Poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) hydrogels\ud have been synthesised from the aqueous solutions of the same linear polymer by two different radiation sources: electron beams and UV rays. The present investigation couples conventional hydrogel characterisation techniques with the study of the partition equilibria, fluorescence\ud behaviour and release of two different molecular probes,1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulphonate (ANS) and ThioflavinT (ThT). The two probes have comparable molecular weight and different structural and optical properties. The ‘chemical’ networks produced upon irradiation in different experimental conditions presented quite distinctive\ud mechanical spectra, yielded to different porous solids upon freeze-drying and showed specific rehydration ratios when ‘equilibrated’ in water. More interestingly, they offered ‘hydrophobic pockets’ to host the ANS molecules in a way that the probe is completely occluded from water, making it fluoresce. Conversely, the generated PVP networks did not show any specific affinity towards the hydrophilic ThT that was only barely untaken

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We monitor β-carotene and chlorophyll in an auto-oxidation process. A protocol based on spectroscopic measurements is presented and can be used for the quality control process of commercial olive oil.