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Scientific Papers in SCI



2024


Química de Superficies y Catálisis

Reforming of biomass-derived producer gas using toluene as model tar: Deactivation and regeneration studies in Ni and K-Ni catalysts

Azancot, L; González-Castaño, M; Bobadilla, LF; Centeno, MA; Odriozola, JA
Environmental Research, 247 (2024) 118210

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Within the syngas production from biomass gasification, tar removal constitutes a chief issue to overcome for advanced catalytic systems. This work investigates the performance of Ni and Ni-K catalysts for reforming of derived-biomass producer gas using toluene as model tar. At 750 degrees C and 60Lg(-1)h(-1), the stability test (70 h) revealed stable performances (CO2, CH4 and C7H8 conversions of 60, 95 and 100%, correspondingly) uniquely for the Ni-K catalyst. Although the efficient protection towards coking let by K was demonstrated, TPO studies over the post-reacted systems still evidenced the presence of carbon deposits for both samples. Conducting three successive reaction/regeneration cycles with different gasifying agents (air, steam and CO2) at 800 C for 1h, the capability towards regeneration of both catalytic systems was assessed and the spent catalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM and TEM. While none of the regeneration treatments recovered the performance of the unpromoted catalyst, the Ni-K catalysts demonstrated the capability of being fully regenerated by air and CO2 and exhibited analogous catalytic performances after a series of reaction/regeneration cycles. Hence, it is proved that the addition of K into Ni catalysts not only enhances the resistance against deactivation but enables rather facile regenerative procedures under certain atmospheres (air and CO2).


April, 2024 | DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118210

Materiales Nanoestructurados y Microestructura

Synergistic Effect of He for the Fabrication of Ne and Ar Gas-Charged Silicon Thin Films as Solid Targets for Spectroscopic Studies

Fernández, A; Godinho, V; Ávila, J; Jiménez de Haro, MC; Hufschmidt, D; López-Viejobueno, J; Almanza-Vergara, GE; Ferrer, FJ; Colaux, JL; Lucas, S; Asensio, MC
Nanomaterials, 14(8) (2024) 727

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Sputtering of silicon in a He magnetron discharge (MS) has been reported as a bottom-up procedure to obtain He-charged silicon films (i.e., He nanobubbles encapsulated in a silicon matrix). The incorporation of heavier noble gases is demonstrated in this work with a synergistic effect, producing increased Ne and Ar incorporations when using He–Ne and He–Ar gas mixtures in the MS process. Microstructural and chemical characterizations are reported using ion beam analysis (IBA) and scanning and transmission electron microscopies (SEM and TEM). In addition to gas incorporation, He promotes the formation of larger nanobubbles. In the case of Ne, high-resolution X-ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopies (XPS and XAS) are reported, with remarkable dependence of the Ne 1s photoemission and the Ne K-edge absorption on the nanobubble’s size and composition. The gas (He, Ne and Ar)-charged thin films are proposed as “solid” targets for the characterization of spectroscopic properties of noble gases in a confined state without the need for cryogenics or high-pressure anvils devices. Also, their use as targets for nuclear reaction studies is foreseen.


April, 2024 | DOI: 10.3390/nano14080727

Materiales y Procesos Catalíticos de Interés Ambiental y Energético

H2 production based on a ternary mixture of commercial CuO-NiO-TiO2 in a solar pilot plant

Villachica-Llamosas, JG; Ruiz-Aguirre, A; Colón, G; Peral, J; Malato, S
Catalysis Today, 431 (2024) 114608

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Glycerol is a by-product in biodiesel production (in the range of g·L−1), so its photoreforming by photocatalysis is a way of valorising it. TiO2 in photocatalysis has been widely studied, although its efficiency is limited by the high energy band gap, and the electron-hole recombination. Its combination with different semiconductors should improve charge separation, extending also the absorption from UV to visible light. Cu and Ni oxides are two of the most efficient low-cost transition metal oxide catalysts. Experiments were carried out in a 25 L pilot plant connected to a compound parabolic solar collector. Different combinations of the three semiconductors, based on the concentration of each metal on TiO2 (Me, 5%, 7.2% and 10%) were evaluated. Evonik P25-TiO2, CuO and NiO were combined by mechanical mixing. Hydrogen was quantified by a micro gas chromatograph, and copper and nickel leaching by ICP-MS. The best hydrogen production (0.060 mMol kJ−1) was attained with a proportion of 10:1 of TiO2:MeO, that corresponds to a total metal concentration of 7.2 wt%, being Cu and Ni in the same proportion. Metal content in solution increased as the reaction progressed, but Ni lixiviation of <0.012 mg L−1 was not significant. Significant Cu leaching (>1 mg L−1) was observed. This article presents novel results, in a solar pilot plant, for determining which ternary mixture can give better results, as well as metal leaching into water. Handling relevant volume of water in anoxic conditions can help to understand the application of this technology for the production of hydrogen.


April, 2024 | DOI: 10.1016/j.cattod.2024.114608

Reactividad de Sólidos

Magnesium calcites for CO2 capture and thermochemical energy storage using the calcium-looping process

Perejón, A; Arcenegui-Troya, J; Sánchez-Jiménez, PE; Diánez, MJ; Pérez-Maqueda, LA
Environmental Research, 246 (2024) 118119

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In this study, a precipitation-based synthesis method has been employed to prepare magnesium calcites with the general formula Ca1-xMgxCO3, with the objective of use them in the calcium looping (CaL) process for CO2 capture (CaL-CCS) and thermochemical energy storage (CaL-CSP). The structure and microstructure of the samples have been characterized. It has been found by X-ray diffraction that the samples with a Ca:Mg molar ratio of 0.5:0.5 and 0.55:0.45 are phase pure, while the samples with molar ratios of 0.7:0.3 and 0.8:0.2 are composed by two phases with different stoichiometry. In addition, the sample prepared with calcium alone shows the aragonite phase. The microstructure of the magnesium-containing samples is composed of nanocrystals, which are aggregated in spherical particles whereas the aragonite sample presents a typical rod-like morphology. The multicycle tests carried out under CaL-CCS conditions show that an increase on the MgO content in the calcined samples results in a reduced value of effective conversion when compared to aragonite. On the other hand, under CaL-CSP conditions, the samples with the higher MgO content exhibit nearly stable effective conversion values around 0.5 after 20 cycles, which improve the results obtained for aragonite and those reported for natural dolomite tested under the same conditions.


April, 2024 | DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118119

Materiales y Procesos Catalíticos de Interés Ambiental y Energético

MoS2 2D materials induce spinal cord neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity affecting locomotor performance in zebrafish

Di Mauro, G; González, VJ; Bambini, F; Camarda, S; Prado, E; Holgado, JP, Vázquez, E; Ballerini, L; Cellot, G
Nanoscale Horizons, 9(5)(2024) 785-798

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MoS2 nanosheets belong to an emerging family of nanomaterials named bidimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDCs). The use of such promising materials, featuring outstanding chemical and physical properties, is expected to increase in several fields of science and technology, with an enhanced risk of environmental dispersion and associated wildlife and human exposures. In this framework, the assessment of MoS2 nanosheets toxicity is instrumental to safe industrial developments. Currently, the impact of the nanomaterial on the nervous tissue is unexplored. In this work, we use as in vivo experimental model the early-stage zebrafish, to investigate whether mechano-chemically exfoliated MoS2 nanosheets reach and affect, when added in the behavioral ambient, the nervous system. By high throughput screening of zebrafish larvae locomotor behavioral changes upon exposure to MoS2 nanosheets and whole organism live imaging of spinal neuronal and glial cell calcium activity, we report that sub-acute and prolonged ambient exposures to MoS2 nanosheets elicit locomotor abnormalities, dependent on dose and observation time. While 25 μg mL−1 concentration treatments exerted transient effects, 50 μg mL−1 ones induced long-lasting changes, correlated to neuroinflammation-driven alterations in the spinal cord, such as astrogliosis, glial intracellular calcium dysregulation, neuronal hyperactivity and motor axons retraction. By combining integrated technological approaches to zebrafish, we described that MoS2 2D nanomaterials can reach, upon water (i.e. ambient) exposure, the nervous system of larvae, resulting in a direct neurological damage.


April, 2024 | DOI: 10.1039/d4nh00041b

 

 

 

 

 

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