Engineering conductive protein films through nanoscale self-assembly and gold nanoparticles doping

This work was partially supported by the European Research Council ERC-CoG-648071-ProNANO, ERC-PoC-841063-NIMM, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Spain (PID2019- 111649RB-I00; and MAT2017-88693-R), and the Basque Government (Elkartek KK-2017/00008), E.L-M thanks the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for the FPI grant (BES-2017-079646). This work was performed under the Maria de Maeztu Units of Excellence Program from the Spanish State Research Agency – Grant No. MDM-2017-0720 (CIC biomaGUNE) and SEV-2016-0686 (IMDEA Nanociencia).Protein-based materials are usually considered as insulators, although conductivity has been recently shown in proteins. This fact opens the door to develop new biocompatible conductive materials. While there are emerging efforts in this area, there is an open challenge related to the limited conductivity of protein-based systems. This work shows a novel approach to tune the charge transport properties of protein-based materials by using electron-dense AuNPs. Two strategies are combined in a unique way to generate the conductive solid films: (1) the controlled self-assembly of a protein building block; (2) the templating of AuNPs by the engineered building block. This bottom-up approach allows controlling the structure of the films and the distribution of the AuNPs within, leading to enhanced conductivity. This work illustrates a promising strategy for the development of effective hybrid protein-based bioelectrical materials.European Research Council (ERC) European Commission ERC-CoG-648071-ProNANO ERC-PoC-841063-NIMMAgencia Estatal de Investigacion, Spain PID2019111649RB-I00 MAT2017-88693-RBasque Government Elkartek KK-2017/00008Spanish Government BES-2017-079646Maria de Maeztu Units of Excellence Program from the Spanish State Research Agency MDM-2017-0720 SEV-2016-068

Novel ortho-OPE metallofoldamers: binding-induced folding promoted by nucleating Ag(i)-alkyne interactions

We have developed a new family of ortho-oligophenylene ethynylene (o-OPE) metallofoldamers. The folding of these helicates is induced by nucleating carbon-metal interactions between Ag(i) cations and the alkynes of the inner core of the o-OPEs. These o-OPEs form metal-organic assemblies where at least three alkyne moieties are held in close proximity to form novel Ag(i)-complexes with the metal ion lodged into the helical cavity. NMR titration experiments and photokinetic studies have provided quantitative data about the thermodynamic and kinetic features of such binding/folding phenomena. X-ray diffraction and DFT studies have been performed to extract structural information on how the Ag(i) cation is accommodated into the cavity. The great simplicity and versatility of these new metallofoldamers open up the possibility to develop novel structures with applications in material science and/or in asymmetric catalysisThis research was funded by the Regional Government of Andalucía (project P09-FQM-4571) and the ICIQ Foundation. DM thanks Regional Government of Andalucía for her contract. AML thanks MICINN for her FPU fellowship. The authors thank the Centro de Servicios de Informática y Redes de Comunicaciones (CSIRC), Universidad de Granada, for providing the computing tim

Relationship of Weather Types on the Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Rainfall, Runoff, and Sediment Yield in the Western Mediterranean Basin

Rainfall is the key factor to understand soil erosion processes, mechanisms, and rates. Most research was conducted to determine rainfall characteristics and their relationship with soil erosion (erosivity) but there is little information about how atmospheric patterns control soil losses, and this is important to enable sustainable environmental planning and risk prevention. We investigated the temporal and spatial variability of the relationships of rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield with atmospheric patterns (weather types, WTs) in the western Mediterranean basin. For this purpose, we analyzed a large database of rainfall events collected between 1985 and 2015 in 46 experimental plots and catchments with the aim to: (i) evaluate seasonal differences in the contribution of rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield produced by the WTs; and (ii) to analyze the seasonal efficiency of the different WTs (relation frequency and magnitude) related to rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield. The results indicate two different temporal patterns: the first weather type exhibits (during the cold period: autumn and winter) westerly flows that produce the highest rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield values throughout the territory; the second weather type exhibits easterly flows that predominate during the warm period (spring and summer) and it is located on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula. However, the cyclonic situations present high frequency throughout the whole year with a large influence extended around the western Mediterranean basin. Contrary, the anticyclonic situations, despite of its high frequency, do not contribute significantly to the total rainfall, runoff, and sediment (showing the lowest efficiency) because of atmospheric stability that currently characterize this atmospheric pattern. Our approach helps to better understand the relationship of WTs on the seasonal and spatial variability of rainfall, runoff and sediment yield with a regional scale based on the large dataset and number of soil erosion experimental stations

Diseño, síntesis y evaluación de estructuras bidimensionales orgánicas como nuevos dispositivos en Electrónica Molecular

Tesis Univ. Granada. Departamento de Química OrgánicaEsta investigación ha sido financiada por el Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Beca FPU ref. AP2008-00961 y proyectos CTQ2005-08402 y CTQ2011-22455; y de la Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa de la Junta de Andalucía, proyecto P06-FQM-01726 y P09-FQM-04571

Innovation tools for Chem-E-Car Competition in Spain

Desarrollo de herramientas docentes para la adquisición de la capacidad de controlar de forma segura una reacción química, concibiendo, diseñando y ejecutando un sistema cumpliendo los estándares de seguridad y medioambientales. Las herramientas desarrolladas son de aplicación a un posible implantación de la competición desarrollada por AIChE: "Chem-E-Car".Development of teaching tools to acquire the ability to safely control a chemical reaction, conceiving, designing and implementing a system meeting the safety and environmental standards. The tools developed are designed for a possible implementation of the competition developed by AIChE, "Chem-E-Car".Depto. de Ingeniería Química y de MaterialesFac. de Ciencias QuímicasFALSEsubmitte

Relationship of Weather Types on the Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Rainfall, Runoff, and Sediment Yield in the Western Mediterranean Basin

Rainfall is the key factor to understand soil erosion processes, mechanisms, and rates. Most research was conducted to determine rainfall characteristics and their relationship with soil erosion (erosivity) but there is little information about how atmospheric patterns control soil losses, and this is important to enable sustainable environmental planning and risk prevention. We investigated the temporal and spatial variability of the relationships of rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield with atmospheric patterns (weather types, WTs) in the western Mediterranean basin. For this purpose, we analyzed a large database of rainfall events collected between 1985 and 2015 in 46 experimental plots and catchments with the aim to: (i) evaluate seasonal differences in the contribution of rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield produced by the WTs; and (ii) to analyze the seasonal efficiency of the different WTs (relation frequency and magnitude) related to rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield. The results indicate two different temporal patterns: the first weather type exhibits (during the cold period: autumn and winter) westerly flows that produce the highest rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield values throughout the territory; the second weather type exhibits easterly flows that predominate during the warm period (spring and summer) and it is located on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula. However, the cyclonic situations present high frequency throughout the whole year with a large influence extended around the western Mediterranean basin. Contrary, the anticyclonic situations, despite of its high frequency, do not contribute significantly to the total rainfall, runoff, and sediment (showing the lowest efficiency) because of atmospheric stability that currently characterize this atmospheric pattern. Our approach helps to better understand the relationship of WTs on the seasonal and spatial variability of rainfall, runoff and sediment yield with a regional scale based on the large dataset and number of soil erosion experimental stations.Spanish Government (Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, MINECO) and FEDER Projects: CGL2014 52135-C3-3-R, ESP2017-89463-C3-3-R, CGL2014-59946-R, CGL2015-65569-R, CGL2015-64284-C2-2-R, CGL2015-64284-C2-1-R, CGL2016-78075-P, GL2008-02879/BTE, LEDDRA 243857, RECARE-FP7, CGL2017-83866-C3-1-R, and PCIN-2017-061/AEI. Dhais Peña-Angulo received a “Juan de la Cierva” postdoctoral contract (FJCI-2017-33652 Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, MEC). Ana Lucia acknowledge the "Brigitte-Schlieben-Lange-Programm". The “Geoenvironmental Processes and Global Change” (E02_17R) was financed by the Aragón Government and the European Social Fund. José Andrés López-Tarazón acknowledges the Secretariat for Universities and Research of the Department of the Economy and Knowledge of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia for supporting the Consolidated Research Group 2014 SGR 645 (RIUS- Fluvial Dynamics Research Group). Artemi Cerdà thank the funding of the OCDE TAD/CRP JA00088807. José Martínez-Fernandez acknowledges the project Unidad de Excelencia CLU-2018-04 co-funded by FEDER and Castilla y León Government. Ane Zabaleta is supported by the Hydro-Environmental Processes consolidated research group (IT1029-16, Basque Government). This paper has the benefit of the Lab and Field Data Pool created within the framework of the COST action CONNECTEUR (ES1306)