Search results for "porous materials"
showing 10 items of 46 documents
Neutron scattering and imaging: a tool for archaeological studies
2015
International audience; Neutron scattering and neutron imaging are powerful techniques for studying the structure of objects without damage, which is an essential prerequisite for investigations in Cultural Heritage domain, particularly in Archaeology. The deep penetration of neutrons in most materials allows for the study of relatively large objects. The contrast between similar materials, like metals in alloys, or that due to the presence of hydrogen atoms gives information about the internal structure of objects that have been modified or repaired in the past. Imaging and tomography give a 3-dimensional view of the whole object, permitting discrimination between different parts of the ob…
Nanomechanics of individual aerographite tetrapods
2017
Carbon-based three-dimensional aerographite networks, built from interconnected hollow tubular tetrapods of multilayer graphene, are ultra-lightweight materials recently discovered and ideal for advanced multifunctional applications. In order to predict the bulk mechanical behaviour of networks it is very important to understand the mechanics of their individual building blocks. Here we characterize the mechanical response of single aerographite tetrapods via in situ scanning electron and atomic force microscopy measurements. To understand the acquired results, which show that the overall behaviour of the tetrapod is governed by the buckling of the central joint, a mechanical nonlinear mode…
Consolidation and protection by nanolime: recent advances for the conservation of the graffiti, Carceri dello Steri Palermo and of the 18th century l…
2014
Abstract Nanolime dispersed in 2-propanol was extensively used for the consolidation of wall paintings. The knowledge of the advances of this methodology dealing with all the possible effects associated with the nanolime new material in conservation is fundamental to assess and improve the technique. In this paper, four different dispersions of Ca(OH) 2 nanoparticles were characterised by Small Angle X-rays Scattering technique (SAXS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) in order to achieve information on size, shape, polydispersity, agglomeration, and crystal structure (by SAED patterns) of the particles. Once characterised, the dispersions were tested in two different case studies, …
Confident methods for the evaluation of the hydrogen content in nanoporous carbon microfibers
2012
Abstract Nanoporous carbon microfibers were grown by chemical vapor deposition in the vapor-liquid solid mode using different fluid hydrocarbons as precursors in different proportions. The as-grown samples were further treated in argon and hydrogen atmospheres at different pressure conditions and annealed at several temperatures in order to deduce the best conditions for the incorporation and re-incorporation of hydrogen into the microfibers through the nanopores. Since there are some discrepancies in the results on the hydrogen content obtained under vacuum conditions, in this work, we have measured the hydrogen content in the microfibers using several analytical methods in ambient conditi…
Fluorogenic detection of Tetryl and TNT explosives using nanoscopic-capped mesoporous hybrid materials
2013
[EN] A hybrid capped mesoporous material, which was selectively opened in the presence of Tetryl and TNT, has been synthesised and used for the fluorogenic recognition of these nitroaromatic explosives.
Enzyme-Controlled Nanodevice for Acetylcholine-Triggered Cargo Delivery Based on Janus Au–Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles
2017
[EN] This work reports a new gated nanodevice for acetylcholine-triggered cargo delivery. We prepared and characterized Janus Au-mesoporous silica nanoparticles functionalized with acetylcholinesterase on the Au face and with supramolecular b-cyclodextrin: benzimidazole inclusion complexes as caps on the mesoporous silica face. The nanodevice is able to selectively deliver the cargo in the presence of acetylcholine via enzyme-mediated acetylcholine hydrolysis, locally lowering the pH and opening the supramolecular gate. Given the key role played by ACh and its relation with Parkinson's disease and other nervous system diseases, we believe that these findings could help design new therapeuti…
Organic synthesis of high added value molecules with MOF catalysts
2020
Recent examples of organic synthesis of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals in confined spaces of MOFs are highlighted and compared with silica-based ordered porous solids, such as zeolites or mesoporous (organo)silica. These heterogeneous catalysts offer the possibility of stabilizing the desired transition states and/or intermediates during organic transformations of functional groups and (C-C/C-N) bond forming steps towards the desired functional high added value molecular scaffolds. A short introduction on zeolites, mesoporous silica and metal-organic frameworks is followed by relevant applications in which confined active sites in the pores promote single or multi-step organic synthesis…
Selective, Sensitive, and Rapid Analysis with Lateral-Flow Assays Based on Antibody-Gated Dye-Delivery Systems: The Example of Triacetone Triperoxide
2013
[EN] Antibodygated MSNs that are loaded with a rhodamine dye and that can be used for the determination of the presence of peroxide-based explosive TATP with a lateral-flow fluorescence reader have been designed and prepared, thereby allowing for detection limits in the lower ppb range. The mechanism of the detection relies on a displacement of the antibody from the surface of the hybrid material because of highly affine antibody-TATP interactions, which release a much larger number of entrapped dye molecules from the pores than antibodies are displaced. The high selectivity of the antibody is retained in the gated material, thus allowing for a remarkable discrimination against H2O2. System…
Statistical Reconstruction of Microstructures Using Entropic Descriptors
2018
We report a multiscale approach of broad applicability to stochastic reconstruction of multiphase materials, including porous ones. The approach devised uses an optimization method, such as the simulated annealing (SA) and the so-called entropic descriptors (EDs). For a binary pattern, they quantify spatial inhomogeneity or statistical complexity at discrete length-scales. The EDs extract dissimilar structural information to that given by two-point correlation functions (CFs). Within the SA, we use an appropriate cost function consisting of EDs or comprised of EDs and CFs. It was found that the stochastic reconstruction is computationally efficient when we begin with a preliminary synthetic…
Selective, Highly Sensitive, and Rapid Detection of Genomic DNA by Using Gated Materials:MycoplasmaDetection
2013
The coupling of gated-indicator delivery with highly specific biochemical recognition is an innovative strategy for the detection of DNA sequences, able to compete with classical methods which need PCR amplification, in important areas such as point-of-care diagnostics or detection of specific biological contaminations with pathogens. Such comparatively simple and cheap yet highly selective and sensitive assays hold promise for use in less-developed areas of the world.