Team leader: Dr. Rabah Boukherroub (DR1)

Members: Dr. Sabine Szunerits (PR EX), Dr. Yannick Coffinier (CRCN), Dr. Alexandre Barras (IR2), Dr. Emerson Giovanelli (MdC), Dr. Amar Abderrahmani (PU), Dr. Valérie Abderrahmani (IR), Dr. Valérie Pawlowski (IR)

Research Highlights

The aim of the NBI research program is to exploit the physico-chemical properties of metallic and semiconductor nanostructures, to take advantage of controlled surface chemistry, and surface analysis to design functional materials for potential applications in various fields, including biosensors, nano-medicine, environment and energy storage.

In the past years, the NBI’s research activities were mainly focused on the preparation of carbon-based (graphene, carbon nanowalls, carbon quantum dots, diamond nanoparticles and nanowires) nanocomposites, their functionalization and their applications in biosensing, drug delivery, environmental remediation and energy storage. By exploiting the excellent photothermal properties of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), we have demonstrated that rGO processed thin films can be successfully applied for transdermal release of ondansetron and insulin across porcine skin.

Interestingly, the released insulin remained active after photothermal release, opening new avenues in exploiting transdermal delivery for the treatment of diabetic people, but also other therapeutics in a convenient and controlled ways. In addition, carbon/silicon based surfaces were used to develop surfaces allowing the realization of matrix-free laser desorption ionization (namely SALDI-MS) and mass spectrometry detection of various compounds: antibiotics, pollutants, toxins, peptides and post-translational modifications… The group is the main national contributor in this field.