Artículos SCI

The growth of cobalt oxides by reactive thermal evaporation of metallic cobalt on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and SiO2 (X cut quartz surface), in an oxygen atmosphere at room temperature, has been chemically and morphologically studied by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The chemical analysis, which also includes cluster calculations, reveals that for the early deposition stages on both substrates, Co2 + species are stabilized at the surface up to a coverage which depends on the substrate. Further coverages lead to the formation of the spinel oxide Co3O4. The results are discussed in terms of the dependence of the surface energy on the size of the CoO deposited moieties. On the other hand, it has been found that the initial way of growth of cobalt oxides on HOPG is of Stranski–Krastanov mode whereas on SiO2 the growth is of Volmer–Weber mode. The differences in the growth morphology have been discussed in terms of the surface diffusivity of the CoO deposits on the substrates.

The cuticle is one of the most important plant barriers. It is an external and continuous lipid membrane that covers the surface of epidermal cells and whose main function is to prevent the massive loss of water. The spectroscopic characterization of the plant cuticle and its components (cutin, cutan, waxes, polysaccharides and phenolics) by infrared and Raman spectroscopies has provided significant advances in the knowledge of the functional groups present in the cuticular matrix and on their structural role, interaction and macromolecular arrangement. Additionally, these spectroscopies have been used in the study of cuticle interaction with exogenous molecules, degradation, distribution of components within the cuticle matrix, changes during growth and development and characterization of fossil plants.