Menú secundario

Scientific Papers in SCI



2021


Nanotecnología en Superficies y Plasma

Solid-State Dewetting of Gold on Stochastically Periodic SiO2 Nanocolumns Prepared by Oblique Angle Deposition

Oliva-Ramirez, M; Wang, D; Flock, D; Rico, V; Gonzalez-Elipe, AR; Schaaf, P
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 13 (2021) 11385-11395

Show abstract ▽

Solid-state dewetting (SSD) on patterned substrates is a straightforward method for fabricating ordered arrays of metallic nanoparticles on surfaces. However, a drawback of this procedure is that the patterning of substrates usually requires time-consuming and expensive two-dimensional (2D) fabrication methods. Nanostructured thin films deposited by oblique angle deposition (OAD) present at the surface a form of stochastically arranged periodic bundles of nanocolumns that might act as a patterned template for fabricating arrays of nanoparticles by SSD. In this work, we explore this concept and investigate the effect of three different types of OAD SiO2 thin films on the SSD of Au deposited on their surface. We demonstrate that the size and spatial distribution of the particles can be tailored through the surface morphology of these OAD film substrates. It has been found that the SSD of the evaporated Au layer gives rise to a bimodal size distribution of particles. A majority of them appeared as mesoparticles with sizes.100 nm and the rest as nanoparticles with similar to 10 nm, respectively, located either on top of the nanocolumns following their lateral distribution (i.e., resulting from a patterning effect) or incorporated inside the open mesopores existing among them. Moreover, on the SiO2-OAD thin films where interconnected nanocolumnar bundles arrange in the form of discrete motifs, the patterning effect gave rise to the formation of approximately one Au mesoparticle per motif, which is one of the assets of patterned SSD. The morphological, optical (i.e., plasmon resonance), and crystalline structural characteristics of Au mesoparticles suggest that the interplay between a discontinuous nanocolumnar surface acting as a template and the poor adhesion of Au onto SiO2 are key factors for the observed template effect controlling the SSD on the surface of OAD thin films.


March, 2021 | DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c19327

Materiales de Diseño para la Energía y Medioambiente

Zirconium retention for minimizing environmental risk: Role of counterion and clay mineral

Montes, L; Pavon, E; Cota, A; Alba
Chemosphere, 267 (2021) 128914

Show abstract ▽

Zr(IV) together with U(IV) are the major components of high-level radionuclide waste (HLRW) and spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from nuclear power plants. Thus, their retention in the waste disposal is of great importance for the environmental risk control. Here, the influence of clay minerals on the retention of Zr(IV), as component of the nuclear waste and as chemical analogues of U(IV), has been evaluated. Three clay minerals, two bentonites and one saponite, were hydrothermally treated with three zirconium salts. A structural study at long-range order by X-ray diffraction and short-range order by NMR was performed to evaluate the generation of new zirconium phases and degradation of the clay minerals. Three immobilization mechanisms were observed: i) cation exchange of ZrO2+ or Zr4+ by clay minerals, ii) the precipitation/crystallization of ZrO2, and, iii) the chemical interaction of zirconium with the clay minerals, with the formation of zirconium silicates. 


March, 2021 | DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128914

Materiales y Procesos Catalíticos de Interés Ambiental y Energético

Overcoming Pd-TiO2 Deactivation during H-2 Production from Photoreforming Using Cu@Pd Nanoparticles Supported on TiO2

Platero, F; Lopez-Martin, A; Caballero, A; Rojas, TC; Nolan, M; Colon, G
ACS Applied Nano Materials, 4 (2021) 3204-3219

Show abstract ▽

Different Cu@Pd-TiO2 systems have been prepared by a two-step synthesis to obtain a bimetallic co-catalyst for the H-2 photoreforming reaction. We find that the tailored deposition of Pd covering the Cu nanoclusters by a galvanic replacement process results in the formation of a core@shell structure. The photocatalytic H-2 production after 18 h is 350 mmol/g on the Cu@Pd-1.0-TiO2 bimetallic system, which is higher than that on the monometallic ones with a H-2 production of 250 mmol/g on Pd-supported TiO2. Surface characterization by highangle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy, H-2-temperatureprogramed reduction, CO-FTIR spectroscopy, and XPS gives clear evidence of the formation of a core@shell structure. With a Pd loading of 0.2-0.3 at. %, we propose a full coverage of the Cu nanoparticles with Pd. Long-time photoreforming runs show the enhanced performance of supported Cu@Pd with respect to bare palladium leading to a more stable catalyst and ultimately higher H-2 production.


March, 2021 | DOI: 10.1021/acsanm.1c00345

Reactividad de Sólidos

A first insight into the microstructure and crack propagation in novel boron nitride nanosheet/3YTZP composites

Munoz-Ferreiro, C; Morales-Rodriguez, A; Gallardo-Lopez, A; Poyato, R
Boletin de la Sociedad Española de Cerámica y Vidrio, 60 (2021) 128-136

Show abstract ▽

In this work, novel 3 mol% yttria tetragonal zirconia polycristalline (3YTZP) ceramic composites with boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) are investigated for the first time. Highly densified composites with 1 and 4 vol% BNNS were obtained by spark plasma sintering (SPS) after BNNS synthesis using a solution exfoliation method and BNNS dispersion into the ceramic powder by ultrasonication. The BNNS presented homogeneous distribution throughout the ceramic matrix and preferential alignment in the plane perpendicular to the pressing axis during SPS. The BNNS incorporation had practically no effect on the Vickers hardness of the material nor on the Young's modulus. Anisotropy in crack development was found in the composite with 4% vol BNNS, together with a mechanism of extensive microcracking. Several energy-absorbing mechanisms during crack propagation, such as crack deflection, crack bridging, crack branching, BNNS pull-out and BNNS debonding, were identified in the composites by a close observation of the indentation-induced fracture paths.


March, 2021 | DOI: 10.1016/j.bsecv.2020.02.003

Reactividad de Sólidos

EGFR-targeting antitumor therapy: Neuregulins or antibodies?

de Lavera, I; Merkling, PJ; Oliva, JM; Sayagues, MJ; Cotan, D; Sanchez-Alcazar, JA; Infante, JJ; Zaderenko, A.P.
European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 158 (2021) 105678

Show abstract ▽

Malignancies such as lung, breast and pancreatic carcinomas are associated with increased expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR, and its role in the pathogenesis and progression of tumors has made this receptor a prime target in the development of antitumor therapies. In therapies targeting EGFR, the development of resistance owing to mutations and single nucleotide polymorphisms, and the expression of the receptor ligands themselves are very serious issues. In this work, both the ligand neuregulin and a bispecific antibody fragment to EGFR are conjugated separately or together to the same drug-delivery system to find the most promising candidate. Camptothecin is used as a model chemotherapeutic drug and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as a delivery system. Results show that the lowest LD50 is achieved by formulations conjugated to both the antibody and the ligand, demonstrating a synergy. Additionally, the ligand location in the nucleus favors the antitumor activity of Camptothecin. The high loading capacity and efficiency convert these systems into a good alternative for administering Camptothecin, a drug whose use is otherwise severely limited by its chemical instability and poor solubility. Our choice of targeting agents allows treating tumors that express ErbB2 (Her2+ tumors) as well as Her2- tumors expressing EGFR.


March, 2021 | DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2020.105678

 

 

 

 

 

icms