Historic
The Petroleomic and Forensic Laboratory is located in the Núcleo de Competências em Química do Petróleo (NCQP) of UFES, Goiabeiras campus, implemented with the support of ANP and PETROBRAS, in 2010. In the same year, we opted for the purchase of an FT-ICR MS (Solarix model®), due to the complexity of the oil samples, the main matrix and responsible for the investment. The FT-ICR MS has four commercial sources of ionization, three being Atmospheric Pressure PhotoIonization (APPI), Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization (APCI), and ElectroSpray Ionization (ESI)) and one vacuum (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization, (MALDI)), and is a hybrid MS system (containing a quadrupolo and an ICR as mass analyzers) coupled with a superconductor. Its high capacity of structural elucidation of chemical formulas of complex mixtures, without the need for separation techniques, such as liquid or gas chromatography, is its great differential.
In 2012, the laboratory began its activities and publications. Among the first most relevant articles published in the area of Petroleomics are: “An evaluation of the aromaticity of asphaltenes using atmospheric pressure photoionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry - APPI(±)FT-ICR MS (2014); “FT-ICR MS analysis of asphaltenes: Asphaltenes go in, fullerenes come out” (2014); and “Monitoring the degradation and the corrosion of naphthenic acids by electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry and atomic force microscopy”(2014). These publications consolidated the Laboratory of Petroleomics and Forensic Chemistry of UFES in the international scenario of research in petroleum.
The area of Forensic Chemistry was developed in parallel through a scientific collaboration agreement between PPGQUI-UFES with the Civil Police of Espírito Sando (CP-ES), signed in 2012, for the development of methodologies and collaboration in analyses between the laboratories of CP-ES and UFES. The research led to the consolidation of PPGQUI in the area of Forensic Chemistry, allowing the approval of several scientific projects and publications. Today the laboratory also works with forensic analysis on foods such as coffee and juices.
The group's first patent filing occurred in 2018, titled "Device for Ambient Ionization in Mass Spectrometry", and corresponds to an ambient ionization source that can be coupled to the mass spectrometer, and was elaborated with low-cost materials. At this source, the ionization of molecules occurs by a method known as paper spray, leaf spray, swab touch spray and micro-eletrospray, where ions are generated quick and simple. In addition, the source has a low cost of operation and maintenance.
The Laboratory of Petroleomics and Forensic Chemistry seeks fomentation through public notices at the state (FAPES) and national level (CAPES, CNPq and PETROBRAS) (see the menu in the projects tab). Currently the laboratory is composed of 28 students, undergraduate and graduate students, three professors from PPGQUI-UFES and one professor from IFES, and among the publications of this team, some stood out, being chosen for covers of scientific journals (see the menu to tab journal covers).
The entire history shows the commitment and commitment of students and teachers linked to the Laboratory of Petroleomics and Forensic Chemistry, aiming at conducting quality research and the growth of state and national scientific production. The group of the Laboratory of Petroleomics and Forensics has an instrumentation and researchers capable of developing studies with different matrices, a fact that contributed and contrbui to its growth.
