Renato Lopes Gil

@up.pt

LAQV/REQUIMTE, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto

Renato Lopes Gil


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https://researchid.co/renatogil

EDUCATION

MSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences (16/20)
Ph.D in Pharmaceutical Sciences (on going)

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Electrochemistry;
Potentiometry;
Ion-selective electrodes;
HPLC
Food analysis
Enviromental analysis
15

Scopus Publications

Scopus Publications

  • Multiplexed potentiometric sensing of nitrite in environmental waters
    Renato L. Gil, Samuel Silva, Marília Barreiros dos Santos, Álvaro Geraldes, Begoña Espiña, et al.
    Analytica Chimica Acta, 2026
  • Critical assessment of different ion-to-electron transducers in modified screen-printed electrodes for potentiometric lithium sensing
    Olesia Dudik, Renato L. Gil, Raquel B. Queirós
    Microchemical Journal, 2025
  • Biotechnological Revolution in Agrifood Systems: Multidisciplinary Approaches for the Diagnosis, Management, and Epidemiology of Plant Diseases
    Rafael J. Mendes, Leandro Pereira-Dias, Renato L. Gil, Fernando Tavares
    Horticulturae, 2025
    Agrifood systems have been disrupted for centuries across the globe by a plethora of plant pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi [...]
  • All-Solid-State Potentiometric Sensor Based on Graphene Oxide as Ion-to-Electron Transducer for Nitrate Detection in Water Samples
    Renato L. Gil, Laura Rodriguez-Lorenzo, Begoña Espiña, Raquel B. Queirós
    Chemosensors, 2024
    Graphene oxide (GO) was used as an ion-to-electron transducer for all-solid-state nitrate electrodes based on an alkyl ammonium salt as the sensing element. Commercially available carbon screen-printed electrodes modified with GO were used as conductive substrates, whose morphology and distribution along the surface were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The potentiometric performance of the GO-based electrodes revealed a Nernstian slope of −53.5 ± 2.0 mV decade−1 (R2 = 0.9976 ± 0.0015) in the range from 3.0 × 10−6 to 10−2 M and a lower limit of detection of 1.9 × 10−6 M. An impressive reproducibility between equally prepared electrodes (n = 15) was demonstrated by a variation of <6% for the calibration parameters. Constant current chronopotentiometry and water layer tests were used to evaluate the potential signal stability, providing similar performance to previously published works with graphene-based ion-selective electrodes. Notably, the GO-based sensors showed the absence of a water layer, a long-term drift of 0.3 mV h−1, and a stable performance (LOD and sensitivity) over 3 months. The applicability of the proposed sensors was demonstrated in determining nitrate levels in water samples with great accuracy, yielding recovery values from 87.8 to 107.9%, and comparable (p > 0.05) results to a commercial nitrate probe. These findings demonstrate the use of GO as an alternative ion-to-electron transducer for the fabrication of all-solid-state potentiometric electrodes.
  • Influence of Brewing Process on the Profile of Biogenic Amines in Craft Beers
    Renato L. Gil, Célia M. P. G. Amorim, Henrique G. Amorim, Maria da Conceição B. S. M. Montenegro, Alberto N. Araújo
    Sensors, 2023
    The evaluation of the biogenic amines (BAs) profile of different types of craft beers is herein presented. A previously developed and validated analytical method based on ion-pair chromatography coupled with potentiometric detection was used to determine the presence of 10 BAs. Good analytical features were obtained for all amines regarding linearity (R2 values from 0.9873 ± 0.0015 to 0.9973 ± 0.0015), intra- and inter-day precision (RSD lower than 6.9% and 9.7% for beer samples, respectively), and accuracy (recovery between 83.2–108.9%). Detection and quantification limits range from 9.3 to 60.5 and from 31.1 to 202.3 µg L−1, respectively. The validated method was applied to the analysis of four ale beers and one lager craft beer. Ethylamine, spermidine, spermine, and tyramine were detected in all analyzed samples while methylamine and phenylethylamine were not detected. Overall, pale ale beers had a significantly higher total content of BAs than those found in wheat pale and dark samples. A general least square regression model showed a good correlation between the total content of BAs and the brewing process, especially for Plato degree, mashing, and fermentation temperatures. Knowledge about the type of ingredients and manufacturing processes that contribute to higher concentrations of these compounds is crucial to ensuring consumer safety.
  • Montmorillonite Nanoclay and Formulation with Satureja montana Essential Oil as a Tool to Alleviate Xanthomonas euvesicatoria Load on Solanum lycopersicum
    Paulo R. Oliveira-Pinto, Nuno Mariz-Ponte, Renato L. Gil, Edite Cunha, Célia G. Amorim, et al.
    Applied Nano, 2022
    Bacterial spot (BS) of tomato (S. lycopersicum), caused by Xanthomonas spp., namely X. euvesicatoria (Xeu), is one of the major threats for the production of this crop worldwide. Developing new biocontrol solutions against this disease will allow disease management strategies to be less based on Cu compounds. Nanoclays, such as montmorillonite (NMT), have been under investigation for their antimicrobial activity, or as delivery tools/stabilizers for organic compounds, such as essential oils (EOs), that also possess antimicrobial activity against plant pathogens. This work aims to assess how the application of NMT alone or incorporating S. montana EO on Xeu-infected hosts (var. Oxheart) affects the shoots’ redox status and antioxidant defense mechanisms. In vitro shoots, grown on Murashige and Skoog medium, were divided in two groups, Xeu-infected and uninfected (control) shoots. Shoots of each group were then treated with NMT, S. montana EO, EO-NMT. Results show that the NMT was able to reduce Xeu bacterial amount, while reducing ROS production and keeping the transcript levels of the defense-related genes close to those of the control. When applied to uninfected shoots, the treatments triggered the production of ROS and upregulated the phenylpropanoid and hormone pathway, which suggest that they act as defense elicitors. Globally, the results indicate that NMT has the potential to integrate BS management strategies, due to its antimicrobial activity, and that EO and/or nanoclays could be successfully employed as new disease preventive strategies, since they enhance the healthy shoots’ defense, thus potentially limiting the pathogen establishment.
  • Addressing the Detection of Ammonium Ion in Environmental Water Samples via Tandem Potentiometry-Ion Chromatography
    Renato L. Gil, Célia G. Amorim, Maria Cuartero
    ACS Measurement Science Au, 2022
    An analytical methodology for detecting ammonium ion (NH4+) in environmental water through potentiometry–ion chromatography (IC) in tandem is presented here. A multielectrode flow cell is implemented as a potentiometric detector after chromatographic separation of cations in the sample. The electrodes are fabricated via miniaturized all-solid-state configuration, using a nonactin-based plasticized polymeric membrane as the sensing element. The overall analytical setup is based on an injection valve, column, traditional conductometric detector, and new potentiometric detector (in that order), permitting the characterization of the analytical performance of the potentiometric detector while validating the results. The limit of detection was found to be ca. 3 × 10–7 M NH4+ concentration after linearization of the potentiometric response, and intra- and interelectrode variations of <10% were observed. Importantly, interference from other cations was suppressed in the tandem potentiometry–IC, and thus, the NH4+ content in fresh- and seawater samples from different locations was successfully analyzed. This analytical technology demonstrated a great potential for the reliable monitoring of NH4+ at micromolar levels, in contrast to the conductivity detector and previously reported NH4+ potentiometric sensors functioning in batch mode or even coupled with IC. Additionally, the suitability of the potentiometric cell for selective multi-ion analysis in the same sample, i.e., Na+, NH4+, and K+ in water, has been proven.
  • HPLC-potentiometric method for determination of biogenic amines in alcoholic beverages: A reliable approach for food quality control
    Renato L. Gil, Célia G. Amorim, Maria C.B.S.M. Montenegro, Alberto N. Araújo
    Food Chemistry, 2022
    Determination of ten biogenic amines in alcoholic beverages by HPLC coupled to a potentiometric detector for food quality control is herein presented. Biogenic amines were separated by ion-pair chromatography on a C18 column using a gradient mobile phase of acetic acid, acetonitrile, and butane-sulfonic acid. Detection was accomplished by a miniaturized amine-selective electrode. The method was validated following ICH and Eurachem guidelines. Linear regression models provided R2 values from 0.9870 ± 0.0019 to 0.9991 ± 0.0014 for tyramine and cadaverine, respectively. Detection and quantification limits depend on the molecular weight of BAs, ranging from 9.3 to 60.5 and from 31.1 to 202.3 µg L-1 for methylamine and spermine, respectively. Repeatability and intermediate precision showed RSD values lower than 5.8 and 8.3%, respectively. Accuracy of assays yielded recovery values from 86.4 to 109.9%. The biogenic amines content in red wine, white wine, and beer samples were 7.54, 5.24, and 4.58 mg L-1, respectively.
  • Cucurbit[8]uril-Based Potentiometric Sensor Coupled to HPLC for Determination of Tetracycline Residues in Milk Samples
    Renato L. Gil, Célia M. P. G. Amorim, Maria da Conceição B. S. M. Montenegro, Alberto N. Araújo
    Chemosensors, 2022
    The determination of chlortetracycline, doxycycline, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline in milk samples by HPLC coupled to a cucurbit[8]uril-based potentiometric sensor is herein presented. The new tetracycline-selective electrode is based on a polymeric membrane incorporating cucurbit[8]uril as a macrocyclic host, potassium tetrakis(p-chlorophenyl) borate as an ionic additive, 2-fluorophenyl 2-nitrophenyl ether as a plasticizer, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes as nanostructured materials. A microfluidic wall-jet flow-cell is implemented as a potentiometric detector after chromatographic separation by a C8 column using a gradient mobile phase of sulphuric acid and acetonitrile. The proposed methodology was validated following International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) and European Union (EU) guidelines. Linear regression models provided R2 in the range from 0.9973 ± 0.0026 to 0.9987 ± 0.0012 for all tetracycline antibiotics. The limits of detection and quantification ranged from 13.3 to 46.0 μg L−1 and 44.4 to 92.1 μg L−1, respectively. Precision intra-day, inter-day, and inter-electrode showed relative standard deviation values lower than 12.5%, 13.5%, and 12.9%, respectively. Accuracy was assessed by analysis of spiked milk samples around the maximum residue limit, yielding recovery values in the range from 81.3 to 108.5%. The simple, sensitive, cost-effective, and reliable HPLC-ion-selective electrode method justifies its use as a competitive alternative for the analysis of tetracycline residues in the food quality control sector.
  • Determination of biogenic amines in tomato by ion-pair chromatography coupled to an amine-selective potentiometric detector
    Renato L. Gil, Célia G. Amorim, Maria C.B.S.M. Montenegro, Alberto N. Araújo
    Electrochimica Acta, 2021
    It is described the determination of underivatized biogenic amines by ion-pair chromatography coupled to potentiometric detection, for food quality control. A wall-jet flow-cell was used to hold an amine-selective electrode, based on cucurbit[6]uril as an ionophore, and a commercial reference electrode. The biogenic amines were separated in less than 20 min using a C18 column as the stationary phase. This method comprises a gradient elution with a mobile phase containing lithium formate buffer, acetonitrile, and butane-sulfonic acid sodium salt as an ion-pair agent. The proposed method was validated following the International Council for Harmonisation guidelines. Calibration data fitted a linear regression model with R2 varying from 0.9804 to 0.9972. Repeatability intra and inter-day showed relative standard deviation values lower than 9.1% and 13.3%, respectively. Detection and quantification limits ranged from 0.03 to 0.20 mg L−1 and 0.09 to 0.61 mg L−1, respectively. Spiked tomato samples were analysed to assess the accuracy, yielding recovery values from 85.8 to 108.5%. The biogenic amines content in fresh tomatoes, canned chopped tomato, and pulp tomato was 7.11, 5.12, and 7.69 mg L−1, respectively.
  • Potentiometric detection in liquid chromatographic systems: An overview
    R.L. Gil, C.G. Amorim, M.C.B.S.M. Montenegro, A.N. Araújo
    Journal of Chromatography A, 2019
  • Process analysis | electroanalytical techniques
    Renato Gil, Célia G. Amorim, Alberto N. Araújo, Maria C.B.S.M. Montenegro
    Encyclopedia of Analytical Science, 2019
  • Process Analysis | Electroanalytical Techniques
    Renato Gil, Célia G. Amorim, Alberto N. Araújo, Maria C.B.S.M. Montenegro
    Encyclopedia of Analytical Science, 2019
  • Multilayered particle-packed column: Evaluation and comparison with monolithic and core–shell particle columns for the determination of red azo dyes in Sequential Injection Chromatography
    Petr Chocholouš, Renato Gil, Carolina C. Acebal, Viktor Kubala, Dalibor Šatínský, et al.
    Journal of Separation Science, 2017
  • Study of a Novel Bisnaphthalimidopropyl Polyamine as Electroactive Material for Perchlorate-selective Potentiometric Sensors
    Renato Gil, Célia G. Amorim, Laura Crombie, Paul Kong Thoo Lin, Alberto Araújo, et al.
    Electroanalysis, 2015