A novel Cu catalyst film was prepared by oblique angle physical vapour deposition (OAD) on a K-βAl2O3 solid electrolyte (alkaline ionic conductor) for catalytic/electrocatalytic purposes. This technique allowed us to obtain a highly porous and electrically conductive Cu catalyst electrode which was tested in the partial oxidation of methanol (POM) reaction for H2 production and its catalytic…
ITO thin films have been prepared by electron beam evaporation at oblique angles (OA), directly and while assisting their growth with a downstream plasma. The films microstructure, characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and glancing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering, consisted of tilted and separated nanostructures. In the plasma assisted films, the tilting angle…
Bacterial colonization and biofilm formation on orthopedic implants is one of the worst scenarios in orthopedic surgery, in terms of both patient prognosis and healthcare costs. Tailoring the surfaces of implants at the nanoscale to actively promote bone bonding while avoiding bacterial colonization represents an interesting challenge to achieving better clinical outcomes. Herein, a Ti6Al4V…
UV nanosecond laser pulses have been used to produce a unique surface nanostructuration of Ag@ZnO supported nanorods (NRs). The NRs were fabricated by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at low temperature applying a silver layer as promoter. The irradiation of these structures with single nanosecond pulses of an ArF laser produces the melting and…
The joining of macroscopic films of vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to titanium substrates is demonstrated by active vacuum brazing at 820 degrees C with a Ag-Cu-Ti alloy and at 880 degrees C with a Cu-Sn-Ti-Zr alloy. The brazing methodology was elaborated in order to enable the production of highly electrically and thermally conductive…
Cathodic polarization of aluminium and Al-0.18wt.%Mg and Al-0.08wt.% Ti alloys in 0.24moldm(-3) nitric acid solution at 38 degrees C has been employed to assist understanding of the roles of alloying elements in electrograining. The findings indicate that additions of magnesium and titanium to aluminium accelerate the corrosion of the substrate under the alkalization caused by…
This work reports a X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) study under in operando conditions of the structural and chemical changes undergone by WO3 and WxSiyOz thin films used as electrochromic cathodes. The electrochromic films were prepared by magnetron sputtering deposition at oblique angles and then characterized by a large variety of techniques. The voltammograms and chronoamperometric…
Novel core-shell quinone-rich poly(dopamine)–magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were prepared by using an in situ polymerization method. Catechol groups were oxidized to quinone by using a thermal treatment. MNPs were characterized by using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, magnetic force microscopy, UV/Vis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and electrochemical techniques. The hybrid nanomaterial showed an average…
