Identificador: TDX:2519
Autors: Guinovart Pavón, Tomàs de Aquino
Resum:
The main objective of this thesis is the exploration of new frontiers in the area of chemical sensors. First, through the development of novel approaches to build wearable chemical sensing devices. Second, through the generation of new sensing approaches to determine electrolytes in liquid samples. Potentiometry as well as optical detection techniques will be used.
Since potentiometry was firstly used at the beginning of 1900, with classical ion-selective electrodes (ISEs), this technique have constantly been changing and the revolution of this technique started with the miniaturization of these ISEs in combination with the real need of sensors for monitoring our health status, which has merged in a new trend to develop wearable sensors. This thesis has, then, been the starting point to develop potentiometric sensors embedded in wearable platforms, being finally used for measuring electrolytes in biological fluids.
Also, this thesis has been focused on the improvement of the ion-selective polymeric membrane sensitive to one specific electrolyte. In the last decade, there has been a considerable advance and research of new receptors for clinically relevant molecules present in our body. For example, the introduction of a new artificial receptor (calix[4]pyrrole) for creatinine has been a significant milestone in this thesis. Creatinine is the second most important molecule routinely analyzed after glucose, thus likely to open a path to the market beyond this thesis.
Finally, potentiometry has not been the only technique used in this thesis but also optical technique. The real challenge, overcome in this thesis, has been to sense anions selectively, especially the ones that currently are hardly measured with potentiometry, such as for example sulphate.
Repositori URV