Artículos SCI

Structural and analytical characterization related to the formation mechanism of Au–Pt heterodimers from polyhedral Pt nanocrystals is reported. The observation of specific lattice strain effects and the emergence of misfit dislocations point to the relevance of the Stranski–Krastanov growth mode as a means of explaining the previously reported dimerisation reaction between Au and Pt. Two size-dependent strain relief mechanisms were identified. For dimers grown from 4.7 nm seeds, the mechanism is related to bulk lattice strain accumulation at {111} planes along with lattice relaxation effects on other crystalline planes. However, for dimers grown from 11.2 nm seed sizes, the formation of misfit dislocations proved to be a highly efficient mechanism by which to release interface mismatch strain. Nanoscale chemical mapping at Au–Pt interfaces also revealed Au–Pt alloying to be unlikely under the mild temperature conditions employed in this work for Au–Pt heterodimer synthesis.

In this work, core-shell Fe3O4@poly(dopamine) magnetic nanoparticles (m-NPs) were prepared and characterized in our laboratory and applied as sorbents for the magnetic-micro solid phase extraction (m-mu SPE) of twelve estrogenic compounds of interest (i.e. 17 alpha-estradiol, 17 beta-estradiol, estrone, hexestrol, 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol, diethylstibestrol, dienestrol, zearalenone, alpha-zearalanol,beta-zearalanol, alpha-zearalenol and beta-zearalenol) from different water samples. Separation, determination and quantification were achieved by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to ion trap mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization. NPs@poly(dopamine) were synthesized by a chemical coprecipitation procedure and characterized by different surface characterization techniques (X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, microelectrophoresis and adsorption/desorption isotherms). Parameters affecting the extraction efficiency of m-mu SPE (i.e. polymerization time, pH of the sample, extraction and elution conditions) were studied and optimized. The methodology was validated for Milli-Q, mineral, tap and wastewater using 2-methoxyestradiol as internal standard, obtaining recoveries ranging from 70 to 119% with relative standard deviation values lower than 20% and limits of quantification in the range 0.02-1.1 mu g/L.