M. Laura Soriano, PhD

Departamento de Química Analítica, Instituto Universitario de Nanoquímica (IUNAN), Edificio
Marie Curie, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
Laura.soriano@uco.es

M. Laura Soriano is currently Assistant Professor at the University of Córdoba. She obtained Ph.D. degree in Chemistry at Castilla La-Mancha University in 2007. After two postdoctoral stays at U.K. and Italy, she joined the FQM-215 research group at University of Cordoba funded by a FP7-EU project (INSTANT) developing new methods based on nanotechnology for analytical and pharmaceutical purposes. Up to date, she has directed one research project as IP co-financed by European Commission, and participated in numerous other projects (international, national, and regional ones). During this period, she has supervised two Doctoral Theses with European/international Mentions, three Master's Theses and three Final Degree Projects. Dr. Soriano has a multidisciplinary research profile focused on supramolecular chemistry and nanomaterials by virtue of the publication of an ebook, six book chapters (high-quality editorials), ca. of 50 articles with three front covers (in high impact factor international peer-reviewed journals) in diverse categories of material science, chemistry, and physics. Her research has been fully divulgated through several seminars and oral presentations in congresses along Europe. She participates in innovative teaching projects and other divulgation activities for teaching different aspects of “Nanoscience and Nanotechnology” to public community and introductory students.

Format of carbon based nanodots in sensing matters

A new class of fluorescent, colored, surfactant-free, water-soluble carbon-based nanodots emerged in the last decades as exceptional nanoemmitters owed to their fascinating and tunable optical properties [1]. Amongst them, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and carbon quantum dots (CQDs) became the most explored in the field of Analytical Nanoscience and Nanotechnology to improve analytical methods at any step of the sample treatment or detection stage.
In this communication we take advantage of the fact that solid, gel and liquid nanoparticle formats affect to their properties and so to their ability to interact with certain (bio)molecules. In this sense, supramolecular interactions of nanoparticles in various media conditioned their applicability when they are dispersed in aqueous or organic media or even in a gel format. In this communication, various lines of research aiming at designing carbon-based nanodots as analytical tools are discussed, focusing on their excellent abilities as sensing probes for detecting (bio)molecules or nanosized structures in different environmental compartments. Regarding GQDs, it is highlighted the use of GQDs in liquid medium for determining specific drugs, GQDs in hydrogels for selective sensing explosives, and GQD aerogels for selective sorption and sensing of pesticides. On the other hand, we will briefly comment the use of GQDs for sensing and elucidating a food-colouring additive when found free or encapsulated into micelles.

Keywords: analytical methods, fluorescence, hydrogels, aerogels
Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the funding project
SBPLY/17/180501/000333 (granted from European Commission and JJCC Castilla-LaMancha).
References:
[1] A. Cayuela, M.L. Soriano, C. Carrillo-Carrión, M. Valcárcel, Semiconductor and carbon-based fluorescent nanodots: The need for consistency, Chem. Commun. 52 (2016) 1311-1326. https://doi.org/10.1039/C5CC07754K