Efficient synthesis of ammonia from N-2 and H-2 alone in a ferroelectric packed-bed DBD reactor

A detailed study of ammonia synthesis from hydrogen and nitrogen in a planar dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor was carried out. Electrical parameters were systematically varied, including applied voltage and frequency, electrode gap, and type of ferroelectric material (BaTiO3 versus PZT). For selected operating conditions, power consumption and plasma electron density were estimated from Lissajous…

Plasma reforming of methane in a tunable ferroelectric packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge reactor

In a tunable circular parallel plate dielectric barrier discharge reactor with pellets of a ferroelectric material separating the electrodes we investigate the plasma reforming of methane trying to maximize both the reaction yield and the energetic efficiency of the process. The geometrical configuration of the reactor (gap between electrodes, active electrode area) and the ferroelectric…

Single-step fabrication process of 1-D photonic crystals coupled to nanocolumnar TiO2 layers to improve DSC efficiency

The present work proposes the use of a TiO2 electrode coupled to a one-dimensional photonic crystal (1DPC), all formed by the sequential deposition of nanocolumnar thin films by physical vapor oblique angle deposition (PV-OAD), to enhance the optical and electrical performance of DSCs while transparency is preserved. We demonstrate that this approach allows building an…

Válvulas de espín orgánicas e híbridas orgánica-inorgánicas en nanofibras soportadas, producidas por técnicas avanzadas de deposición en vacío y asistidas por plasma

La transición a la electrónica orgánica requiere de nuevos elementos en la escala nanométrica compuestos por materiales orgánicos, lo que proporciona dispositivos flexibles, transparentes y baratos. Entre los dispositivos electrónicos, las válvulas de espín han destacado por su rápida transición desde la fase experimental a los productos de uso común, pero aún no se ha…

Amperometric magnetobiosensors using poly(dopamine)-modified Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles for the detection of phenolic compounds

The synthesis of poly(dopamine)-modified magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and their application in preparing electrochemical enzyme biosensors that are useful to detect phenolic compounds is reported in this work. MNPs of about 16 nm were synthesized by a co-precipitation method and conveniently modified with poly(dopamine). Non-modified and modified MNPs were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman…

Microstructure of mixed oxide thin films prepared by magnetron sputtering at oblique angles

Several mixed oxide thin film series of samples (Si–Co–O, Si–Ni–O, Si–W–O) have been prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering at oblique angle geometries. The paper focuses on the description of microstructure of the films as a function of their stoichiometry. It is found that for identical process parameters (gas mixture, pressure, magnetron-substrate distance, incidence angle of…

Physiological Degradation Mechanisms of PLGA Membrane Films under Oxygen Plasma Treatment

Degradation under simulated physiological conditions of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) (PLGA) copolymer membrane films subjected to an oxygen plasma treatment compared to its “as prepared” state has been studied by gas cluster ion beam assisted X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for chemical depth profiling analysis. This investigation is complemented with atomic force microscopy, weight loss measurements, and visual inspection of…

Rapid Legionella pneumophila determination based on a disposable core–shell Fe3O4@poly(dopamine) magnetic nanoparticles immunoplatform

A novel amperometric magnetoimmunoassay, based on the use of core–shell magnetic nanoparticles and screen-printed carbon electrodes, was developed for the selective determination of Legionella pneumophila SG1. A specific capture antibody (Ab) was linked to the poly(dopamine)–modified magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs@pDA-Ab) and incubated with bacteria. The captured bacteria were sandwiched using the antibody labeled with horseradish peroxidase (Ab-HRP), and…