An optical temperature sensor suitable for label free liquid sensing has been designed and characterized. The sensor combines the photochemical stability of rare earth doped glasses and the high sensitivity of interferometric resonators. It is formed by a planar Eabry-Perot (FP) microcavity filled with the liquid to be monitored. A Ho3+ doped tapered optical fiber…
The influence of one dimensional substrate patterns on the nanocolumnar growth of thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering at oblique angles is theoretically and experimentally studied. A well-established growth model has been used to study the interplay between the substrate topography and the thin film morphology. A critical thickness has been defined, below which the…
The study of the early stages of growth of ZnO on graphene supported on Cu and on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite by means of reactive thermal evaporation of metallic Zn at room temperature is presented. This growth method allows to go in depth in the study of the fundamental interaction between ZnO and graphene at…
This work aims at presenting an innovative method for tailoring the morphology of functionalized plasma polymer films (PPF). The approach is based on the formation of a plasma polymer bilayer system in which the two layers differ by their chemical composition and cross-linking degree. As a case study, propanethiol-based plasma polymer films have been investigated.…
Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasmas and plasma catalysis are becoming an alternative procedure to activate various gas phase reactions. A low-temperature and normal operating pressure are the main advantages of these processes, but a limited energy efficiency and little selectivity control hinder their practical implementation. In this work, we propose the use of isotope labelling…
The measured Yb 4d(3/2) intensity is larger than the Yb 4d(5/2) in X-ray photoelectron (XPS) emission of metallic Yb, which is unexpected. The shape and intensity of photoelectron peaks are strongly affected by extrinsic excitations due to electron transport out of the surface (including bulk and surface effects) and to intrinsic excitations due to the…
Herein, the preparation of 1D TiO2 nanocolumnar films grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition is reported as the electron selective layer (ESL) for perovskite solar devices. The impact of the ESL architecture (1D and 3D morphologies) and the nanocrystalline phase (anatase and amorphous) is analyzed. For anatase structures, similar power conversion efficiencies are achieved using…
Plasma treatments had emerged as a useful technique to improve seed germination. In this work we investigate the influence of different irrigation conditions and plasma treatments on the germination of nasturtium seeds. During plasma treatment, seeds experience a progressive weight loss as a function of treatment time that has been associated to water release, a…
This work reports about the sensing and biosensing applications of a novel screen printed electrode (SPE) modified by nanostructured nickel oxide thin films obtained by reactive magnetron sputtering under an oblique angle configuration. Using these films as electrodes we demonstrate their ability to detect hydrogen peroxide under neutral pH conditions. Furthermore, as a proof-of-concept, NiO-modified…
