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Chemosensors
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Biochar Based Sustainable Sensing Platforms
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Biochar Based Sustainable Sensing Platforms

A special issue of Chemosensors (ISSN 2227-9040). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials for Chemical Sensing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2023) | Viewed by 15747

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Damiano Monticelli

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Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, 22100 Como, Italy
Interests: electroanalysis; speciation analysis; trace elements; environmental analysis
Dr. Gilberto Binda

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, 22100 Como, Italy
Interests: environmental chemistry; trace element analysis; biomass-derived materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Davide Spanu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, 22100 Como, Italy
Interests: analytical chemistry; nanomaterials; trace element speciation analysis; catalysis; green chemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biochar is a porous, carbonaceous material produced by the solvent-free pyrolysis of biomasses and it is rapidly emerging as an alternative to traditional synthetic carbon nanostructures to manufacture greener, sustainable, carbon-based materials to be used in diverse application fields. Its exploitation in sensing platforms has constantly grown in the last ten years, due to its favorable analytical performances, which were reported as comparable to those of the best traditional carbon-based materials. The fabrication and tailoring processes are constantly tuned and optimized, taking advantage of different chemical treatments and decoration procedures with metal/metal oxide nanoparticles and enzymes, aiming at further enhancing its selectivity and sensitivity.

This Special Issue aims at collecting novel studies deepening our current knowledge on biochar-derived sensing materials. Research manuscripts reporting the use of biochar-based sensing platforms and addressing, but not limited to, the following topics, will be considered for publication:

  • Device development and testing exploiting electrochemical, optical or other sensing mechanisms.
  • Use of novel biomasses.
  • Novel preparation or decoration strategies.
  • Step forward in the understanding of the mechanisms behind selectivity and sensitivity.
  • Applications to unexplored analytes or application fields showing relevant advancements with respect to the current knowledge.

We chiefly encourage the submission of original research papers and short communications. The submission of review articles will be considered prior to consultation with the Guest Editors.

Prof. Damiano Monticelli
Dr. Gilberto Binda
Dr. Davide Spanu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Chemosensors is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Biochar
  • Pyrolysis
  • Electrochemical sensors
  • Optical sensors
  • Biomass
  • Green analytical chemistry
  • Electrodes
  • Photoluminescence
  • Carbon dots
  • Bioimaging

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 5666 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Adsorption of Pb on Microalgae-Derived Biochar: A Versatile Material for Environmental Remediation and Electroanalytical Applications
by Gilberto Binda, Davide Faccini, Martina Zava, Andrea Pozzi, Carlo Dossi, Damiano Monticelli and Davide Spanu
Chemosensors 2022, 10(5), 168; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors10050168 - 30 Apr 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2620
Abstract
Biochar, a carbon material obtained by pyrolysis of biomasses, is increasingly applied in environmental remediation and sensing thanks to its functional properties, cost-effectiveness and eco-friendliness. The adsorption capacity of biochar, strictly dependent on its specific surface area, heteroatom doping and surface functional groups, [...] Read more.
Biochar, a carbon material obtained by pyrolysis of biomasses, is increasingly applied in environmental remediation and sensing thanks to its functional properties, cost-effectiveness and eco-friendliness. The adsorption capacity of biochar, strictly dependent on its specific surface area, heteroatom doping and surface functional groups, is crucial for these applications. Here, biochar produced at low temperature (350 °C) from a marine microalga (Nannochloropsis sp.) is proposed as an efficient adsorbent of lead (II) ions in aqueous solution; this production strategy promotes the natural self-doping of biochar without requiring harsh conditions. The kinetics and thermodynamics of the adsorption process, as well as the effect of pH, ionic strength and dissolved organic matter on the adsorption efficiency were systematically assessed. The microalgae-derived biochar shows superior adsorption performances compared to a nutshell-derived one (used as a reference of lignocellulosic feedstocks) under all the tested conditions. The microalgae-derived biochar was finally used to decorate screen-printed carbon electrodes to improve the electroanalytical performances towards the voltammetric detection of lead (II) ions. A two-fold increase in sensitivity was obtained compared to the unmodified electrode thanks to the enhanced electron transfer and adsorption properties provided by biochar. These results highlight the potentialities of microalgae-derived biochar for environmental and sensing applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochar Based Sustainable Sensing Platforms)
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12 pages, 3874 KiB  
Article
Green Synthesis of ZnO/BC Nanohybrid for Fast and Sensitive Detection of Bisphenol A in Water
by Jiafeng Hu, Dongpeng Mao, Penghu Duan, Kelan Li, Yuqing Lin, Xinyao Wang and Yunxian Piao
Chemosensors 2022, 10(5), 163; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors10050163 - 28 Apr 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1868
Abstract
A nanohybrid of zinc oxide and biochar (ZnO/BC) with high conductivity was green synthesized using a simple hydrothermal method, and utilized for the sensitive detection of bisphenol A (BPA) by coating the nanohybrid film on an electrode of glassy carbon. The ZnO/BC presented [...] Read more.
A nanohybrid of zinc oxide and biochar (ZnO/BC) with high conductivity was green synthesized using a simple hydrothermal method, and utilized for the sensitive detection of bisphenol A (BPA) by coating the nanohybrid film on an electrode of glassy carbon. The ZnO/BC presented greatly improved electrocatalytic performance and electron transfer ability compared to the zinc oxide and biochar. The ZnO/BC film-coated electrode could detect the BPA in aqueous solution within 3 min while neglected interference from higher concentrations of regularly existing ions and similar concentrations of estradiol (E2), phenol, dichlorophenol (DCP), and ethinylestradiol (EE2). Under optimal conditions, the linear range of BPA detection was 5 × 10−7~1 × 10−4 mol/L, with a detection limit of 1 × 10−7 mol/L, and the detection sensitivity was 92 mA/M. In addition, the ZnO/BC electrode could detect BPA in a real water sample with good signal recovery. This electrode, with the advantages of an easy preparation, low cost, and fast response time, could be potentially applicable for environmental monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochar Based Sustainable Sensing Platforms)
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7 pages, 830 KiB  
Communication
Phosphorous Determination in Biochar-Based Fertilizers by Spark Discharge-Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
by Samia Rodrigues Dib, Giorgio Saverio Senesi, Jose Anchieta Gomes Neto, Clovis Augusto Ribeiro and Edilene Cristina Ferreira
Chemosensors 2021, 9(12), 337; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors9120337 - 30 Nov 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2091
Abstract
Biochar-based fertilizers are a new attractive alternative to P supplementation for crops, as they can gradually release the nutrient, avoiding losses and improving soil quality. In this regard, the evaluation of the P amount in biochar-based fertilizers is extremely important for their quality [...] Read more.
Biochar-based fertilizers are a new attractive alternative to P supplementation for crops, as they can gradually release the nutrient, avoiding losses and improving soil quality. In this regard, the evaluation of the P amount in biochar-based fertilizers is extremely important for their quality control. Analytical techniques that require sample solubilization are not very efficient for this task, as biochar is difficult to solubilize. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a promising technique to respond to this demand, as it enables a direct analysis of solid samples, avoiding the complicated process of sample solubilization. In this work, a novel method based on spark discharge (SD) coupled to LIBS was evaluated for P determination in biochar-based fertilizers prepared from three different biomasses. To overcome calibration problems in LIBS analysis, a matrix-matching procedure accomplished by the addition of eucalyptus biochar to calibration standards was used in experiments. This procedure minimized matrix effects and allowed us to achieve a satisfactory accuracy even when applied to similar but different matrices. Furthermore, the developed method is simple, fast, direct, does not generate post-analysis residues and appears appropriate for the quality control of sustainable biochar-based fertilizers and other biochar products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochar Based Sustainable Sensing Platforms)
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Review

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22 pages, 3615 KiB  
Review
Biochar: A Sustainable Alternative in the Development of Electrochemical Printed Platforms
by Rocco Cancelliere, Miriam Cianciaruso, Katya Carbone and Laura Micheli
Chemosensors 2022, 10(8), 344; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors10080344 - 22 Aug 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3416
Abstract
Biochar is a pyrolytic material with several environmental benefits such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, sequestering atmospheric carbon and contrasting global warming. However, nowadays, it has moved to the forefront for its conductivity and electron transfer properties, finding applications in the fabrication of [...] Read more.
Biochar is a pyrolytic material with several environmental benefits such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, sequestering atmospheric carbon and contrasting global warming. However, nowadays, it has moved to the forefront for its conductivity and electron transfer properties, finding applications in the fabrication of electrochemical platforms. In this field, researchers have focused on low-cost biomass capable of replacing more popular and expensive carbonaceous nanomaterials (i.e., graphene, nanotubes and quantum dots) in the realization of sensitive cost-effectiveness and eco-friendly electrochemical tools. This review discusses recent developments of biochar-modified screen-printed electrodes (SPEs). Special attention has been paid to biochar’s manufacturing processes, electron-donating capabilities and sensing applications. Examples of representative works are introduced to explain the distinct roles of biochar in several electro-bioanalytical strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochar Based Sustainable Sensing Platforms)
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19 pages, 2579 KiB  
Review
A Review on the Use of Biochar Derived Carbon Quantum Dots Production for Sensing Applications
by Giovanni Lo Bello, Mattia Bartoli, Mauro Giorcelli, Massimo Rovere and Alberto Tagliaferro
Chemosensors 2022, 10(3), 117; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors10030117 - 19 Mar 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4844
Abstract
Since their discovery, carbon dots have attracted a great deal of interest for their perspective biological applications. Nevertheless, the quenching of carbon dots photoluminescence represents an interesting feature for quantitative analysis in very low concentration of many species. A particular approach for the [...] Read more.
Since their discovery, carbon dots have attracted a great deal of interest for their perspective biological applications. Nevertheless, the quenching of carbon dots photoluminescence represents an interesting feature for quantitative analysis in very low concentration of many species. A particular approach for the production of carbon dots is the use of biochar, a carbonized biomass, as a precursor. In this work, we overview the main achievements accomplished by using biochar-derived carbon dots for detecting and quantifying inorganic and organic species. We also provide background knowledge of the main properties, production and purification routes of carbon dots. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochar Based Sustainable Sensing Platforms)
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