Comparative study of layer-by-layer deposition techniques for poly(sodium phosphate) and poly (allylamine hydrochloride)

UPNa. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica. Laboratorio de Dispositivos Ópticos NanoestructuradosAn inorganic short chain polymer, poly(sodium phosphate), PSP, together with poly(allylamine hydrochloride), PAH, is used to fabricate layer-by-layer (LbL) films. The thickness, roughness, contact angle, and optical transmittance of these films are studied depending on three parameters: the precursor solution concentrations (10−3 and 10−4 M), the number of bilayers deposited (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 bilayers), and the specific technique used for the LbL fabrication (dipping or spraying). In most cases of this experimental study, the roughness of the nanofilms increases with the number of bilayers. This contradicts the basic observations made in standard LbL assemblies where the roughness decreases for thicker coatings. In fact, a wide range of thickness and roughness was achieved by means of adjusting the three parameters mentioned above. For instance, a roughness of 1.23 or 205 nm root mean square was measured for 100 bilayer coatings. Contact angles close to 0 were observed. Moreover, high optical transmittance is also reported, above 90%, for 80 bilayer films fabricated with the 10−4 M solutions. Therefore, these multilayer structures can be used to obtain transparent superhydrophilic surfaces.This work was supported by the Spanish Economy and Competitiveness Ministry-FEDER TEC2010-17805

Volatile organic compound optical fiber sensors: a review

Volatile organic compound (VOC) detection is a topic of growing interest with applications in diverse fields, ranging from environmental uses to the food or chemical industries. Optical fiber VOC sensors offering new and interesting properties which overcame some of the inconveniences found on traditional gas sensors appeared over two decades ago. Thanks to its minimum invasive nature and the advantages that optical fiber offers such as light weight, passive nature, low attenuation and the possibility of multiplexing, among others, these sensors are a real alternative to electronic ones in electrically noisy environments where electronic sensors cannot operate correctly. In the present work, a classification of these devices has been made according to the sensing mechanism and taking also into account the sensing materials or the different methods of fabrication. In addition, some solutions already implemented for the detection of VOCs using optical fiber sensors will be described with detail.This work was supported by Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología and FEDER Research Grants CICYT-TIC 2003-000909 and CICYT-TEC 2004-05936-C02-01/MIC

Luminescence-based optical sensors fabricated by means of the layer-by-layer nano-assembly technique

Luminescence-based sensing applications range from agriculture to biology, including medicine and environmental care, which indicates the importance of this technique as a detection tool. Luminescent optical sensors are required to be highly stable, sensitive, and selective, three crucial features that can be achieved by fabricating them by means of the layer-by-layer nano-assembly technique. This method permits us to tailor the sensors0 properties at the nanometer scale, avoiding luminophore aggregation and, hence, self-quenching, promoting the diffusion of the target analytes, and building a barrier against the undesired molecules. These characteristics give rise to the fabrication of custom-made sensors for each particular application.This work was supported by the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) through the TEC2016- 79367-C2-2-R project and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF-FEDER). Nerea de Acha would also like to acknowledge her pre-doctoral fellowship (reference BES-2014-069692) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the TEC2013-43679-R project

Evolution FP7 funded project: body structure design strategies using new composite and aluminium materials and enabled technologies

Based on Pininfarina Nido EV concept, EVolution aims to reduce the vehicle weight through new materials and process technologies, focused on five demonstrators: underbody, front crossbeam, mechanical subframe, shotgun system and door. This paper refers to body structure design strategies using new composite, Al materials and enabled technologies, focusing in particular on demonstrators design and manufacturing. The new front crossbeam geometry of the front shell is adapted starting from the Nanotough design, while the rear shell is specific for EVolution. The subframe demonstrator is redesigned to fulfil mechanical requirements of the part and manufacturing feasibility either. The EVolution door concept consists of two semistructural composite skins including a structural Al frame. The underbody is conceived through an integrated approach, optimising each element for its function. The shotgun component is designed to link parts obtained with different manufacturing technologies and several aluminium alloys in one single component: the structural node demonstrator.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 314744

Detection of ethanol in human breath using optical fiber long period grating coated with metal-organic frameworks

Trabajo presentado en la Eurosensors 2017 Conference. París, 3–6 de septiembre de 2017.An optical fiber sensor for ethanol detection in exhaled breath has been developed. It has been fabricated by functionalizing a Long Period Grating with a metal-organic framework, ZIF-8. The sensor’s response was tested by exposure to exhaled breath of a person before and after the ingestion of alcoholic drinks, showing a higher wavelength difference between the resonance bands in the second case. Further work will analyze cross-sensitivity towards temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide.The authors would like to acknowledge Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for the financial support through TEC2016-78047-R project

Author Correction: The self-association equilibrium of DNAJA2 regulates its interaction with unfolded substrate proteins and with Hsc70

Correction to: Nature Communications https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41150-8, published online 05 September 2023In the original version of this Article, the Acknowledgements section incorrectly omitted one of the funding sources. Incorrect sentence ‘This research was supported by grants PID2019-111068GB-I00 (AEI/FEDER, UE) to A.M., PID2020-117752RB-I00 (AEI/FEDER, UE) to J.M.B., and PID2019-105872GB-I00 and PID2022-137175NB-I00 (AEI/FEDER, UE) to J.M.V. and J.C., and by the Basque Government (grant IT1201-19 to F.M.)’ has been now replaced with ‘This research was supported by grants PID2019-111068GB-I00 (AEI/FEDER, UE) to A.M., PID2020-117752RB-I00 (AEI/FEDER, UE) to J.M.B., and PID2019-105872GB-I00 and PID2022-137175NB-I00 (AEI/FEDER, UE) to J.M.V. and J.C., and by the Basque Government (grants IT1201-19 and IT1745-22) to F.M.)’. This has been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.Peer reviewe

The self-association equilibrium of DNAJA2 regulates its interaction with unfolded substrate proteins and with Hsc70

J-domain proteins tune the specificity of Hsp70s, engaging them in precise functions. Despite their essential role, the structure and function of many J-domain proteins remain largely unknown. We explore human DNAJA2, finding that it reversibly forms highly-ordered, tubular structures that can be dissociated by Hsc70, the constitutively expressed Hsp70 isoform. Cryoelectron microscopy and mutational studies reveal that different domains are involved in self-association. Oligomer dissociation into dimers potentiates its interaction with unfolded client proteins. The J-domains are accessible to Hsc70 within the tubular structure. They allow binding of closely spaced Hsc70 molecules that could be transferred to the unfolded substrate for its cooperative remodelling, explaining the efficient recovery of DNAJA2-bound clients. The disordered C-terminal domain, comprising the last 52 residues, regulates its holding activity and productive interaction with Hsc70. These in vitro findings suggest that the association equilibrium of DNAJA2 could regulate its interaction with client proteins and Hsc70.This research was supported by grants PID2019-111068GB-I00 (AEI/FEDER, UE) to A.M., PID2020-117752RB-I00 (AEI/FEDER, UE) to J.M.B., and PID2019-105872GB-I00 and PID2022-137175NB-I00 (AEI/FEDER, UE) to J.M.V. and J.C., and by the Basque Government (grants IT1201-19 and IT1745-22 to F.M.).Peer reviewe