Advanced Optical Sensing of Phenolic Compounds for Environmental Applications

Abstract

Phenolic compounds are particularly dangerous due to their ability to remain in the environment for a long period of time and their toxic effects. They enter in the environment in different ways, such as waste from paper manufacturing, agriculture (pesticides, insecticides, herbicides), pharmaceuticals, the petrochemical industry, and coal processing. Conventional methods for phenolic compounds detection present some disadvantages, such as cumbersome sample preparation, complex and time-consuming procedures, and need of expensive equipment. Therefore, there is a very large interest in developing sensors and new sensing schemes for fast and easy-to-use methods for detecting and monitoring the phenolic compound concentration in the environment, with special attention to water. Good analytical properties, reliability, and adaptability are required for the developed sensors. The present paper aims at revising the most generally used optical methods for designing and fabricating biosensors and sensors for phenolic compounds. Some selected examples of the most interesting applications of these techniques are also proposed.

Hydroquinone colorimetric sensing based on core–shell structured CoFe2O4@N-GQDs@CeO2 nanocomposites as oxidase mimics

“…Hydroquinone (1,4-dihydroxybenzene, HQ) is a widely utilized phenolic compound in various industries including rubber, dyestuffs, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and detergents. 1 In the context of cosmetics application, HQ effectively inhibits melanin production by suppressing the enzymatic oxidation of tyrosinase and phenol oxidase within cells, thereby achieving a whitening effect. 2,3 However, when HQ enters the body through the skin and mucous membranes, it causes acute toxicity and, in severe cases, liver damage, neurological disorders and chronic diseases.…”

Optical Properties of Laccases and Their Use for Phenolic Compound Detection and Quantification: A Brief Review

“…The electrochemical properties of laccases have already allowed the development of numerous biosensors [13][14][15][16]; conversely, the optical properties of laccases have been used for developing only a limited number of interesting biodevices for applications mainly in food control, environment monitoring and clinics [17]. In fact, reviews summarizing the use of laccase for biosensing applications are mainly focused on electrochemical biosensors, and little attention is devoted to optical biosensing (see, for example, Refs.…”

Plasmonic Strain Sensors Based on Au-TiO2 Thin Films on Flexible Substrates

“…Strain sensors can measure or detect strain, pressure, vibration, impact and deflection on an object after a change in their optical or electrical response. Although most of the commercialized and investigated strain sensors rely on a change in the electrical properties of a material as the transduction mechanism [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ], the use of optical phenomena in sensing applications as increased in basic research, health applications and industry, mostly due to its high sensitivity; aging, and high temperature, stability; safety to be used in flammable and explosive atmospheres; and blindness to surrounding electric noise [ 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Furthermore, the advancements in low-energy optoelectronic components have enabled the construction of miniaturized and portable optical devices [ 9 ].…”