic silver nanostructure, produced through electrokinetic assembly of nanoparticles from solution. The dendritic nanostructure is produced on the surface of a microelectrode chip, connected to an AC field with an imposed DC bias. We apply this chip for the detection of thiram, a toxic fruit pesticide, in apple juice, to a limit of detection of 115 ppb, with no sample preprocessing.