Artículos SCI

A mimetic polymer of plant cutin have been synthesized from 9,10,16-trihydroxyhexadecanoic (aleuritic) acid through a low temperature polycondensation reaction. Reaction conditions (solvent, catalyst, temperature, etc…) were studied and modified to optimize yield and product characteristics. The resulting polyaleurate polymer was characterized by Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and solid state 13C-Cross Polarization/Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (13C-CP/MAS NMR). Mechanical and hydrodynamic properties were also investigated. In the average, the product obtained is physically and chemically very similar to plant cutin (a hydrophobic polyester). However, a more detailed analysis of results reveals that polyaleurate framework is more rigid than natural cutin and with additional larger short-range ordered domains. Also, the synthetic polymer displays slightly different mechanical properties with respect to natural cutin. Additional hydrogen bonding within the framework of polyaleurate is considered to be responsible for such experimental observations.

Kalsilite (the low-temperature form of KAlSiO4) is used as the precursor of leucite, an important component in porcelain-fused-to-metal and ceramic-restoration systems, and it has also been proposed as a high-thermal expansion ceramic for bonding to metals. The present study reports the hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of pure kalsilite from kaolinite in subcritical conditions, as well as the characterization of the intermediate products by means of XRD, 29Si and 27Al MAS NMR, IR, SEM, and TEM. Effects of time, temperature, and pH on the reaction products are analyzed. The experimental data indicate that pure kalsilite is obtained after hydrothermal treatment of kaolinite at 300 °C for 12 h in 0.5 M KOH solution. Longer reaction times increase the crystallinity of the structure, whereas lower reaction times give rise to the metastable ABW-type KAlSiO4 polymorph. Lower temperatures are not sufficient to produce kalsilite, but zeolite W is obtained instead as the unique reaction product. Finally, the pH of the aqueous solution in contact with kaolinite is an important parameter for the synthesis of kalsilite, which must be ≥13.70.