Use Cases

Is your research or your production limited by your method of particle characterization?
Do you want to get much deeper insights into the composition and behavior of your particles?
OF2i® is already used by the following partners in their groundbreaking research and for optimized production processes. Take a closer look at these early use cases to get a taste of the potential of OF2i® and get in touch to talk about how we can help you raise the level of your particle analysis.

Detecting nanopollutants in surface water

Gregor Marolt and his research group at the University of Ljubljana are developing a screen-printed sensor technology to enable low-budget detection of car tire nanopollutants in surface water. They used BRAVE Analytics’ OF2i® device for comparison and validation of nanoplastic size and concentration measurements at ultra-low concentrations.

Ultra-low concentrations can be measured with OF2i® because it is a high-throughput measuring principle, enabling measurement without the need to concentrate the sample or dilute it.

Technical highlights

In the feasibility study two differently filtrated car tire nanosuspensions were compared.
OF2i® was proved feasible for:

Quantification of differences between the two samples. The first sample was filtered with 0.22 µm filter and showed a significantly lower ammount of bigger fractions than the same sample filtered with 0.45 µm
Measuring the nanopollutants online, enabling real-time monitoring of changes in small containers in which low-budget screen-printed sensors can be verified by monitoring concentration and particle size changes as a PAT solution (with a data point every second) and with high statistical relevance (>300 particles measured per minute during the first experiments)

The patented OF2i® lab analyzer is a reliable and accurate tool for real-time monitoring of concentration and PSD changes with single-particle sensitivity, in this case for ultra-low concentrations of nanoplastics.

Feedback

“We see great potential in using OF2i® to support us with verification and development of our sensing technology. BRAVE Analytics is an outstanding innovation partner in solving one of the most pressing challenges of modern society – enabling better monitoring of ground and drinking water quality."

Brave Analytics Testimonials - Portrait Gregor Marolt – University Ljubljana

Assistant Prof. Gregor Marolt

Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University Ljubljana

The BRAVE solution

In the feasibility study two differently filtrated car tire nanosuspensions were compared.
OF2i® was proved feasible for:

Quantification of differences between the two samples. The first sample was filtered with 0.22 µm filter and showed a significantly lower ammount of bigger fractions than the same sample filtered with 0.45 µm
Measuring the nanopollutants online, enabling real-time monitoring of changes in small containers in which low-budget screen-printed sensors can be verified by monitoring concentration and particle size changes as a PAT solution (with a data point every second) and with high statistical relevance (>300 particles measured per minute during the first experiments)

Application highlights

Assistant Prof. Gregor Marolt

Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University Ljubljana

“Optofluidic force induction as a process analytical technology”

Publication in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry:
Volume 415, pages 5181–5191, (2023)

Published on July 01, 2023

Šimić M, Neuper C, Hohenester U, Hill C.

Link to publication

BRAVE Newsticker

Das Paper "Theoretical description of optofluidic force induction" von Šimić et al wurde in Physical Review Applied, 13. March, 2023, veröffentlicht

BRAVE B-Curious weist Nanoschadstoffe in Oberflächenwasser nach. Spannendes Projekt mit Assistenzprofessor Gregor Marolt und seiner Forschungsgruppe an der Universität Ljubljana.

Das Paper "Real-Time Nanoparticle Characterization Through Optofluidic Force Induction" von Šimić et al wurde in Phys. Rev. Applied, 19. August 19, 2022, veröffentlicht

Veröffentlichung in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry: „Optofluidic force induction as a process analytical technology“ von Šimić et al.

Unser PAT-Sensor fleißig in Portugal:
Der BRAVE B-Continuous-Sensor wird in die Produktionsanlage für die Online-Qualitätskontrolle von Hydroxylapatit-Nanokristallen integriert.

“Imaging the scattered light of a nanoparticle through a cylindrical capillary”

Publication in Nanophotonics
13(4), 457-463 (2024)

Published on January 29, 2024
Ulrich Hohenester, Christian Neuper, Marko Šimić & Christian Hill

Link to publication

"Optofluidic Force Induction Meets Raman Spectroscopy and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry: A New Hyphenated Technique for Comprehensive and Complementary Characterizations of Single Particles."

Publication in Analytical Chemistry 2024; 96(21): 8221-8844
Published on 28 May 2024
Neuper C, Šimić M, Lockwood Thomas E., Gonzalez de Vega Raquel, Hohenester Ulrich, Fitzek Harald, Schlatt Lukas, Hill Christian and Clases David.
Link to publication