Artículos SCI

Nanoparticles, named cutinsomes, have been prepared from aleuritic (9,10,16-trihidroxipalmitic) acid and tomato fruit cutin monomers (a mixture of mainly 9(10), 16-dihydroxypalmitic acid (85%, w/w) and 16-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid (7.5%, w/w)) with pectin in aqueous solution. The process of formation of the nanoparticles of aleuritic acid plus pectin has been monitored by UV-Vis spectrophotometry, while their chemical and morphological characterization was analyzed by ATR-FTIR, TEM, and non-contact AFM. The structure of these nanoparticles can be described as a lipid core with a pectin shell. Pectin facilitated the formation of nanoparticles, by inducing their aggregation in branched chains and favoring the condensation between lipid monomers. Also, pectin determined the self-assembly of cutinsomes on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surfaces, causing their opening and forming interconnected structures. In the case of cutin monomers, the nanoparticles are fused, and the condensation of the hydroxy fatty acids is strongly affected by the presence of the polysaccharide. The interaction of pectin with polyhydroxylated fatty acids could be related to an initial step in the formation of the plant biopolyester cutin.

The discovery of swelling brittle mica, Na-Mica-4, has been one of the most significant advances in the pursuit for a material with high ion-exchange capacity. For technical applications, the control of the phase evolution during the synthesis is crucial. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Na-Mica-4 synthesis temperature on the crystalline phase evolution, Si–Al distribution in the tetrahedral sheet, the Al occupancy between tetrahedral and octahedral sites and their effects on the interlayer space composition. The synthesis temperature range between 600 °C and 900 °C was explored. At low temperature (600 °C), the precursors were transformed in a low-charged swelling 2:1 phyllosilicate, saponite type, which was progressively aluminum enriched with temperature. The high-charged swelling mica was completely formed at 700 °C, although a minor anhydrous contribution remained up to 850 °C. Up to 800 °C, silicates and fluorides secondary phases were detected as a minor contribution.