0000000000353128
AUTHOR
Giuseppe Portale
Why laparoscopists may opt for three-dimensional view: a summary of the full HTA report on 3D versus 2D laparoscopy by S.I.C.E. (Società Italiana di Chirurgia Endoscopica e Nuove Tecnologie)
Background Three-dimensional view in laparoscopic general, gynaecologic and urologic surgery is an efficient, safe and sustainable innovation. The present paper is an extract taken from a full health technology assessment report on three-dimensional vision technology compared with standard two-dimensional laparoscopic systems. Methods A health technology assessment approach was implemented in order to investigate all the economic, social, ethical and organisational implications related to the adoption of the innovative three-dimensional view. With the support of a multi-disciplinary team, composed of eight experts working in Italian hospitals and Universities, qualitative and quantitative d…
Structural and electrochemical investigation on re-cast Nafion membranes for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) application
Abstract Starting from a 5 wt% ion power Nafion® solution and dissolving the dry residue in a suitable solvent (10 wt% solution in dimethylacetammide), re-cast Nafion films were developed for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) application. The used Doctor-Blade casting technique allowed to prepare scaled-up membranes comparable to the commercial Nafion ones with good mechanical resistance, thickness homogeneity and an excellent reproducibility. The differences between the re-cast membrane nanostructure and that of the commercial Nafion were investigated by synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering. The obtained re-cast membrane shows at ambient conditions a semi-crystalline structure wit…
Formation and growth of palladium nanoparticles inside porous poly(4-vinyl-pyridine) monitored by operando techniques: The role of different reducing agents
In this work we followed the formation of palladium nanoparticles, starting from palladium (II) acetate precursor, inside a poly(4-vinylpyridine-co-divinylbenzene) polymer in presence of different reducing agents. The formation and growth of palladium nanoparticles in presence of H-2 was followed as a function of temperature by simultaneous XANES-SAXS techniques, coupled with DRIFT spectroscopy in operando conditions. It was found that the pyridyl functional groups in the polymer plays a fundamental role in the stabilization of the palladium (II) acetate precursor, as well as in the stabilization of the palladium nanoparticles. The effect of a thermal treatment in alcohol (ethanol and 2-pro…
Induced Chirality in Confined Space on Halogen Gold Complexes
The solubilization of HAuCl4 in toluene within optically active reverse micelles and lamellar structures formed by (1R,2S)-Dodecyl(2-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-phenylethyl)- dimethylammonium bromide (DMEB) has allowed us to evidence the complex phenomenology accompanying the confinement of Au salt within these nanostructures. Together with a chloride/bromide exchange process occurring in the first coordination sphere of an Au ion, UV−vis and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra reveal the appearance of an induced dichroic signal attributable to Au complexes entrapped in the hydrophilic domain of the DMEB chiral nanostructures. Interestingly, change of the effective oxidation state and coordi…
The Pyridyl Functional Groups Guide the Formation of Pd Nanoparticles Inside A Porous Poly(4-Vinyl-Pyridine)
The reactivity of palladium acetate inside a poly(4-vinylpyridine-co-divinylbenzene) polymer is strongly influenced by the establishment of interaction between the Pd precursor and the pyridyl functional group in the polymer. Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and simultaneous X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) techniques have been applied to monitor the reactivity of palladium acetate in the presence of H-2 and CO as a function of temperature. H-2 reduces palladium acetate to Pd nanoparticles and acetic acid. The pyridyl groups in the polymer play a vital role both in stabilizing the formed acetic acid, thu…
Morphology and local organization of water-containing (1R,2S)-Dodecyl(2-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-phenylethyl)dimethylammonium bromide reverse micelles dispersed in toluene
The structure of (1R,2S)-dodecyl(2-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-phenylethyl)dimethylammonium bromide (DMEB) reverse micelles, at various water-to-surfactant molar ratio (R-w, R-w = [water]/[DMEB]) and DMEB concentrations, has been investigated by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS). SAXS data of dry reverse micelles are consistent with a model of spherical hydrophilic core surrounded by DMEB alkyl chains whose polydispersity decreases significantly with surfactant concentration. By adding water, a sphere to cylinder transition occurs leading to a one-dimensional growth of reverse micellar cores with R-w and surfactant concentration. Th…
Formation and Growth of Pd Nanoparticles Inside a Highly Cross-Linked Polystyrene Support: Role of the Reducing Agent
Simultaneous time-resolved SAXS and XANES techniques were employed to follow in situ the formation of Pd nanoparticles in a porous polystyrene support, using palladium acetate as a precursor and gaseous H2 or CO as reducing agents. These results, in conjunction with data obtained by diffuse reflectance UV–vis and DRIFT spectroscopy and TEM measurements, allowed unraveling of the different roles played by gaseous H2 and CO in the formation of the Pd nanoparticles. In particular, it was found that the reducing agent affects (i) the reduction rate (which is faster in the presence of CO) and (ii) the properties of the hosted nanoparticles, in terms of size (bigger with CO), morphology (spherica…
Influence of metal–support interaction on the surface structure of gold nanoclusters deposited on native SiOx/Si substrates
The structure of small gold nanoclusters (R ~ 2.5 nm) deposited on different silica on silicon substrates is investigated using several characterization techniques (AFM, XRD, EXAFS and GISAXS). The grain morphology and the surface roughness of the deposited gold clusters are determined by AFM. The in-plane GISAXS intensity is modelled in order to obtain information about the cluster size and the characteristic length scale of the surface roughness. AFM and GISAXS results are in excellent agreement and show that the surface morphology of the deposited clusters depends on whether defect-rich (native) or defect-free (thermal) silica is used as a substrate. Gold clusters show a strong tendency …
Combined small-angle x-ray scattering/extended x-ray absorption fine structure study of coated Co nanoclusters in bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate
Chemically stable cobalt nanostructures have been prepared with Co(II) reduction in the confined space of cobalt bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate, Co(AOT)2, reverse micelles dispersed in n-heptane. The reaction was carried out by adding a solution of sodium borohydride in ethanol (1% weight) to a 0.2M micellar solution of Co(AOT)2 in n-heptane at a reductant to Co(II) molar ratio of 4. This procedure involves the rapid formation of surfactant-coated Co nanoparticles followed by their slow separation as nanostructures embedded in a sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate matrix. The resulting composites, characterized by extended x-ray absorption fine structure and small-angle x-ray scattering…
Pd nanoparticles formation inside porous polymeric scaffolds followed by in situ XANES/SAXS
International audience; Simultaneous time-resolved SAXS and XANES techniques were employed to follow in situ the formation of Pd nanoparticles from palladium acetate precursor in two porous polymeric supports: polystyrene (PS) and poly(4-vinyl-pyridine) (P4VP). In this study we have investigated the effect of the use of different reducing agents (H-2 and CO) from the gas phase. These results, in conjunction with data obtained by diffuse reflectance IR (DRIFT) spectroscopy and TEM measurements, allowed us to unravel the different roles played by gaseous H-2 and CO in the formation of the Pd nanoparticles for both PS and P4VP hosting scaffolds
Structural Characterization of Surfactant-Coated Bimetallic Cobalt/Nickel Nanoclusters by XPS, EXAFS, WAXS, and SAXS
Cobalt nickel bimetallic nanoparticles were synthesized by changing the sequence of the chemical reduction of Co(II) and Ni(II) ions confined in the core of bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate (2)., and Ni(DEHP)(2). The reduction was carried out by mixing, sequentially or contemporaneously, fixed amounts of n-heptane solution of Co(DEHP)2 and Ni(DEHP)2 micelles with a solution of sodium borohydride in ethanol at a fixed (reductant)/(total metal) molar ratio. This procedure involves the rapid formation of surfactant-coated nanoparticles, indicated as Co/Ni (Co after Ni), Ni/Co (Ni after Co), and Co + Ni (simultaneous), followed by their slow separation as nanostructures embedded in a sodium bis(2-eth…