Research Projects _{|Actually running}

Integrated analytical approach for the study of Nasrid plasterwork
      in the Palace of Alhambra
 Head: M.J. Ayora Cañada (University of Jaén)
 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación CTQ2009-09555:  2010-2012

The research of the cultural heritage involves the investigation of both the original techniques and materials and those ones employed during past restorations, as well as possible degradation processes all along. All of these studies have to be done with a view to preserving the cultural heritage. In this project, we propose to apply different analytical techniques in order to obtain comprehensive information about the conservation state of Nasrid platerwork in the Palace of Alhambra, concretely the mocarabes (type of ornament built up from vertical prisms placed one upon the other) in the hall known as Sala de los Reyes. A maximum of information can be obtained with minimum object damage. In order to achive this goal, an integrated application of completely non destructive analytical techniques (like Raman portable spectrometers), quasi-non destructive techniques (involving the sequential non-destructive examination of the same microsample by optical microscopy, Raman microspectroscopy, infrared microspectroscopy either with conventional or synchrotron radiation and electron scanning microscopy) together with destructive techniques (chromatographic techniques) are indispensable.

  Spectroscopic flow-through sensors:
       New challenges and technological advances
 Head: A. Ruiz (University of Jaén)
 Excelence project from Junta de Andalucía P07-FQM-02667: 2007 – 2011

This project proposes the development of new flow-through optosensors for the determination of analytes of different nature in pharmacologic, nutritious, clinical and environmental fields. Among them, we pay special attention to the increase of automation of the sensors through the implementation of flow injection analysis (FIA), multicommutation and sequential injection analysis (SIA) methodologies.
In order to increase the selectivity, apart from spectrophotometry and fluorimetry sensors, other detection systems that have scarcely been developed up to now are also explored: (1) Luminescent detection, more concretely: chemiluminiscence, lanthanide-sensitized luminescence and photochemically-induced fluorescence; and (2) Vibrational spectroscopy (IR and Raman).
The retention of the selected analyte on an appropriate solid support guarantees both the selectivity and the sensitivity requirements to enable the use of these methos for the analysis of complex matrices. These methods show advantages arising from its automatic nature, such as minor human participation and low reagents cosumption.

QuOLEO: Quantifying olive oil in food. Analytical control
 Head: L. Cuadros (University of Granada)
 Excelence project from Junta de Andalucia P07-FQM-0266: 2007 – 2011

The European Commission Regulation EC 1019/2002 on marketing standards of olive oil regulates its content in foods. The verification of the specified requirements requires the existence of analytical methods in order to quantify the olive oil proportion in foods; however, nowadays, this type of methods are no available yet and we do not know that studies devoted specifically to its development are being carried out.
Based on this analytical problem, the primary aim of the project are the design and development of generically and easily transferable analytical methodologies, routine applied in olive oil quality control laboratories, in order to verify the requirements already specified in the Regulation CE 1019/2002 above quoted. These methods are based on measuring intrinsic attributes of the olive oil related to the content of characteristic compound: (i) sterols and sterenes (and related compounds); and (ii) triglycerides, that are stable and therefore they remain quite unaffected in the oil.

The analytical techniques to apply in the experimental studies will be fundamentally the gas chromatography and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry detector (GC-MS and (LC-MS)) and the vibrational spectrometry (MIR, MIR and Raman).