Graphene Based Functional Nano-Materials for Bio-Chemical Azo Dyes

Recently, a number of interest groups and public bodies are raising awareness about the health risks posed by synthetic food dyes. Few research studies have revealed that certain synthetic dyes contain azo groups which are carcinogens, and FDA has established safe levels of consumption for such substances. Various studies have been conducted which established the presence of azo dyes by using electrochemical detection methods. It has been found that common food items like soft drinks, candies which are generally consumed by youngsters contain the traces of azo dyes. Techniques like ion mobility spectroscopy have also been used to detect the traces of azo dyes in food items. Although threshold levels for consumption of these compounds are established, prolonged consumption and violation of these levels by certain food manufacturers pose health risks of cancer, hyperactivity and other such disorders in humans. Hence, the determination of trace amounts of these toxic food dyes in food items has become an analytical challenge. To overcome this challenge,A study on nanomaterial and nanoparticles which have the potential for providing promising solutions in food quality control. One such nanomaterial is graphene, which is an allotrope of carbon. It consists of a single layer of carbon atoms which are sp2 hybridized, and are packed in a hexagonal honeycomb crystalline structure. Graphene can be synthesized by chemical vapour deposition methods or by chemical exfoliation of graphite into graphite oxide. In the second technique, the graphite oxide is then converted into reduced Graphite Oxide (rGO) sheets, whose properties can be altered depending on the reducing process. Through this paper, we aim to synthesize and characterize several graphene oxide based nanostructures and will study their applications in detection of trace amounts of harmful food dyes.