Publications by authors named "Raquel G Rocha"

The use of 3D-printed electrodes is reported fabricated from in-house conductive filament composed of a mixture of recycled poly (lactic acid) (rPLA), graphite (Gpt), and carbon black (CB) for fast detection of the abused drug ketamine. Firstly, the performance of these electrodes was evaluated in comparison to 3D-printed electrodes produced employing a commercially available conductive filament. After a simple pretreatment step (mechanical polishing), the new 3D-printed electrodes presented better performance than the electrodes produced from commercial filament in relation to peak-to-peak separation of the redox probe [Fe(CN)]/ (130 mV and 759 mV, respectively), charge transfer resistance (R = 1.

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Babassu (Atallea sp.), a native palm tree from South America's Amazon produces bio-oil and biochar with significant potential for industrial applications. Babassu oil as a bio-based plasticizer is reported here for the first time to replace petrochemical alternatives in the production of conductive filaments for additive manufacturing purposes.

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The development of a tailored filament is reported composed of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and carbon black (CB) in a polylactic acid (PLA) matrix and its use in the production of electrochemical sensors. The electrodes containing rGO showed superior performance when compared with  those prepared in the absence of this material. Physicochemical and electrochemical characterizations of the electrodes showed the successful incorporation of both rGO and CB and an improved conductivity in the presence of rGO (lower resistance to charge transfer).

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Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an emerging technology to develop devices on a large scale with potential application for electroanalysis. However, 3D-printed electrodes, in their native form, provide poor electrochemical response due to the presence of a high percentage of thermoplastic polymer in the conductive filaments. Therefore, surface treatments are usually required to remove the nonconductive material from the 3D-printed electrode surfaces, providing a dramatic improvement in the electroanalytical performance.

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A rapid and simple method for the amperometric determination of glucose using a nanocomposite film of nickel oxyhydroxide and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNTs) was evaluated. The NiHCF)/MWCNT electrode film was fabricated using the liquid-liquid interface method, and it was used as a precursor for the electrochemical synthesis of nickel oxy-hydroxy (Ni(OH)/NiOOH/MWCNT). The interaction between nickel oxy-hydroxy and the MWCNTs provided a film that is stable over the electrode surface, with high surface area and excellent conductivity.

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Sulfanilamide (SFL) is used to prevent infections in honeybees. However, many regulatory agencies prohibit or establish maximum levels of SFL residues in honey samples. Hence, we developed a low-cost and portable electrochemical method for SFL detection using a disposable device produced through 3D printing technology.

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Silver materials are known to present excellent properties, such as high electrical and thermal conductivity as well as chemical stability. Silver-based inks have drawn a lot of attention for being compatible with various substrates, which can be used in the production uniform and stable pseudo-reference electrodes with low curing temperatures. Furthermore, the interest in the use of disposable electrodes has been increasing due to the low cost and the possibility of their use in point-of-care and point-of-need situations.

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Although studies have demonstrated the inactivity of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) towards SARS-CoV-2, this compound was one of the most prescribed by medical organizations for the treatment of hospitalized patients during the coronavirus pandemic. As a result of it, HCQ has been considered as a potential emerging contaminant in aquatic environments. In this context, we propose a complete electrochemical device comprising cell and working electrode fabricated by the additive manufacture (3D-printing) technology for HCQ monitoring.

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Article Synopsis
  • A novel electrochemical sensing platform using laser-induced graphene modified with Prussian blue has been developed for detecting hydrogen peroxide with high sensitivity and selectivity.
  • The porous graphene films were created using infrared laser on flexible polyimide, and their properties were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy.
  • The PB-graphene composite showed significant improvements in charge transfer resistance, fast response times, and a low detection limit, outperforming other existing sensors for hydrogen peroxide detection.
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Graphene-based materials present unique properties for electrochemical applications, and laser-induced conversion of polyimide to graphene is an emerging route to obtain a high-quality material for sensing. Herein we present compact and low-cost equipment constructed from an open-source 3D printer at which a 3.5-W visible (449 nm) laser was adapted to fabricate laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrodes from commercial polyimide, which resulted in electron transfer kinetic (k) of 5.

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The 3D printing (or additive manufacturing, AM) technology is capable to provide a quick and easy production of objects with freedom of design, reducing waste generation. Among the AM techniques, fused deposition modeling (FDM) has been highlighted due to its affordability, scalability, and possibility of processing an extensive range of materials (thermoplastics, composites, biobased materials, etc.).

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The 3D printing technology has gained ground due to its wide range of applicability. The development of new conductive filaments contributes significantly to the production of improved electrochemical devices. In this context, we report a simple method to producing an efficient conductive filament, containing graphite within the polymer matrix of PLA, and applied in conjunction with 3D printing technology to generate (bio)sensors without the need for surface activation.

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1-(3-chlorophenyl) piperazine (mCPP) is a synthetic drug with hallucinogenic effects that has often been found in seized samples. In this context, easy to use point-of-care tests can be of great value in preliminary forensic analysis. Herein, we proposed a simple, fast, and portable electrochemical method for the detection of mCPP in seized samples.

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Cocaine is probably one of the most trafficked illicit drugs in the world. For this reason, police forces require fast, selective, and sensitive methods for cocaine detection at crime scenes. Taking benefit of additive manufacturing, we demonstrate that 3D-printed graphene-polylactic acid (G-PLA) electrodes using the affordable fused deposition modelling technique can identify and quantify cocaine in seized drugs.

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The fabrication of carbon black/polylactic acid (PLA) electrodes using a 3D printing pen is presented and compared with electrodes obtained by a desktop fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printer. The 3D pen was used for the fast production of electrodes in two designs using customized 3D printed parts to act as template and guide the reproducible application of the 3D pen: (i) a single working electrode at the bottom of a 3D-printed cylindrical body and (ii) a three-electrode system on a 3D-printed planar substrate. Both devices were electrochemically characterized using the redox probe [Fe(CN)] via cyclic voltammetry, which presented similar performance to an FDM 3D-printed electrode or a commercial screen-printed carbon electrode (SPE) regarding peak-to-peak separation (ΔEp) and current density.

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Three-dimensional printing techniques have been widely used in the fabrication of new materials applied to energy, sensing and electronics due to unique advantages, such as fast prototyping, reduced waste generation, and multiple fabrication designs. In this paper, the production of a conductive 3D-printing filament composed of Ni(OH) microparticles and graphene within a polylactic acid matrix (Ni-G-PLA) is reported. The nanocomposite was characterized by thermogravimetric, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic, scanning electronic microscopic, Raman spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques.

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3D-printing is an emerging technique that enables the fast prototyping of multiple-use devices. Herein we report the fabrication of a 3D-printed graphene/polylactic acid (G-PLA) conductive electrode that works as a sampler and a voltammetric sensor of metals in gunshot residue (GSR) using a commercially-available G/-PLA filament. The 3D-printed surface was used as swab to collect GSR and next submitted to a square-wave voltammetric scan for the simultaneous detection of Pb and Sb.

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This communication shows the electrochemical synthesis of Prussian blue (PB) films on additive manufactured (3D-printed) electrodes from iron impurities found at the graphene-polylactic acid (G/PLA) substrate and its application as a highly selective sensor for HO. The 3D-printed G/PLA electrode was immersed in dimethylformamide for 30 min to exposure the iron impurities within the PLA matrix. Next, cyclic voltammograms (200 cycles) in the presence of potassium ferricyanide in 0.

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Additive manufacturing or three-dimensional (3D)-printing is an emerging technology that has been applied in the development of novel materials and devices for a wide range of applications, including Electrochemistry and Analytical Chemistry areas. This review article focuses on the contributions of 3D-printing technology to the development of electrochemical sensors and complete electrochemical sensing devices. Due to the recent contributions of 3D-printing within this scenario, the aim of this review is to present a guide for new users of 3D-printing technology considering the required features for improved electrochemical sensing using 3D-printed sensors.

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Midazolam (MID) is a sedative drug which can be added in beverage samples as drug-facilitated-sexual assault (date rape drug). This type of drug has short half-life in biological fluids (not detectable) which often prevents the correlation between drug abuse and crime. In this work, we described a simple and low-cost method for fast screening and selective determination of MID in beverage samples (vodka, whiskey and red wine).

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This current review article focuses on recent contributions to on-site forensic investigations. Portable and potentially portable methods are presented and critically discussed about (bio)chemical trace analysis and studies performed outside the controlled laboratory environment to rapidly help in crime scene inquiries or forensic intelligence purposes. A wide range of approaches including electrochemical sensors, microchip electrophoresis, ambient ionization on portable mass spectrometers, handheld Raman and NIR instruments as well as and point-of-need devices, like paper-based platforms, for in-field analysis of latent evidences, controlled substances, drug screening, hazards, and others to assist in law enforcements and solving crime more efficiently are highlighted.

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