MUMBAI, India, July 7 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202641060243 A) filed by Christ University on May 12, 2026, for Zno@sio2-Bsal Inorganic Nanohybrid:a Functional Platform For Cu(ii)ions Detection.
Inventors include Aakash Venkatesan; Baru Venkata Naga Sahithi; Aatika Nizam; and Vasantha Veerappa Lakshmaiah.
The application for the patent was published on July 03, 2026, under issue no. 27/2026.
Abstract: The present invention shows an organic-inorganic nanohybrid material, designated ZnO@SiO2-BSAL-Cu (II), and its method of preparation and application for selective and sensitive copper ion sensing. The nanohybrid comprises a zinc oxide (ZnO) core encapsulated within a silica (SiO2) shell and subsequently surface-functionalized with a BSAL organic ligand to generate an active sensing interface. The sequential surface modification and structural integrity of the material are confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energydispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The BSAL-functionalized ZnO@SiO2 platform exhibits strong and stable fluorescence emission in both solution and solid states, attributed to excitedstate intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT)-driven photophysical behaviour. Upon coordination with Cu^^ ions, a significant and concentration-dependent fluorescence quenching response is observed due to strong surface complexation and electronic interactions, thereby enabling rapid, selective, and sensitive detection of copper ions. Adsorption isotherm analyses based on Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin models confirm strong, favourable, and heterogeneous binding interactions between the nanohybrid surface and Cu^"^ ions. The material demonstrates a low limit of detection (LOD) of 1 pM and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 3 pM, highlighting its applicability for trace-level copper ion monitoring in environmental and analytical settings.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
