The use of ultrasounds in the preparation of chemosensory microstructures

In many fields of science, the aim is to obtain structures characterized by small sizes of the order of micro / nanometers. Systems with small dimensions can have countless applications in various industries, such as cosmetology, medicine, and nutrition technology. Multiple techniques are used to obtain spheres as small as possible. These include interference in the composition, the use of surfactants, or mechanical interference: rapid mixing, increased pressure, and ultrasounds. Ultrasonic waves of high intensity can improve many processes, starting from producing the material and its subsequent processing. The use of ultrasound in creating systems can be an effective method to reduce their size, as well as it can affect the functions they represent. An important aspect here is the time during which ultrasound is used. In this work, the impact of ultrasound on the produced chemosensory microspheres was examined and compared. The measurements were made for two types of microspheres: anion-selective and cation-selective. After removing the organic solvent from the manufactured suspension of the microspheres, an ultrasonic scrubber bath was applied as an ultrasound source for time-controlled impact influencing the microstructures. The obtained results of chemosensory properties of the developed micro-optodes provided new insight into the microstructures manufacturing process and, to a certain extent, allowed for their improvement and optimization.

This work was financially supported by National Science Centre (Poland) within the framework of the SONATA BIS project No. UMO-2018/30/E/ST4/00481. Aleksandra Kalinowska acknowledges financial support from IDUB project (Scholarship Plus programme).