Thermal Energy Storage in Concrete by Encapsulation of a Nano-Additivated Phase Change Material in Lightweight Aggregates.

This work discusses the applicability of lightweight aggregate-encapsulated -octadecane with 1.0 wt.% of Cu nanoparticles, for enhanced thermal comfort in buildings by providing thermal energy storage functionality to no-fines concrete.

Emission properties of Pd-doped CsPbBr perovskite nanocrystal: Infrared emission due to the Pd-doping.

Perovskite-type materials have attracted great attention in recent times due to their interesting characteristics, such as their luminescent properties. The good photoluminescence quantum yields as well as the possibility of tuning the emission wavelength has allowed the study of these materials in several applications, such as sensors or LEDs. As sensors, making nanocrystals of these perovskites emitting in the near infrared (NIR) would open the possibility of using these materials in biomedical applications.

Challenges of aerobic granular sludge utilization: Fast start-up strategies and cationic pollutant removal.

Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) is a self-aggregated microorganism consortium with pollutant removal properties. The aim of this work is to study and review the application of aerobic granules for water treatment with special focus on new applications and methodologies. Carbon-nitrogen containing pollutants are the classic targets of AGS technology.

Transferable Classical Force Field for Pure and Mixed Metal Halide Perovskites Parameterized from First-Principles.

Many key features in photovoltaic perovskites occur in relatively long time scales and involve mixed compositions. This requires realistic but also numerically simple models. In this work we present a transferable classical force field to describe the mixed hybrid perovskite MAFAPb(BrI) for variable composition (∀, ∈ [0, 1]).

Synthesis, Characterization and Photocatalytic Performance of Calcined ZnCr-Layered Double Hydroxides.

The development of new materials for performing photocatalytic processes to remove contaminants is an interesting and important research line due to the ever-increasing number of contaminants on our planet. In this sense, we developed a layered double hydroxide material based on Zn and Cr, which was transformed into the corresponding oxide by heat treatment at 500 °C. Both materials were widely characterized for their elemental composition, and structural, morphological, optical and textural properties using several experimental techniques such as x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy and physisorption techniques.

The prediction of partial-nitrification-anammox performance in real industrial wastewater based on granular size.

To date, the partial nitrification-Anammox (PN-A) granular sludge size has been exclusively analyzed in synthetic substrates. In this work, different ranges of granular size of PN-A sludge were studied at low oxygen concentration using real industrial wastewater as, well as a synthetic substrate. The granular sludge was characterized by the specific nitrification activity (SNA), specific anammox activity (SAA), and granule sedimentation rate.

Search for potential biomarkers for saxitoxin detection.

The Neuro-2a cell assay has been a promising in vitro alternative for the detection of saxitoxin (STX)-like toxins. However, its application is problematic in samples with complex matrices containing different toxins, whose mechanisms of action could be antagonistic. In the search of alternative procedures that reduce or avoid this interference, we evaluated the transcriptional modulation produced by a 24-h exposure to STX in Neuro-2a cells under three conditions: exposure to STX (33 nM), a mussel meat matrix (12.

A Solvothermal Synthesis of TiO₂ Nanoparticles in a Non-Polar Medium to Prepare Highly Stable Nanofluids with Improved Thermal Properties.

Nanofluids are systems with several interesting heat transfer applications, but it can be a challenge to obtain highly stable suspensions. One way to overcome this challenge is to create the appropriate conditions to disperse the nanomaterial in the fluid. However, when the heat transfer fluid used is a non-polar organic oil, there are complications due to the low polarity of this solvent.

MoS/Cu/TiO nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization and effect on photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue in water under visible light.

Photodegradation processes are of great interest in a range of applications, one of which is the photodecomposition of pollutants. For this reason, analysing nanoparticles that improve the efficiency of these processes under solar radiation are very necessary. Thus, in this study, TiO was doped with Mo and Cu using low-temperature hydrolysis as the method of synthesis.

The Role of Surfactants in the Stability of NiO Nanofluids: An Experimental and DFT Study.

This study shows an analysis of the stability of nanofluids based on a eutectic mixture of diphenyl oxide and biphenyl, which is used as a heat transfer fluid (HTF) in concentrating solar energy, and NiO nanoparticles. Two surfactants are used to analyse the stability of the nanofluids: benzalkonium chloride (BAC) and 1-octadecanethiol (ODT). From an experimental perspective, the stability is analysed by means of UV/Vis spectroscopy, particle size measurements through the dynamic light-scattering technique, and ζ-potential measurements.

Micro-Raman Spectroscopy for the Determination of Local Temperature Increases in TiO2 Thin Films due to the Effect of Radiation.

This study applied a classic method involving Raman spectroscopy and the use of Stokes and anti-Stokes peaks to measure the temperature of TiO2 thin films found in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In addition, three mathematical formulae were used and analyzed to estimate the increase in temperature generated solely by the effect of the radiation. The tests and calculations performed showed an increase in the temperature of the TiO2 film.

A Study of Overheating of Thermostatically Controlled TiO2 Thin Films by Using Raman Spectroscopy.

In this study a classic Raman spectroscopy method is applied and the intensity ratio of Stokes and anti-Stokes peaks is used to measure the temperature of thermostatically controlled TiO2 thin films. In addition, three mathematical formulae are used and analyzed to estimate the temperature of the TiO2 thin films. Overheating of the samples above the thermostatically controlled temperature was observed while recording the Raman spectra, with a temperature increase of up to 30 K being detected.

Revealing the role of Pb(2+) in the stability of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite CH3NH3Pb1-xCdxI3: an experimental and theoretical study.

This paper presents the synthesis of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite CH3NH3Pb1-xCdxI3. The effect of incorporating Cd(2+) or Pb(2+) on the stability of the perovskite structure was analysed from a theoretical and experimental viewpoint. The XRD results showed that the tetragonal perovskite structure was formed for x values of up to 0.

New insights into organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite CH₃NH₃PbI₃ nanoparticles. An experimental and theoretical study of doping in Pb²⁺ sites with Sn²⁺, Sr²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Ca²⁺.

This paper presents the synthesis of the organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite, CH3NH3PbI3, doped in the Pb(2+) position with Sn(2+), Sr(2+), Cd(2+) and Ca(2+). The incorporation of the dopants into the crystalline structure was analysed, observing how the characteristics of the dopant affected properties such as the crystalline phase, emission and optical properties. XRD showed how doping with Sn(2+), Sr(2+) and Cd(2+) did not modify the normal tetragonal phase.

Exons and introns characterization in nucleic acid sequences by time-frequency analysis.

A current problem in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence analysis is to determine the exact locations of the genes and also in eukaryotes, the protein-coding regions in the mRNA primary transcript (pre-mRNA).The conversion into discrete numerical values of the symbols associated to the nucleotides of these sequences allows for a signal to address the problems related to localization and annotation of genes. In this work, thermodynamic data of free energy changes (ΔG°) on the formation of a duplex structure of DNA or RNA are used to convert the symbols into numerical values associated with the nucleotide sequence pre-mRNA.