Correlation lengths, porosity and water adsorption in TiO2 thin films prepared by glancing angle deposition

This paper reports a thorough microstructural characterization of glancing angle deposited (GLAD) TiO 2 thin films. Atomic force microscopy (afm), grazing-incidence small-angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) and water adsorption isotherms have been used to determine the evolution of porosity and the existence of some correlation distances between the nanocolumns constituting the basic elements of the films…

Gold supported cryptomelane-type manganese dioxide OMS-2 nanomaterials deposited on AISI 304 stainless steels monoliths for CO oxidation

Gold supported on cryptomelane-type OMS-2 catalysts deposited on AISI 304 stainless steels monoliths have been prepared for the first time, characterised and tested in the CO oxidation reaction. An easy and non-conventional method of incorporation of gold to the cryptomelane solid is used. This method allows the preparation of the monolithic catalysts without altering the…

Photocatalytic activity of single and mixed nanosheet-like Bi2WO6 and TiO2 for Rhodamine B degradation under sunlike and visible illumination

The photocatalytic activity, under sunlike illumination, for Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation using Bi2WO6-TiO2 samples, is reported. Two different kinds of Bi2WO6-TiO2 samples were studied, obtained by distinct methods: first, a mechanical mixing, by adding to synthesized nanosheet-like Bi2WO6 powder the corresponding amount of TiO2 nanoparticles (P25) in order to obtain physical mixtures of both catalysts…

Spark plasma sintering of Ti yNb 1-yC xN 1-x monolithic ceramics obtained by mechanically induced self-sustaining reaction

Nanometer-sized titanium-niobium carbonitride powders (Ti yNb 1-yC xN 1-x) with different Ti/Nb atomic ratios were obtained by a mechanically induced self-sustaining reaction, and sintered by spark plasma sintering technique at 1500°C for 1min in a vacuum atmosphere. Mechanical properties such as hardness and Young’s modulus were determined by nanoindentation technique and friction and wear coefficients…

Tuning liver stiffness against tumours: An in vitro study using entrapped cells in tumour-like microcapsules

Liver fibrosis is a reversible pathology characterized by the up-regulated secretion and deposition of ECM proteins and inhibitors of metalloproteinases, which increase the stiffness and viscosity of this organ. Since recent studies have shown that fibrosis preceded the generation of hepatocellular carcinomas, we hypothesize that liver fibrosis could play a role as a mechanism for…

Hydrothermal synthesis of BiVO4: Structural and morphological influence on the photocatalytic activity

BiVO 4 hierarchical heterostructures are synthesized by means of a surfactant free hydrothermal method having good photoactivities for the degradation of methylene blue under UV-vis irradiation. From the structural and morphological characterization it has been stated that BiVO 4 present the monoclinic crystalline phase with different morphologies depending on the pH value, type of precipitating…

Synthetic high-charge organomica: Effect of the layer charge and alkyl chain length on the structure of the adsorbed surfactants

A family of organomicas was synthesized using synthetic swelling micas with high layer charge (NanSi8-nAlnMg6F4O20 center dot XH2O, where n = 2, 3, and 4) exchanged with dodecylammonium and octadecylammonium cations. The molecular arrangement of the surfactant was elucidated on the basis on XRD patterns and DTA. The ordering conformation of the surfactant molecules into…

Nanoclay Nucleation Effect in the Thermal Stabilization of a Polymer Nanocomposite: A Kinetic Mechanism Change

The enhanced thermal stability of polymer-clay nanocomposites over the original polymers is one of their most interesting features, and it has been profusely studied within the last decades. Here, a thorough kinetic analysis of polystyrene and a montmorillonite-polystyrene nanocomposite has been performed making use of state-of-the-art kinetic procedures. It has been found that the degradation…