Menú secundario

Scientific Papers in SCI



2021


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

Materiales Ópticos Multifuncionales

Impact of Tb4+ and morphology on the thermal evolution of Tb-doped TiO2 nanostructured hollow spheres and nanoparticles

Colomer, MT; Rodriguez, E; Moran-Pedroso, M; Vattier, F; de Andres, A
Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 853 (2021) 156973

Show abstract ▽

Tb-doped TiO2 hollow spheres (HSs) in the range 0.0-2.0 at.% have been synthesized by the first time to the best of our knowledge. The HSs are compared with nanoparticles (NPs) to evaluate the impact of morphology on their physicochemical and photoluminescence (PL) behavior upon increasing calcination temperature. After calcination at 550 degrees C, the particles are anatase with a primary average size of 10.0 +/- 0.2 nm for the NPs and 12.0 +/- 0.2 nm for those that form the micron sized hollow spheres of 1.8 +/- 0.2 mu m diameter and ca. 64 nm shell thickness. The temperature of the anataseerutile transition is found to be strongly dependent on the presence of Tb as well as on morphology. Contrarily to the usual stabilization of anatase when doping with trivalent rare-earth ions, the transition temperature is reduced when doping with Tb. The rutile phase is further favored for the HSs compared to the NPs probably related to the low density of the HSs and/or a more efficient packing density and/or a bigger crystal size of the nanoparticles that form those spheres with respect to the packing and the size of the NPs and/or the crystal size of the nanoparticles of the HSs with respect to the size of the NPs. Only a slight unit-cell volume increase for the anatase structure is observed upon Tb doping, in both the NPs and in the HSs, contrary to the expected increment due to the larger ionic radius of Tb3+ compared to Ti4+. In addition, the intensity of the characteristic f-f Tb3+ emission bands is extremely weak both in the anatase and rutile phases. The transition is accompanied with the emergence of an infrared emission band centered at 810 nm related to the formation of defects during the structural transformation providing deep levels in the gap that partly quench the f-f emissions in the rutile phase. The results are consistent with the presence of Tb in both +3 and +4 valence states. XPS measurements confirmed the presence of Tb3+ as well as of Tb4+ in both HSs and NPs. The large fraction of Tb4+ present in the samples originates the weak f-f emission intensity, an only slight increase of the cell parameters and the destabilization of the anatase phase. 


February, 2021 | DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2020.156973

Tribología y Protección de Superficies

Insights into the role of the layer architecture of Cr-Ti-N based coatings in long-term high temperature oxidation experiments in steam atmosphere

Mato, S; Sanchez-Lopez, JC; Barriga, J; Perez, FJ; Alcala, G
Ceramics International, 47 (2021) 4257-4266

Show abstract ▽

Knowledge on hard coatings has been applied in the energy field extending their use as protecting coatings of steam power generation plants components. The role of the layer architecture of Cr-Ti-N based coatings deposited by reactive cathodic arc evaporation on P92 steel substrates was studied with the focus on their oxidation resistance at 650 degrees C in 100% steam atmosphere up to 2000 h. Characterization of the coatings was performed by gravimetry, scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis, glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermodynamic simulations using the CALPHAD method, Rockwell C indentation and nanoindentation. The layered arrangement improves the oxidation resistance of TiN under the working conditions of steam power plants, as well as the mechanical properties of CrN. The produced architectures performance under the described working conditions boosts the understanding of the processes taking place at high temperature, making possible the design of optimal coatings combining the best behavior of both nitrides for each specific application, reaching a corrosion protection at high temperature in water vapor comparable to that of CrN and a hardness and Young's modulus as high as those of TiN.


February, 2021 | DOI: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2020.10.003

 

 

 

 

 

icms