Short Training Days 2024 COST Action Priority

CNR - IPCF, Viale F. Stagno D'Alcontres 37, Messina

10-May-2024

On May 10th 2024 a team of IPCF researchers from the NanoSoftLab in Messina have held a 1-day course on the use of advanced Optical and Acoustic Tweezers techniques combined with Raman spectroscopy for the detection and chemical analysis of environmental pollutants, with focus on microplastics and nanoplastics. This was organized within the short training days 2024 of the COST Action Priority. See also the official website for further information on the other activities.

Title of training program: Spectroscopic recognition of micro/nano- plastics and pollutants by Raman spectroscopy combined with Optical and Acoustic Trapping techniques.

The aim of this 1-day course is to train young researcher on the use of advanced Optical and Acoustic Tweezers techniques combined with Raman spectroscopy for the detection and chemical analysis of environmental pollutants, with focus on microplastics and nanoplastics. The training program was developed in 1 day (9 AM to 6 PM) , with a morning session (9:30 – 13:00) in which the attendees will follow short introductory courses (max 45 min + questions / course) on the basic physic principles of “Raman spectroscopy”, “Optical forces and optical trapping”, “Acoustic forces and acoustic trapping”, “Microfluidics”, as well as on the description of the experimental techniques (design and implementation) that are generally used in these research fields.

The afternoon session (14:30 – 18:00) was dedicated to the experimental training. Attendees were divided in two groups of max 3 persons, working in parallel on the Optical Raman Tweezers and Acoustic Raman Tweezers setups. The trainers have first illustrated in detail the experimental setups. Then they have shown how to load the samples using conventional or microfluidics devices, how to perform the trapping and manipulation of the particles, and finally how to carry out Raman analysis of the trapped objects. Finally, sample procedures of data analysis and comparison with standard databases were shown. Experiments will be mainly focused on (micro)plastic materials.

Download here the program.

For further info contact P.G. Gucciardi