Scientific Papers in SCI

We devise a unique heteronanostructure array to overcome a persistent issue of simultaneously utilizing the surface-enhanced Raman scattering, inexpensive, Earth-abundant materials, large surface areas, and multifunctionality to demonstrate near single-molecule detection. Room-temperature plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and thermal evaporation provide high-density arrays of vertical TiO2 nanotubes decorated with Ag nanoparticles. The role of the TiO2 nanotubes is 3-fold: (i) providing a high surface area for the homogeneous distribution of supported Ag nanoparticles, (ii) increasing the water contact angle to achieve superhydrophobic limits, and (iii) enhancing the Raman signal by synergizing the localized electromagnetic field enhancement (Ag plasmons) and charge transfer chemical enhancement mechanisms (amorphous TiO2) and by increasing the light scattering because of the formation of vertically aligned nanoarchitectures. As a result, we reach a Raman enhancement factor of up to 9.4 × 107, satisfying the key practical device requirements. The enhancement mechanism is optimized through the interplay of the optimum microstructure, nanotube/shell thickness, Ag nanoparticles size distribution, and density. Vertically aligned amorphous TiO2 nanotubes decorated with Ag nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 10–12 nm provide enough sensitivity for near-instant concentration analysis with an ultralow few-molecule detection limit of 10–12 M (Rh6G in water) and the possibility to scale up device fabrication.

Poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) is a semiconducting optically active polymer widely used in optoelectronics research. MEH-PPV can be commercially acquired in a large range of molecular weights. However, the influence of this property on the optical performance of the polymer is often disregarded. In this paper, the thermal dependence of the refractive index of MEH-PPV thin films prepared from high and medium molecular weight polymers is investigated. Thus, monolithic Fabry-Perot (FP) microcavities are fabricated, in which the active polymer film is part of their defect layer. It is found that when these devices are used as optical temperature sensors, the position of the emission band of the microcavities excited with a blue diode laser shifts to lower wavelengths when temperature increases with sensitivities in the 0.2-0.3 nm/degrees C range. This effect is ascribed to the variation in the refractive index of the polymer active layer within the resonator with temperature. According to theoretical simulations of optical transmittance by classical transfer matrix method and the evaluation of the optical eigenmodes by finite element methods of the manufactured FP resonator cavities, it is found that the MEH-PPV films present negative thermo-optic coefficients of about-0.018 K-1 and-0.0022 K-1 for high and medium molecular weight polymers, respectively, in the temperature range between 20 and 60 degrees C. These values are about the highest reported so far, to the best of our knowledge, and points to high performance thermal sensor applications.

This work is devoted to the study of the role of both metals in the intermetallic PtxCuy/ γ Al2O3 catalysts commonly employed in CO-PROX reaction. Therefore, monometallic Pt and Cu based catalysts and PtCu intermetallic compound with different molar ratios (Pt3Cu1 and Pt1Cu3) supported catalysts were carefully synthesized and deeply characterized. Room temperature CO adsorptions by FTIR spectroscopy were carried out on the mono- and intermetallic catalysts being the monometallic catalyst determinant for the study. From the analysis of the nature of the platinum surface in Pt/ γ Al2O3, we have demonstrated that the role of Pt sites is based in the CO dissociation for the CO2 formation and also how the platinum surface is partially blocked by leftovers from the synthesis. Moreover, the study of the Cu/ γ Al2O3 and the bimetallic catalysts PtxCuy/ γ Al2O3 allowed elucidating the effect of the copper in the metallic site and support interphase as well as the role of copper in the hydrocarbon oxidation.

We explore joining Si-Al-C-O fiber-bonded ceramics to Cu-clad-Mo using an Ag-Ti-Cu brazing alloy. A temperature of 900 degrees C and times in the range of 10-20 min are required to obtain sound joints irrespectively of the fiber orientation. The reaction layer is 1-2 mu m thick and free of pores and defects. The thermal conductivity of the joined samples is well described considering that the metal and the ceramic are in series for thermal resistance. This implies that the joint is highly conductive and forms an almost perfect