Browsing by Author "Camarada, Maria B."

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Ammonia free catalytic reduction of nitric oxide on Ni-embedded graphene nanostructure: A density functional theory investigation
    (2023) Genc, Ali Emre; Akca, Aykan; Karaman, Ceren; Camarada, Maria B.; Dragoi, Elena-Niculina
    In this study, the catalytic reduction reaction of NO (directly) without the presence of ammonia (NH3) was studied on the Ni-embedded graphene (Ni@GN) layer using periodic Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. Ni-embedded graphene surface can be synthesized experimentally and it is predicted that it will cost much less than single crystal surfaces due to the economic usage of the transition metal atoms. First of all, by optimizing the geometric structure of the Ni@GN layer, crucial geometric features and electron density differences (EDD) were obtained. Based on the different adsorption configurations of NO molecule, the reduction reaction was investigated by Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) and Eley-Rideal (E-R) based mechanisms. Finally, N2O degradation was analyzed in detail. It is shown that the Eley-Rideal model is a more dominant mechanism on the Ni@GN surface than the other model. In addition, all proposed reaction pathways for NO reduction are exothermic. This information can be used for the research and development of graphene-based materials for NO reduction; paves the way for finding new Ni-based catalysts based on active single transition metal atom embedded on different kind of defects.
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    Can graphene improve the thermal conductivity of copper nanofluids?
    (2023) Olguin-Orellana, Gabriel J. J.; Soldano, German J.; Alzate-Morales, Jans; Camarada, Maria B.; Mariscal, Marcelo M. M.
    Copper (Cu) nanofluids (NFs) have attracted attention due to their high thermal conductivity, which has conferred a wide variety of applications. However, their high reactivity favors oxidation, corrosion and aggregation, leading them to lose their properties of interest. Copper capped by graphene (Cu@G) core@shell nanoparticles (NPs) have also attracted interest from the medical and industrial sectors because graphene can shield the Cu NPs from undesired phenomena. Additionally, they share some properties that expand the range of applications of Cu NFs. In this work, new Morse potentials are reported to reproduce the behavior of Cu@G NPs through molecular dynamics. Coordination-dependent Morse parameters were fitted for C, H, and Cu based on density functional theory calculations. Then, these parameters were implemented to evaluate the thermal conductivity of Cu@G NFs employing the Green-Kubo formalism, with NPs from 1.5 to 6.1 nm at 100 to 800 K, varying the size, the number of layers and the orientation of the graphene flakes. It was found that Cu@G NFs are stable and have an improved thermal conductivity compared to the Cu NFs, being 3.7 to 18.2 times higher at 300 K with only one graphene layer and above 26.2 times higher for the graphene-trilayered NPs. These values can be higher for temperatures below 300 K. Oppositely, the size, homogeneity and orientations of the graphene flakes did not affect the thermal conductivity of the Cu@G NFs.
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    Computational chemistry advances on benzodithiophene-based organic photovoltaic materials
    (TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC, 2022) Angel, Felipe A.; Camarada, Maria B.; Jessop, Ignacio A.
    Over the past years, highly efficient conjugated polymers and small molecules have led to the development of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) as a promising alternative to conventional solar cells. Among the many designs, benzodithiophene (BDT)-based systems have achieved outstanding power conversion efficiency (PCE), breaking the 10% PCE barrier in the single-junction OPV devices. However, the precise molecular design of BDT-based materials to tune optical and electrochemical properties, morphology, and interaction between layers remains a challenge. At this point, computational chemistry provides an excellent option to supplement traditional characterization methods and, as a vital tool for designing new systems, understanding their structure-property relationship, predicting their performance, and speeding up OPV research. Hence, this review focused on advances in theoretical simulations of BDT-based OPVs during the last decade. First, a brief introduction of theoretical methodologies, including molecular dynamics simulations and quantum-chemical methods, is given. Then, selected examples of BDT-based materials that have shown great potential to generate high-efficiency devices were reviewed, considering DFT, deterministic, and stochastic methods. Finally, prospects and challenges are pointed out for the future design of improved OPVs.
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    Nanoparticle Shape Influence over Poly(lactic acid) Barrier Properties by Molecular Dynamics Simulations
    (2022) Prada, Alejandro; Gonzalez, Rafael, I; Camarada, Maria B.; Allende, Sebastian; Torres, Alejandra; Sepulveda, Javiera; Rojas-Nunez, Javier; Baltazar, Samuel E.
    Climate change is leading us to search for new materials that allow a more sustainable environmental situation in the long term. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) has been proposed as a substitute for traditional plastics due to its high biodegradability. Various components have been added to improve their mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties. The modification of the PLA barrier properties by introducing nanoparticles with different shapes is an important aspect to control the molecular diffusion of oxygen and other gas compounds. In this work, we have described changes in oxygen diffusion by introducing nanoparticles of different shapes through molecular dynamics simulations. Our model illustrates that the existence of curved surfaces and the deposition of PLA around them by short chains generate small holes where oxygen accumulates, forming clusters and reducing their mobility. From the several considered shapes, the sphere is the most suitable structure to improve the barrier properties of the PLA.
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    New Benzotriazole and Benzodithiophene-Based Conjugated Terpolymer Bearing a Fluorescein Derivative as Side-Group: In-Ternal Forster Resonance Energy Transfer to Improve Organic Solar Cells
    (MDPI, 2022) Jessop, Ignacio A.; Cutipa, Josefa; Perez, Yasmin; Saldias, Cesar; Fuentealba, Denis; Tundidor-Camba, Alain; Terraza, Claudio A.; Camarada, Maria B.; Angel, Felipe A.
    A new benzodithiophene and benzotriazole-based terpolymer bearing a fluorescein derivative as a side group was synthesized and studied for organic solar cell (OSC) applications. This side group was covalently bounded to the backbone through an n-hexyl chain to induce the intramolecular Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) process and thus improve the photovoltaic performance of the polymeric material. The polymer exhibited good solubility in common organic chlorinated solvents as well as thermal stability (TDT10% > 360 degrees C). Photophysical measurements demonstrated the occurrence of the FRET phenomenon between the lateral group and the terpolymer. The terpolymer exhibited an absorption band centered at 501 nm, an optical bandgap of 2.02 eV, and HOMO and LUMO energy levels of -5.30 eV and -3.28 eV, respectively. A preliminary study on terpolymer-based OSC devices showed a low power-conversion efficiency (PCE) but a higher performance than devices based on an analogous polymer without the fluorescein derivative. These results mean that the design presented here is a promising strategy to improve the performance of polymers used in OSCs.
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    New Hybrid Copper Nanoparticles/Conjugated Polyelectrolyte Composite with Antibacterial Activity
    (2021) Jessop, Ignacio A.; Perez, Yasmin P.; Jachura, Andrea; Nunez, Hipolito; Saldias, Cesar; Isaacs, Mauricio; Tundidor-Camba, Alain; Terraza, Claudio A.; Araya-Duran, Ingrid; Camarada, Maria B.; Carcamo-Vega, Jose J.
    In the search for new materials to fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a hybrid composite from metallic copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) and a novel cationic pi-conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) were designed, synthesized, and characterized. The CuNPs were prepared by chemical reduction in the presence of CPE, which acts as a stabilizing agent. Spectroscopic analysis and electron microscopy showed the distinctive band of the metallic CuNP surface plasmon and their random distribution on the CPE laminar surface, respectively. Theoretical calculations on CuNP/CPE deposits suggest that the interaction between both materials occurs through polyelectrolyte side chains, with a small contribution of its backbone electron density. The CuNP/CPE composite showed antibacterial activity against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis) bacteria, mainly attributed to the CuNPs' effect and, to a lesser extent, to the cationic CPE.