Projects
Studying the stability of selected azo and diazo compounds used as excise duty components under the influence of controlled factors
Funded by National Science Center, Poland (project no. 2014/13/B/ST4/05007)
M. Daszykowski, Dr.Sc., Assoc. Prof. (principal investigator); The University of Silesia, Institute of Chemistry
P. Młynarz, Dr.Sc. Assoc. Prof. (key investigator); Wrocław University of Technology, Faculty of Chemistry
I. Stanimirova-Daszykowska, PhD, (key investigator); The University of Silesia, Institute of Chemistry
Summary: The EU counties impose different tax levels on diesel oil depending on its purpose of use due to economic priorities. In order to differentiate the diesel oil with respect to tax level, it is deliberately spiked with chemical additives called excise duty components (usually azo and/or diazo compounds). These additives are meant to be stable under general conditions and to be irremovable. Unfortunately, differences in tax levels often encourage an illegal practice of removing the excise duty components from diesel oil and its further distribution as rebated excise tax diesel oil. The levels of excise duty components In Poland are regulated by Disposition of Minister of Finance and strictly controlled. An illegal attempt of removing the excise duty components is considered when a decrease of the levels of these components is found in a collected sample. This is sufficient to initiate a legal action. From the experimental work conducted earlier in our laboratory, we come to the conclusion that the decreased levels of excise duty components may be the result of influence of some external factors, and not necessarily are the result of an illegal action. To the best of our knowledge, there are not systematic statistically designed studies described in the literature dealing with this issue. For this reason, the aim of this project is to evaluate the stability of excise duty components used in Poland under the influence of several carefully selected factors. The first part of the experimental work and the analysis of collected analytical data may verify the hypothesis defined as that the external factors affect the concentrations of excise duty components. The second part of the research work aims to monitor and interpret chemical changes of excise duty components observed in model samples over time including the interpretation in terms of photochemical reactions that may occur in model and real fuel samples.
More details about project can be found here
Fluorescence landscapes and chemometrics as potential tool to determine the total antioxidant capacity
Funded by National Science Center, Poland (project no. 2011/03/N/ST4/00713)
J. Orzeł, MSc (principal investigator); The University of Silesia, Institute of Chemistry
M. Daszykowski, Dr.Sc. Assoc. Prof. (supervisor); The University of Silesia, Institute of Chemistry
Summary: The goal of this project is to evaluate if total antioxidant capacity of a food sample can be detected using its fluorescence landscapes. The total antioxidant capacity of a sample can be evaluated using several antioxidant assays. On the other hand, many food constituents known as antioxidants have fluorescence properties and thus they can be studied using fluorescence spectroscopy. The total antioxidant capacity of samples and its fluorescence spectra can be effectively modeled using chemometric approaches. The hypothesis is examined for different food commodities including coffee, herbs and tomato paste. The total antioxidant capacity of samples is evaluated using well established assay – the oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay (ORAC assay). Fluorescence landscapes are 2-D analytical signals, thus to model the data methods partial least squares (PLS) and N-way partial least squares (N-PLS) are used to construct calibration model.
List of publications related to project activities:
J. Orzel, I. Stanimirova, B. Czarnik-Matusewicz, M. Daszykowski, Prediction of hydrophilic antioxidant capacity of tomato pastes from the IR and fluorescence excitation-emission spectra of extracts and intact samples, Talanta, 138 (2015) 64–70;
IF=3.511
J. Orzel, M. Daszykowski, A rapid validation of the antioxidant capacity of food commodities based on their fluorescence excitation emission spectra as applicable to coffee and peppermint extracts, Chemometrics and Intelligent Laboratory Systems, 137 (2014) 74-81; IF=2.381
More details about project can be found here
Project CoMedTox "Detection and risk evaluation of counterfeit medicines based on their physico-chemical properties"
Dr. E. Deconinck, PhD (coordinator); Scientific Institute of Public Health, Belgium
M. Daszykowski, Dr.Sc., Assoc. Prof. (partner); The University of Silesia, Institute of Chemistry
Summary: A joint project with a direct focus put on the detection of counterfeit medicines. The proposed project consists of development of suitable fingerprint approach that facilitates detection, analysis and risk evaluation of counterfeit medicines. The idea is to come to a view on the total composition of the counterfeit samples and to evaluate the complete product for its quality and its risk to the public health and not only the active component. The application of chromatographic fingerprints in the characterization of counterfeit medicines is an original idea, as is the intention to combine different fingerprints, obtained with different detection methods. The developed fingerprints and the approaches to threat them will be used to detect counterfeit medicines, to classify them and to rank products found on the Belgian market, following risk assessment to the public health. The products will be compared with the genuine product (based on literature and registration files). If possible the main impurities, revealed with the fingerprints, will be identified.
Our task in this project is to offer chemometric expertize and assist in the development of chemometric models to detect counterfeit medicines.
List of publications related to project activities:
P.-Y. Sacre, E. Deconinck, M. Daszykowski, P. Courselle, R. Vancauwenberghe, P. Chiapc, J. Crommen, J.O. De Beer, Impurity fingerprints for the identification of counterfeit medicines - a feasibility study, Analytica Chimica Acta, 701 (2011) 224-231; IF=4.310