This project supported by the Office of International Science and Engineering is through the U.S.-Egypt Joint Science and Technology fund and coevaluated through the NSF by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program. The project is conducted on the US side by Philippe Buhlmann & Andreas Stein of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and develops solid-contacted potentiometric sensors that overcome instability and drift shortcomings of conventional electrodes by using 3-D ordered macroporous carbon as an electrode material infused with an ionophore-doped polymeric phase to achieve selectivity. The project takes advantage of the unique qualifications of the 4 participating groups, i.e., the expertise of the Abbas group (Egypt) with potentiometric sensors, and the Stein group expertise in the use of ionophores covalently attached to polymers, the experience of the Buhlmann group to employ selective, fouling resistant fluorous phases in these carbon sensors, and the expertise of the Abdel Ghaffar group (Egypt) in polymer science.
The proposed work will be executed in collaboration between two research groups from the National Research Centre, Egypt (Departments of Applied Org. Chem. and Polymers & Pigments) and the University of Minnesota Chemistry Dept. The program allows training of younger Egyptian scientists in the USA and will also benefit US graduate and undergraduate students. The program will attract students from minority groups to summer research programs through specific UMN programs. The results of the project will be useful for high quality sensors for clinical diagnostics, biomedical, industrial and environmental applications.
