UC research produces novel sensor with improved detection selectivity

University of Cincinnati (UC) research on a novel sensor with improved detection selectivity for use with complex samples will be presented at the next national meeting of the American Chemical Society. Importantly, the research is among a select international set of projects that students said they wanted to hear about during a symposium on electrochemistry.

UC's William Heineman will present on a UC-developed sensor that combines a variety of testing means (electrochemistry, spectroscopy and selective partitioning) into one device. The three methods are represented in the above photo illustration.

A highly sensitive sensor that combines a variety of testing means (electrochemistry, spectroscopy and selective partitioning) into one device has been developed at the University of Cincinnati. It's already been tested in a variety of settings – including testing for components in nuclear waste.

The sensor is unusual in that most sensors only have one or two modes of selectivity, while this sensor has three. In practical terms, that means the UC sensor has three different ways to find and identify a compound of interest. That's important because settings like a nuclear waste storage tank are a jumbled mix of chemical and radioactive wastes. The sensor, however, would have a variety of applications, including testing in other environments and even medical applications.

Research related to this novel sensor will be presented at the American Chemical Society biannual meeting from 27 March to 31 March in Anaheim, California, in a presentation titled ''Using spectroelectrochemistry to improve sensor selectivity.''

That presentation will be made March 28 by William Heineman, distinguished research professor of chemistry at the University of Cincinnati. He is one of six international scientists invited to speak by  electrochemistry  students involved in planning a conference symposium. Heineman has published more than 400 research articles on the topics of spectroelectrochemistry, electroanalytical chemistry, bioanalytical chemistry and chemical sensors, and has won numerous national and international awards for his work.

UC's William Heineman will present on a UC-developed sensor that combines a variety of testing means (electrochemistry, spectroscopy and selective partitioning) into one device. The three methods are represented in the above photo illustration.