028114:  Total Budget: €239.924,23. Duration: 01 July 2018 – 30 June 2021.
This project’s main idea is to develop a new spectroscopic technique based on tunable plasmonics in graphene, by exploring the polarization dependent interaction of small biomolecules with terahertz (THz) radiation. Graphene is widely recognized as an ideal platform for strong light matter interactions due to its excellent plasmonic response in the mid-to-far infrared spectral range. In addition, the plasmonic response of graphene is highly tunable in real time using electrostatic gating. Fundamental structural features of peptides that are critically important for their functions can, in principle, be probed by polarization dependent spectroscopy in the THz range, as described in a recent simulation study, which also explicitly noted that THz chiroptical spectroscopy has not yet been demonstrated experimentally. The innovative aspect of this project is, therefore, to develop devices that realize this predicted technique for molecular analysis using spectroscopic plasmonics. Two different architectures will be developed for implementing strong light-matter interaction between graphene and biomolecules. In one approach, micrometer wide ribbons of graphene, patterned by optical lithography, act as the active plasmonic medium. The second approach consists of transferring a continuous graphene sheet onto a grating of high dielectric contrast provided by alternating lines of SiO2 and Al2O3 on a high resistivity silicon wafer. Both architectures are based on theoretical simulations developed and performed by the team members, who have recently published their studies in a book about graphene plasmonics. Specifically, the two device architectures are modeled using full electrodynamics calculations, which are faster and perform better than the conventional time domain integration of Maxwell’s equations. The high sensitivity of surface-based detection methods, including conventional noble metal plasmonics, makes them particularly advantageous for analyzing small quantities of biomolecules. Being a 2D material, graphene is a natural choice for implementing surface-based sensors.
Furthermore, the unique properties of the electromagnetic coupling of molecular excitations to surface plasmons in graphene open possibilities for extending the analytical capabilities of these sensors beyond the current state of the art for label-free measurements. Real-time tuning of plasmon resonances in graphene will enable spectroscopic, i.e., more specific, detection of biomolecules in presence of solvent and other background signals. This specificity will be enhanced by structural, e.g., chiral, signatures enabled by polarization dependent THz measurements. The specificity and information content of these measurements will be further enhanced by taking advantage of the high-intensity tunable broadband THz excitation produced by the two color air plasma method and of the time-resolved pump probe capabilities of the THz source and spectrometer to be developed in this project.
Main Goal: The idea of this project is to explore plasmons in graphene for a new spectroscopic technique. This technique covers the THz and the mid-IR. Graphene plasmons exist in these spectral ranges in which noble-metal plasmons are not available. The excitation of surface plasmons in graphene produces huge resonances in the extinction spectrum of the material. These resonances amplify tremendously the absorption signal due to molecules deposited on graphene and therefore can be used as a tool for the spectral identification of small quantities of analytes, down to a monolayer. The absorption of the analytes is due to their rotational and vibrational modes. The signal due to the absorption of the analytes is superimposed on the plasmonic resonance and appears as dips in the resonance signal. Depending on the rotational or vibrational excited energy levels, the dips are located at different positions, thus allowing an amplified spectroscopic signal.
Partners: CFUM (Coordinator), INN

POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031069:  Total Budget: €239.760,83. Duration: 15 June 2018 – 14 June 2021.
Portugal, and in particular the north region, is a leading producer of wine in the EU, with one of the highest numbers of DOP and IGPs in Europe, including world-known Port and Douro wines. Among common wine adulteration, the use of different grape varieties from the ones authorized by the PDO, or the use of more than one variety in wines labelled as monovarietal, are one of the issues of higher concern for producers and authorities.
DNA based analysis have become a very useful instrument on food and environmental analysis. DNA analysis is of high interest as well for varietal discrimination of grapes, wines, musts, and grape juice, due to the high specificity allowed by the use of DNA sequences, and the possibility of amplifying such DNA markers by PCR and other amplification strategies, and therefore obtaining higher sensitivity. Despite its advantages for grape variety identification, DNA analysis has not been extensively used by control laboratories, due to some drawbacks for their practical implementation. Several developments in the last years are being directed towards the improvement of DNA based analysis in order to simplify, miniaturize and reduce both the time and price of analysis with increased performance, to develop devices and methodology to be effectively used by control laboratories. Among such improvements, several sensors have been developed with promising characteristics, among them, field-effect transistors (FETs) allow to achieve high sensitivity, specificity and rapid measurement without the need of labelling, making them excellent candidates for wine/grape authenticity analysis. Likewise, there has been a strong interest in developing portable point-of-care devices that can be used in resource-limited settings, such as remote regions, farms or cultivars. Several approaches towards micro total analysis system (μTAS, or lab-on-a-chip) have been developed, which provides a significant improvement in performance. However, to our knowledge and despite of their clear advantages, no commercial μTAS are currently available and validated for DNA analysis in wine or food commodities.
Main Goal: The main objective of the project is the development, test and in-house validation of a miniaturized DNA sensing device for varietal discrimination of grapes, wines, musts, and grape juice in order to ensure the authenticity of wine from Port and Douro DOP. With this objective the participating teams will combine their expertise for the development of a miniaturized analytical device composed of 3 modules namely: a DNA extraction and purification module, an isothermal DNA amplification module, and a DNA Biosensors based on field-effect transistors (FETs) made using single layer graphene (SLG) for varietal discrimination. The integrated device will be in-house validated with different complex matrixes including grapes, wines, musts, and grape juice.
Partners: University of Minho

029417:  Total Budget: €239.886,50. Duration: 01 June 2018 – 31 May 2021.
The modifications of the fluorescence lifetime by the presence of fluorescence quenchers can be used to increase the axial resolution of fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). The axial spatial range of the quencher material depends on its refractive index (RI), so materials with different RI can be explored in order to improve and modify the imaging axial range and axial resolution of FLIM. The main goal of the project is to optimize the FLIM technique for different resolutions and distance ranges to study different biological processes. Applications range from DNA detection to the time lapse super resolution imaging of live cells to track specific molecular biological processes in real time.
Main Goal: Optimization of a Fluorescence Lifetime Microscopy Imaging (FLIM) technique for axial super-resolution using various functional substrates and its application for biosensing and bioimaging.
Partners: University of Minho

FCT – SFRH/BD/128579/2017:  Duration: 01 September 2017 – 31 August 2021
“Immuno-field-effect transistor platforms based on 2D materials for early detection of biomarkers of ischemic stroke”, PhD project of Patrícia Daniela Cabral da Silva.
This thesis proposes to use clean-room micro and nanotechnology to fabricate label-free immuno-assays, based on graphene and other 2D material (hBN, MoS₂) field-effect transistors, whose channel is functionalized for a set of biomarkers related with the hemorrhagic transformation in ischemic stroke. The project is based on the development, fabrication and testing of a multiplex microfluidic platform, which will be able to signal a panel of biomarkers at an early stage of the disease, thus contributing to spare the lives of many patients.

FCT – DRI/India/0664/2020:

Total Budget: €99 923,25. INL Budget: €99 923,25. Duration: 2022 – 2025
PL: Andrea Capasso
Energy harvesters (EHs) can provide the low amount of power required by an endless number of “small” low-power electronic devices, which are in enormous demand in diverse technology areas such as IoT. Photovoltaic (PV) cells and radio-frequency rectifying antennae (rectennae) are two kinds of versatile EHs, which could offer an ideal solution to source power in this context. Layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are a class of semiconductors with a plethora of excellent electronic and mechanical properties that can be combined and tuned to develop advanced lightweight and flexible devices in the field of energy harvesting. This proposal aims to demonstrate and extend the potential of ultra-thin TMDCs and conjugated polymers as building block for energy harvesters, tailoring their electro properties to achieve novel functions, and unprecedented device efficiencies. Moreover, this project will tackle a crucial and exploratory challenge by proposing a framework to engineer the on-demand electronic properties of the TMDCs according to specific device requirements. The TMDCs will be produced by innovative chemical vapor deposition techniques combined with suitable absorber materials such as conjugated polymers for energy harvesting applications. To this end, the proposal’s main objectives are O1: To innovate chemical deposition processes for the growth of TMDCs with fine control on crystallinity, thickness, and lateral size (up to cm2-wide samples). O2: To achieve efficient photo-generation in vertical TMDC P-N junctions made by plasma functionalization as building blocks for lightweight PV devices. O3: To create chemically functionalized lateral TMDC metal-semiconductor junctions that would enable fast rectification of RF signals for flexible rectennae. O4: To build energy harvesters for low-power electronics based on TMDCs combined with thin film absorbers. Based on these technologies, two proof of concept EH devices will be fabricated and tested. In the last stage of the project, a test on a dual device comprising both a PV device and a rectenna for complementary power generation will be conducted. The project will therefore lead to the following significant outcomes: 1. Engineering thickness, crystallinity, lateral size and doping profile of atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) could enable tuning of their electronic properties, improve device performance and/or induce altogether new working principles. 2. Coupling of TMDCs with conjugated polymers would lead to new physical mechanisms. This will transform our understanding towards universal energy-harvesting building blo and unleash new strategies that could lead to major advances in the field of high-performance optoelectronic devices. 3. Integrating PV cells and rectenna on a flexible substrate in a dual device prototype would significantly improve device performance by enabling complementary power generation. This approach can inspire future development of fast, low-cost, and flexible electronic systems paving their way for commercial applications. 4. Additionally, this work will also address key milestones for building a high-speed flexible RF radiation (wireless) and light-based energy hotspot systems.

“La Caixa” Health Research 2021 – HR21-00410:

Total Budget: €997,692.19. INL Budget: €417 298.76. Duration: 15 November 2021 – 14 November 2024
PL: Pedro Alpuim
Neurological disorders are a group of pathological conditions characterized by altered neuronal communication and impaired circuit and behavioral functions. Although multiple factors may cause different neurological disorders, altered neurotransmission is a shared mechanistic link. But how does the brain orchestrate simultaneous streams of several chemical neurotransmitters and electrical events to guide behavior and encode the right message? And how does this message become distorted in brain disorders? Unfortunately, we are still far from answers because we lack appropriate tools for probing in vivo neurotransmission and decoding chemical brain messages. Despite significant progress in monitoring brain electrical activity, sensing in vivo neurochemical dynamics in real-time remains a significant challenge. Current enzyme-based or voltammetry/amperometry approaches lack adequate selectivity, sensitivity, or spatiotemporal resolution for neural sensing, thus hampering progress towards understanding brain function. By combining RNA/DNA aptamer-based biosensors or “aptasensors” (CSIC, Spain), graphene field-effect transistors, and biosensors prototyping (INL, Spain/Portugal), with functional neurophysiological experiments (UM, Portugal), we will develop a novel bioelectronics neural interface to record not only in vivo brain electrical activity but also five different neurotransmitters simultaneously, with physiological spatiotemporal resolution. Novel technologies that can probe the brain’s language with more fidelity, such as the one we propose here, can have wide scientific community dissemination, be used as the backbone for next-generation brain-machine interfaces, and enable more advanced neuromorphic computers and machines. Ultimately this technology will help answer some fundamental questions regarding brain function in health and disease and allow inquiring about the underlying principles of the neuronal code supporting behavior.

PORTUGAL COMPETE 2020 – POCI – Projeto nº 45939:

Total Budget: €1 176 933,98. INL Budget: €507 999,00. Duration: 1 June 2020 – 1 June 2023
PL: Andrea Capasso
Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is an interesting phenomenon that affects all electronic devices working in an environment surrounded by external sources of radiated signals and electromagnetic radiation, such as antennas and other electronic devices. Current shielding materials used to protect electronic devices from EMI are based on heavy, brittle, and expensive metals, while the significant EMI applications have a huge demand for flexible, additive, light, and inexpensive materials. Graphene and related materials are considered the most promising and effective candidates for effective EMI shielding because of their excellent electrical properties, extremely high specific surface area, and unprecedented strength to weight ratio. The GEMIS project aims to develop versatile EMI shielding solutions based on graphene materials and technology and significantly impact several applications and sectors that require highly versatile shielding solutions that comply with various production processes. The project proposes the development of a universal formulation for a liquid dispersion of graphene materials with highly effective EMI shielding and the consequent production of two EMI shielding composites based on polymers and epoxies. Finally, a piece of custom-made equipment will be designed and fabricated to precisely apply the developed EMI shielding solutions on electric wires in the automotive industry. The GEMIS project will be promoted by a whole consortium consisting of a company with strong R&D skills – Graphenest – and two entities from the Portuguese Research and Innovation System, i.e., the International Laboratory of Iberian Nanotechnology and the University of Minho. In addition, the project will be supported by an international research entity, the University of Texas at Austin, and assisted by one national associated business partner – YAZAKI Saltano de Ovar Produtos Eléctricos Lda.

FCT – UTA-EXPL/NPN/0038/2019: 
Total Budget: €49 941,70. INL Budget: €45 441,61. Duration: 18 August 2020 – 15 November 2021
PL: Alexandre Chícharo
Infrared (IR) and particularly terahertz (THz) technologies have seen a significantly increase in research and development interest recently. THz radiation, also known as T-rays, fills the gap between microwave and infrared light and consists of electromagnetic (EM) waves within the frequency range from 0.3 to 30 THz. The primary applications of this technology include imaging in astronomy, spectroscopic techniques, detection of explosives, security screening applications for detecting hidden objects, larger broadband wireless data communication, dry food inspection, biosensor devices, new cancer treatments, etc. THz radiation is often referred to as the final unexplored area of the electromagnetic wave spectrum [1]. The main reason for this is the lack of compact and room-temperature THz sources powerful enough to achieve practical realization of the applications of these submillimeter waves. Therefore, with the demonstration of new sources, the trend of THz science and development of technology expects a huge growth, becoming one of the major fields of applied research. Currently, no satisfactory solutions for benchtop THz emission exist. The discovery of new THz sources and detectors that can operate at room conditions are miniaturized, easy-to-operate, capable of integration with other devices is desirable for many applications. Our objective is to fabricate and characterize next-generation THz emitters without requiring complex, bulky equipment or expensive vacuum systems. With the emergence of new advanced materials not available before, such as graphene and hexagonal Boron Nitrite, new functional transistors are being developed. These 2D materials present exceptional physical properties, such as high confined motilities or resistance, making them a natural choice for implementation in 2D semiconductors. Particularly, graphene is widely recognized as an ideal platform for strong light-matter interactions due to its excellent plasmonic response in the mid to THz spectral range.
Here, we propose a new on-chip THz emitter based on graphene field effect transistors using two geometries. We believe this technology would change the state-of-art of current THz emitters and broaden applications in many fields. New advanced computer simulation on quantum mechanics by our team at Instituto de Plasma e Fusão Nuclear (IPFN) proposes a pioneering scheme for generating coherent THz frequency combs in graphene FET (GFET), arising from the Dyakonov-Shur plasmonic instability. Results demonstrate the operation as a broadband THz light-emitting transistor excited via the injection of an electric current. This opens the potential for the development of an all-electric, low-power-consumption stimulated THz laser (THL), capable of operating at room temperature.

FCT – UTA-EXPL/NPN/0038/2019: 
Total Budget: €99 750,00. INL Budget: €59 750,00. Duration: 20 May 2019 – 31 October 2020
PL: Jérôme Borme
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by parasitic protozoans belonging to the Plasmodium species (spp.). It is one of the deadliest diseases claiming half a million deaths annually, and its elimination is one of the aims declared on the UN Millennium Development Goals. The worldwide reduction of malaria prevalence raises the need for highly accurate diagnostic tools in order to treat the remaining cases. Moreover, due to the increase of people mobility worldwide, malaria diagnosis is also of extreme importance for developed countries as shown by recent increase of malaria-imported cases. Human malaria is caused by five Plasmodium species, each requiring specific treatment and intervention measures for disease control. The distribution of species prevalence within each affected region varies geographically and temporally. The clear identification of all species would allow to understand the intervention needs for malaria endemic locations. Currently, there is a lack of technologies for rapid diagnostics of malaria, addressing the diversity of malaria infections. Therefore, a device capable to detect and identify the all Plasmodium species is extremely useful for future field applications worldwide.
Here, we propose the development of the next generation of rapid diagnostic test for malaria, using a multiplex disposable graphene DNA based sensor device, to be the first distinguishing within all the five Plasmodium species. When compared to the state of the art, our project will: a) increase the accuracy of diagnosis of malaria through the discriminative nature of DNA together with the sensory properties of graphene; b) develop a sensing device with high sensitivity, crucial for the diagnosis of asymptomatic malaria; c) allow for the multiplex diagnosis of all malaria species that infect Humans in a single droplet of unprocessed biological samples (saliva, urine); d) take advantage of the high stability of graphene with regard to temperature and humidity which are crucial for applications in tropical settings; e) allow a less expensive, faster and user friendly diagnosis of malaria, when compared to standard DNA analysis procedures, without need for specialized personnel.
This proposal will contribute to the development of a novel and cost-effective point-of-care test, through the innovative application of novel graphene-based technologies addressed to ensure an early and rapid detection of malaria. The tool will be field-friendly allowing it to be implemented in resource-limited settings. Additionally, this detection strategy can be extended to other infectious agents increasing its potential. Overall, it is expected to bring considerable advances in the quality and reliability of patient care by enhanced monitoring and tracking of malaria transmission, through the early, discriminative, accurate and affordable diagnosis of malaria infections, which will pave the way for personalized medicine and, ultimately, malaria elimination.