The “Analytical-Nano-Group” was created in 2012 and is led by Full Professor Ángel Ríos Castro. Currently, it is made up of 2 additional full professors, 8 associate professors, 3 postdoctoral researchers, several doctoral students, and technical staff. The group is mainly interested and focused, although not exclusively, on the following research fields:
(i) simplification-automation of sample preparation for analytical purposes;
(ii) miniaturization of analytical processes and detection systems;
(iii) the development of detection methods;
(iv) analytical uses and characterization of nanomaterials;
and (v) contributions to nanomaterials metrology, in addition to also focusing on quality assurance issues.
On the other hand, our group collaborates with many other research groups at a national and international level, and recently, the group has also participated in hosting and organizing different national and international symposiums, conferences and workshops, such as the recent X International Congress of Analytical Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (NyNA–2022) held in Ciudad Real (http://saman.uclm.es /NyNA2022.php), and in which the PI of the group participated as Chairman, just like in many other recent conferences. In addition, this meeting also served as the start point to create a National Thematic Consortium on Analytical Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (N&NA), with the intention of extending it to an international scope.
All members of the Analytical-Nano-Group recognize and share the following scientific and personal values:
- To Integrate and bring together researchers in the group to develop and train scientific and human resources. Since 2015, research groups belonging to the Ciudad Real, Toledo and Albacete Campus have been associated within the UCLM.
- To promote interdisciplinarity, since people with different scientific and academic profiles participate in the group: analytical chemists, biologists, biochemists, and engineers.
- To boost international projection, motivated and derived from different scientific projects and collaborations with various groups worldwide.
The group has experience within its main lines of research for more than fifteen years, as confirmed by the economic resources obtained through regional, national, and international competitive calls, focused on the group's strategic lines since its inception and with projection currently, also highlighting the values that we recognize in the research group and that we intend to promote. As is common in the analytical community involved in research, one of the fundamental objectives of our research group is the use of nanomaterials as analytical tools, with an impact on specific stages of the analytical process. In some cases, the synthesis of these nanomaterials has also been addressed.
In addition, the group has addressed the development of Analytical Nanometrology, obtaining interesting results in the separation and determination of different nanomaterials, including the distinction between different nanoforms. These first works aimed to control synthetic inorganic nanomaterials, although more recently we have also directed research towards the development of new methodologies related to organic nanomaterials, where some articles have already been published, some of them of notable interest in the food field, and with very promising results.
Some contracts/agreements have also been obtained with companies and commercial institutions. This is the case of the integrated project for the evaluation of exposure to nanomaterials in work environments, financed by the National Institute of Safety, Health and Welfare at Work, coordinated by the group's PI, together with research groups from the areas of Chemistry. Analytical, Organic Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from UCLM. Since 2022, another article #83 has been developed and implemented in collaboration with the “General Directorate of the Natural Environment and Biodiversity” of the Junta de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM), led by Prof. Rosa Rodríguez to study contaminants. emerging, including nanomaterials, in the Tagus River.
The activity of the group is reflected in its results, as its members have published a notable number of scientific articles in journals indexed in JCR, book chapters and books, many other communications in national and international scientific events, and they have obtained some successful patents throughout the life of the group.
