Towards Sustainability

Prof. Dr. Marco Aurélio Zezzi Arruda
Full Professor at the Dept. of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry at the University of Campinas, SP, Brazil
BrJAC Editor-in-Chief

“Within the context of sustainable development, this volume of the BrJAC is prone to a diversity of applications towards sustainability that involve methods employing small volumes, low-cost sensors, minimalist techniques and the importance of teaching metrology, among others. It is time to enjoy the reading of this issue and take into consideration the important aspects for the next application of our research work, which may involve environmental protection, circular economy and resource sustainability, the so-called sustainability triad (Environment, Economy and Society). Onwards to sustainability!”

Professor José Luis Capelo Martinez, a researcher who believes that science and technology have a direct and tangible impact on human well-being kindly granted BrJAC an interview

Prof. Dr. José Luis Capelo Martinez
Associate Professor at the University NOVA of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

“…research is not just an academic pursuit but a powerful tool for addressing pressing societal issues. It's a commitment to using my abilities to contribute to the greater good, to extend a helping hand to those in need, and to make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals and communities.”

Teaching Experimental Instrumental Analytical Chemistry – Are we forming professionals, training operators or illuding students (and ourselves)?

Prof. Dr. Fabio Augusto
Full Professor of the Department of Analytical Chemistry at the Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, SP, Brazil

“Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes we make with our current students is that we consider them ill-prepared or less capable than our generation and attribute their difficulties to this simplistic, crude verdict – when perhaps the biggest problem is that, as educators, we are failing to cope with the rapid evolution in the characteristics and profiles of these young people.”

Electrochemical Biosensors for the Detection of Viruses: Must-Have Products or Just Science for Publication?

Brazaca, L. C.; Bonacin, J. A.; Muñoz, R. A. A.; Janegitz, B. C.; Carrilho, E.

“The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has brought significant light to the urgent need for rapid, precise, and low-cost diagnosis tools. The scientific community has responded as quickly, overflowing the literature with papers describing interesting biosensors for aiding in the diagnosis of COVID-19. However, almost none of them, mainly the electrochemical ones have reached the market or never will, with only a few traditional formats used in the daily combat of the virus, including ELISA, lateral flow assays, and, mainly, PCR.”

The Importance of Teaching Metrology for Chemistry Undergraduate Courses
Welington Ferreira de Magalhães, Ricardo de Araújo Kalid, Fernando Cunha, Olivier Pellegrino, Elcio Cruz de Oliveira

Design of Experiments (DoE) Application in Two Cases of Study in Pharmaceutical Industries
Romero Moreira Souza, Luiz Americo Verginio Bonamichi, Edenir Rodrigues Pereira-Filho

This study illustrates the practical application of DoE in two real-life scenarios within the pharmaceutical industry. The first case involved optimizing a chromatographic method for the determination of multiple analytes and their degradation products. In the second case, we conducted a shelf-life study for a veterinary product, revealing that the vial filling variable exerted a statistically significant impact. The incorporation of DoE in both cases played an important role in ensuring the attainment of dependable and statistically validated results.

Development and Performance Evaluation of Low-Cost Cellophane Paper-Based Biosensors for Polyphenol Detection in Teas: A Cost-Effective Alternative to Teflon® Membranes Biosensors
Cássia Aparecida Signori Perone, Thiago Regis Longo Cesar Paixão

This study introduces biosensors developed using cellophane paper with immobilized polyphenol oxidase from dwarf banana and eggplant peels, integrated with glutaraldehyde and a Clark electrode. These biosensors, optimized for enzyme concentration at 75 units for dwarf banana peel and 100 units for eggplant peel, demonstrated high sensitivity to catechol, paracetamol, pyrogallol, and hydroquinone, similar to traditional Teflon® Clark electrodes.

Development and Validation of an Analytical Method for the Determination of Fipronil and its Degradation Products in 28 Organic and Regular Honey Samples by GC-ECD
Nancy R. da Costa, Gabriel F. da S. Brito, Cyro L. S. Chagas, Fernanda V. Almeida

In this work, a method for the simultaneous analysis of the pesticide Fipronil and its degradation products in honey samples by gas chromatography with electron capture detector (GC-ECD) is presented and validated. The optimized method was applied to 28 commercial honey samples, including organic and conventional, and 11 samples showed a signal of fipronil desulfinyl higher than the limits of quantification, regardless of whether the sample was organic or not.