Titanium dioxide nanoparticles prepared by laser pyrolysis : synthesis and photocatalytic properties

TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized via the laser pyrolysis of titanium tetrachloride-based gas-phase mixtures. In the obtained nanopowders, a mixture of anatase and rutile phases with mean particle size of about 14 nm was identified. Using the thermal heated laser nanopowders, mechanically stable films were produced by immobilizing titania nanopowders on glass substrates (the doctor blading method followed by compression). The photocatalytic activity of the prepared films was tested by the degradation of 4-chlorophenol in an aqueous solution under UV-illumination. By referring to known commercial samples (Degussa P25) similarly prepared, higher photocatalytic efficiency was found for the laser-prepared samples

Direct Production of a Novel Iron-Based Nanocomposite from the Laser Pyrolysis of Fe(CO)5/MMA Mixtures: Structural and Sensing Properties

Iron/iron oxide-based nanocomposites were prepared by IR laser sensitized pyrolysis of Fe(CO)5 and methyl methacrylate (MMA) mixtures. The morphology of nanopowder analyzed by TEM indicated that mainly core-shell structures were obtained. X-ray diffraction techniques evidence the cores as formed mainly by iron/iron oxide crystalline phases. A partially degraded (carbonized) polymeric matrix is suggested for the coverage of the metallic particles. The nanocomposite structure at the variation of the laser density and of the MMA flow was studied. The new materials prepared as thick films were tested for their potential for acting as gas sensors. The temporal variation of the electrical resistance in presence of NO2, CO, and CO2, in dry and humid air was recorded. Preliminary results show that the samples obtained at higher laser power density exhibit rather high sensitivity towards NO2 detection and NO2 selectivity relatively to CO and CO2. An optimum working temperature of 200°C was found

Monitorizing nitinol alloy surface reactions for biofouling studies

Growth and deposition of unwanted bacteria on implant metal alloys affect their use as biomedical samples. Monitoring any bacterial biofilm accumulation will provide early countermeasures. For a reliable antifouling strategy we prepared nitinol (NiTi) thin films on Ti-derived substrates by using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD)method. As themicrostructure ofTi-alloy is dictated by the tensile strength, fatigue and the fracture toughness we tested the use of hydrogen as an alloying element. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) investigated the crystalline structure, chemical composition and respectively the surface morphology of the nitinol hydrogen and hydrogen-free samples. Moreover, the alloys were integrated and tested using a cellular metric and their responses were systematic evaluated and quantified. Our attractive approach is meant to select the suitable components for an effective and trustworthy anti-fouling strategy. A greater understanding of such processes should lead to novel and effective control methods that would improve in the future implant stability and capabilities