Browsing by Author "Quero, Franck"

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    New Benzotrithiophene-Based Molecules as Organic P-Type Semiconductor for Small-Molecule Organic Solar Cells
    (2023) Castillo, Cristian; Aracena, Andres; Ballesteros, Luis; Neculqueo, Gloria; Gence, Loik; Quero, Franck
    A new benzotrithiophene-based small molecule, namely 2,5,8-Tris[5-(2,2-dicyanovinyl)-2-thienyl]-benzo[1,2-b:3,4-b ':6,5-b '']-trithiophene (DCVT-BTT), was successfully synthesized and subsequently characterized. This compound was found to present an intense absorption band at a wavelength position of similar to 544 nm and displayed potentially relevant optoelectronic properties for photovoltaic devices. Theoretical studies demonstrated an interesting behavior of charge transport as electron donor (hole-transporting) active material for heterojunction cells. A preliminary study of small-molecule organic solar cells based on DCVT-BTT (as the P-type organic semiconductor) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (as the N-type organic semiconductor) exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 2.04% at a donor: acceptor weight ratio of 1:1.
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    Reactive oxygen species-dependent anti-extended spectrum β-lactamases activity of multi-layer Ti3C2Tx: A novel approach for treating successfully P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae
    (2024) Rajivgandhi, Govindan; Margoni, Mudaliar Mahesh; Chelliah, Chenthis Kanisha; Rosenkranz, Andreas; Gnanasekaran, Chackaravarthi; Ramachandran, Vijayan; Ramachandran, Govindan; Bhuyan, Heman; Adell, Jose F.; Maruthupandy, Muthuchamy; Manoharan, Natesan; Akbari-Fakhrabadi, Ali; Quero, Franck
    Multi-layer (ML) Ti3C2Tx was investigated regarding its anti-extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) activity and in-vivo toxicity. Powder X-ray diffraction of ML-Ti3C2Tx confirmed the successful etching of Ti3AlC2 (MAX) to form ML-Ti3C2Tx as well as the presence of -OH,-F and-O surface terminations. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal decomposition verified the presence of its typical chemical bonds and moieties including Ti-O, O-H, C-H, C--O, and -OH, which further confirmed the successful synthesis of ML-Ti3C2Tx. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy demonstrated its multi-layered structure, while X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the presence of various photoelectron peaks with binding energy positions corresponding to O1s, C1s, Ti 2p, and F1s, indicating the existence of distinct surface terminations and oxidation states. The E-strip synergy and micro-iodometric methods suggested that ML-Ti3C2Tx possesses excellent beta-lactamases inactivation with 96 and 94 % inhibition at 90 mu g/mL against P. aeruginosa (MN310553) and K. pneumoniae (MN368594), respectively. Concentration-dependent reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation of ML-Ti3C2Tx decreased notably bacterial cell growth as well as its response to beta-lactamase resistances. Moreover, intercellular damage and outer cell wall rupture through external proliferation forces of sharp-edged ML-Ti3C2T were confirmed by confocal laser and scanning electron microscopy. Molecular docking suggested that Ti3C2Tx induced effective inhibition of TEM1 beta-lactamase, providing insights for future development of drug-resistant ESBLs with gene control. Finally, the evaluation of the in-vivo toxicity of the synthesized ML-Ti3C2Tx against brine shrimp Artemia revealed their non-toxicity up to a maximum concentration of 150 mu g/mL and 24 h exposure time.
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    Wrinkled TiNAgNW Nanocomposites for High-Performance Flexible Electrodes on TEMPO-Oxidized Nanocellulose
    (2024) Gence Loik, Herve Patrick; Quero, Franck; Escalona Álvarez, Miguel Benito; Wheatley, Robert; Seifert, Birger; Díaz Droguett, Donovan Enrique; Retamal, María José; Wallentowitz, Sascha; Volkmann, Ulrich Georg; Bhuyan, Heman
    Flexible electrodes are essential for the development of future wearable such as implantable medicaldevices. While silver nanowire (AgNW) networks are promising candidates for transparent conductive electrodes (TCEs), they suffer from issues such as high roughness, low adhesion, and atmospheric corrosion sensitivity. Many flexible electrodes are made of a wrinkled conductive layer on top of a compliant s ubstrates. Wrinkles provide a way to maintain the integrity and conductivity of the electrode while it is being stretched or bent. In this study, we report on the characterization ofFE-SEMi-transparent electrodes produced by a novel plasma-enhanced pulsed laser deposition (PE-PLD) technique compatible with cellulose nanopaper (CNP) substrates. We combined AgNW with titanium nitride (TiN) layers to form wrinkled conducting nano-composite coatings with excellent electro-mechanical properties. Our results show that the incorporation of AgNW into TiN coatings improves the electrode’s electro-mechanical robustness. Additionally, our data show that CNP/TiNAgNW electrodesexhibit improved stability in air compared to bare AgNW coatings with improved adhesion. These findings have important implications for the development of bio-compatible flexible electronics and could pave the way for the creation of new wearable and implantable medical devices.