INNOVATIVE FULLERENOL - HYDROGELS BASED NANOMATERIALS
Hydrogels for diagnostic and health care applications - fulsens-gel.
Cofund-m-eranet-3-fulsens-gel (318/2022)
Project purpose
The main objective of the project consists in the development of an innovative nanomaterial, based on combination of the elastic, flexible and resistant hydrogels with functional nanomaterials based on fullerenols (FL), thus resulting a new 3D conductive hydrogel with tunable network structures, active surface and improved electrochemical, mechanical and optical properties for sensing applications. By entrapment of biomolecules in such conductive hydrogels can be achieved unique features and diverse functionalities for various promising fields of applications: wearable, flexible and point-of-care sensors for clinical diagnostic, food quality control, environmental monitoring, flexible energy storage device, human-machine interfaces and intelligent sensors, based on self-healing and self-adhesive nanomaterial.
General Project Data
National Contracting Authority: Executive Unit for the Financing of Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation
Implementation period: 28/06/2022-31/12/2024
Budget: 1.237.000 lei / 250.000 Euro
Partners:
International Consortium Coordinator (P1)
National Research and Development Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry - ICECHIM, Bucharest, Romania
Ordu University, Ordu, Turkey
Metrohm Dropsens, S.L., Asturias, Spania
ChimGrup SRL, Bihor, Romania
The FULSENS-GEL project aims to achieve a major breakthrough in the development of biofunctional, flexible hybrid nanomaterials with improved conductive, opto-electrochemical and mechanical properties.
This project provides an important impact on:
1) the scientific community, through the development of new materials and bio-selective nanomaterials;
2) industry, through the production and utilization of new flexible and portable bioelectronics;
3) society, through the development of bioelectronic devices containing such a new nanomaterial, which offers the possibility of rapid, real-time monitoring of health conditions, food quality and the detection of contaminants/pathogens, thus increasing the quality of life;
4) the research potential of the EU, by stimulating international collaboration, knowledge exchange, training, etc.
Project stages
1 – Design, development and characterization of electrochemical sensors based on Fullerenol Hydrogels
Period of deployment: 20.06.2022 - 31.12.2022
Activities carried out:
- Synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials based on Fulerenol-Hydrogels
- Design and development of electrochemical (bio)sensors (start activity)
- Characterization of (bio)sensors based on Fulerenol-Hydrogels and bioreceptors (activity initiation)
- Dissemination and communication activities results
Step 2 - Design, development and characterisation of the flexible multi-sensor patch
Period of deployment: 01.01.2023 - 31.12.2023
Activities carried out by the ICECHIM coordinator
- Design and development of opto-electrochemical (bio)sensors (completion)
- Opto-electrochemical characterization of developed (bio)sensors (completion)
- Design, development and characterization of flexible multi-sensor configuration for electrochemical detection of multiple analytes
- Development, characterization and optimization of multi-sensitive wearable patch (activity initiation)
- Dissemination and communication activities results
Step 3 - Experimental design of the wearable device for wearable sweat monitoring system
Period of deployment: 01.01.2024 - 31.12.2024
Activities carried out:
- Making the multi-sensitive wearable patch (completion)
- Development of an experimental model of a portable and wearable armband system for monitoring (bio)analytes in sweat
- Demonstration of the functionality of the wearable multi-sensor system for monitoring sweat analytes under controlled and real conditions
- Dissemination and communication activities results
Estimated results
By implementing the activities of the FULSENS-GEL project, it will contribute to improving the quality of life and to a significant progress in the field of functional materials for sensing applications, addressing several scientific and socio-economic challenges of great interest. This project will have a high impact on the quality of safety and health.
The following results are expected after the completion of the project:
1. Innovative conductive FL-Hydrogel nanomaterials with tunable lattice structure;
2. Functionalization procedure of 3D hydrogel network structures with conductive fullerenol active nanomaterial;
3. Highly sensitive and stable FL-Hydrogel (bio)selective material;
4. Optimized methods for the detection of biological analytes in sweat using FL-Hydrogel-based (bio)sensors;
5. A proof of concept of wearable flexible patches for accurate and real-time monitoring of biological and physiological parameters of sweating.