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Nanoextraction, separation and detection of micropollutants in one single and simple step

Project description

Extracting, separating and detecting micropollutants in one simple step

Sample preparation is the most difficult step in an analysis. Current methods used to extract and separate miniscule substances in liquid samples are laborious, time-consuming and costly. They also often involve the use of toxic solvents. The EU-funded NanoEX project intends to develop a novel sample preparation technique that could overcome these shortcomings. It will achieve this by means of a surface nanodroplet-based sensing approach for liquid-liquid extraction and online analysis of traces of analytes in aqueous solutions. The proposed approach, referred to as nanoextraction, can potentially extract, separate and detect micropollutants in one easy step. Owing to its ease of use and small scale, the technology has the potential to improve state-of-the-art solutions available in current markets.

Objective

Sample preparation is considered to be the most difficult step in analytic workflow. Current methods for extraction and
separation of minute substances in liquid samples are laborious, time-consuming, often involve large amounts of toxic
organic solvents, and are often difficult to automatize, implying high costs of man-power. An innovative sample preparation
technique which has the potential to overcome these shortcomings will be developed in this project. Based on the first
promising results in the ERC-AdG project DDD, we propose a surface nanodroplet-based sensing approach for liquid-liquid
extraction and online analysis of traces of analytes in aqueous solutions, including in biomedical, health, pharmaceutical and
environmental contexts. The basis of our approach, referred to as nanoextraction, will be surface nanodroplets pre-formed
on a substrate within a microflow channel. The principle of the nanoextraction is that the partition coefficient of the compound
in the droplets is much higher than in the sample solution. The compound in the flow will thus be extracted to the
nanodroplets that are immobilized on the channel walls. The concentration of the compound in the droplets will be quantified
by surface-sensitive spectroscopic techniques. Our proposed approach can potentially achieve extraction-separation-detection
of analytes at extremely low concentrations in one single and simple step. The ability to achieve extraction-separation-
detection of micropollutants in one single step is creating new and unique market opportunities which we want to
explore. First, the technology can improve the state-of-the-art solutions in current markets, because of the easy usage and
the small scale, thus saving time and costs. Second, we foresee new markets for the method, due to the higher sensitivity
and point-of-care character of the solution. Our final goal in this project is to create a solid and investor-ready business plan,
supported by a prototype.

Host institution

UNIVERSITEIT TWENTE
Net EU contribution
€ 60 000,00
Address
DRIENERLOLAAN 5
7522 NB Enschede
Netherlands

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Region
Oost-Nederland Overijssel Twente
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
No data

Beneficiaries (2)