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Prof. Dr. Carlos Alemán
Departament d’Enginyeria Química, EEBE, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, C/Eduard Maristany, 10-14, Ed. I2, 08019, Barcelona, Spain

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0 Biodegradable Polymers
0 conducting polymers
0 molecular dynamics simulations
0 Electrochemical Sensors
0 Controlled drug delivery systems

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molecular dynamics simulations
conducting polymers
Biodegradable Polymers
Electrochemical Sensors
Solid-state supercapacitors

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Journal article
Published: 28 August 2021 in Sustainability
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In this work, the use of ZrO2 nanocoating in aluminum substrates, generated by controlled electrochemical chronoamperometry in hexafluorozirconic acid solutions (H2ZrF6·5H2O), resulted in a lower porous films than that obtained by chemical conversion coating. After the application of an epoxy coating, long-term cyclic immersion corrosion tests and scratch tests proved the superior protection of the dual system and the coating lifespan, thanks to the enhanced adhesion of ZrO2 intermediate layer and the organic coating. As zirconium-based electrolytes are considered more friendly bath if compared to that of other conversion coating processes, like chromating, phosphating or anodizing processes, the study opens new insights to the protection of structural metals in sectors such as automotive, naval and aerospace industries. The main advantages are the employment of lightweight intermediate pre-treatment (nanoscale), compared to conventional ones (microscale), and reduction of waste slurry (electrolyte bath free of additives).

ACS Style

Vitor B. Moreira; Alvaro Meneguzzi; Emilio Jiménez-Piqué; Carlos Alemán; Elaine Armelin. Aluminum Protection by Using Green Zirconium Oxide Layer and Organic Coating: An Efficient and Adherent Dual System. Sustainability 2021, 13, 9688 .

AMA Style

Vitor B. Moreira, Alvaro Meneguzzi, Emilio Jiménez-Piqué, Carlos Alemán, Elaine Armelin. Aluminum Protection by Using Green Zirconium Oxide Layer and Organic Coating: An Efficient and Adherent Dual System. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (17):9688.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vitor B. Moreira; Alvaro Meneguzzi; Emilio Jiménez-Piqué; Carlos Alemán; Elaine Armelin. 2021. "Aluminum Protection by Using Green Zirconium Oxide Layer and Organic Coating: An Efficient and Adherent Dual System." Sustainability 13, no. 17: 9688.

Journal article
Published: 18 July 2021 in Molecules
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Flexible and self-standing multilayered films made of nanoperforated poly(lactic acid) (PLA) layers separated by anodically polymerized poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) conducting layers have been prepared and used as electrodes for supercapacitors. The influence of the external layer has been evaluated by comparing the charge storage capacity of four- and five-layered films in which the external layer is made of PEDOT (PLA/PEDOT/PLA/PEDOT) and nanoperforated PLA (PLA/PEDOT/PLA/PEDOT/PLA), respectively. In spite of the amount of conducting polymer is the same for both four- and five-layered films, they exhibit significant differences. The electrochemical response in terms of electroactivity, areal specific capacitance, stability, and coulombic efficiency was greater for the four-layered electrodes than for the five-layered ones. Furthermore, the response in terms of leakage current and self-discharge was significantly better for the former electrodes than for the latter ones.

ACS Style

Guillem Ruano; Brenda Molina; Juan Torras; Carlos Alemán. Free-Standing, Flexible Nanofeatured Polymeric Films Prepared by Spin-Coating and Anodic Polymerization as Electrodes for Supercapacitors. Molecules 2021, 26, 4345 .

AMA Style

Guillem Ruano, Brenda Molina, Juan Torras, Carlos Alemán. Free-Standing, Flexible Nanofeatured Polymeric Films Prepared by Spin-Coating and Anodic Polymerization as Electrodes for Supercapacitors. Molecules. 2021; 26 (14):4345.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Guillem Ruano; Brenda Molina; Juan Torras; Carlos Alemán. 2021. "Free-Standing, Flexible Nanofeatured Polymeric Films Prepared by Spin-Coating and Anodic Polymerization as Electrodes for Supercapacitors." Molecules 26, no. 14: 4345.

Journal article
Published: 07 July 2021 in Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry
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Glucose oxidase (GOx) has been covalently immobilized onto plasma-treated low-density polyethylene (PT-LDPE) deposited by solvent-casting onto a glassy carbon electrode. PT-LDPE acts as a very simple and cheap mediator between the enzyme and the conducting substrate, the resulting electrode (GOx/PT-LDPE/GC) being able to detect effectively glucose under conditions of pH and temperature that mimic those of sweat. Glucose has been successfully monitored using GOx/PT-LDPE/GC electrodes via both, chronoamperometric and voltammetric measurements. The lowest limit of detection (LOD) was obtained with electrodes prepared with a GOx concentration of 5 mg/mL. This represents a significant reduction in the amount of enzyme as compared to electrodes obtained by dropping GOx onto PT-LDPE/GC (non-covalent immobilization), in which the required enzyme concentration was 33 mg/mL. Furthermore, the LOD has been decreased two orders of magnitude, from 1.3 mM for sensors without covalent immobilization to less than 0.05 mM. It is worth noting that the latter value is fully compatible with glucose concentration in sweat, which ranges from 0.06 to 0.11 mM for healthy patients and from 0.01 to 1 mM in diabetic patients. Moreover, the developed sensor is able to promote the reduction of hydrogen peroxide produced during the oxidation of glucose to gluconolactone.

ACS Style

Georgina Fabregat; Sonia Lanzalaco; Jules Aït Saïd; Xavier Muñoz-Pascual; Jordi Llorca; Carlos Alemán. Immobilization of glucose oxidase on plasma-treated polyethylene for non-invasive glucose detection. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 2021, 895, 115509 .

AMA Style

Georgina Fabregat, Sonia Lanzalaco, Jules Aït Saïd, Xavier Muñoz-Pascual, Jordi Llorca, Carlos Alemán. Immobilization of glucose oxidase on plasma-treated polyethylene for non-invasive glucose detection. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry. 2021; 895 ():115509.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Georgina Fabregat; Sonia Lanzalaco; Jules Aït Saïd; Xavier Muñoz-Pascual; Jordi Llorca; Carlos Alemán. 2021. "Immobilization of glucose oxidase on plasma-treated polyethylene for non-invasive glucose detection." Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 895, no. : 115509.

Paper
Published: 05 July 2021 in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
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Robust and flexible three-layered polymer nanomembranes with a porin immobilized at the nanoperforations behave as electrochemical supercapacitors and exhibit selective responses against molecular ions as a function of their charge and concentration.

ACS Style

Anna Puiggalí-Jou; Brenda G. Molina; Maximilien Lopes-Rodrigues; Catherine Michaux; Eric A. Perpète; David Zanuy; Carlos Alemán. Self-standing, conducting and capacitive biomimetic hybrid nanomembranes for selective molecular ion separation. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Anna Puiggalí-Jou, Brenda G. Molina, Maximilien Lopes-Rodrigues, Catherine Michaux, Eric A. Perpète, David Zanuy, Carlos Alemán. Self-standing, conducting and capacitive biomimetic hybrid nanomembranes for selective molecular ion separation. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anna Puiggalí-Jou; Brenda G. Molina; Maximilien Lopes-Rodrigues; Catherine Michaux; Eric A. Perpète; David Zanuy; Carlos Alemán. 2021. "Self-standing, conducting and capacitive biomimetic hybrid nanomembranes for selective molecular ion separation." Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics , no. : 1.

Paper
Published: 11 May 2021 in RSC Advances
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Polydopamine–ethylene glycol dimethacrylate copolymer is a biocompatible coating with cell adhesion promotion and antibiofilm properties.

ACS Style

Ľudmila Hodásová; Robert Quintana; Urszula Czuba; Luis J. del Valle; Gemma Fargas; Carlos Alemán; Elaine Armelin. Atmospheric pressure plasma liquid assisted deposition of polydopamine/acrylate copolymer on zirconia (Y-TZP) ceramics: a biocompatible and adherent nanofilm. RSC Advances 2021, 11, 17360 -17368.

AMA Style

Ľudmila Hodásová, Robert Quintana, Urszula Czuba, Luis J. del Valle, Gemma Fargas, Carlos Alemán, Elaine Armelin. Atmospheric pressure plasma liquid assisted deposition of polydopamine/acrylate copolymer on zirconia (Y-TZP) ceramics: a biocompatible and adherent nanofilm. RSC Advances. 2021; 11 (28):17360-17368.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ľudmila Hodásová; Robert Quintana; Urszula Czuba; Luis J. del Valle; Gemma Fargas; Carlos Alemán; Elaine Armelin. 2021. "Atmospheric pressure plasma liquid assisted deposition of polydopamine/acrylate copolymer on zirconia (Y-TZP) ceramics: a biocompatible and adherent nanofilm." RSC Advances 11, no. 28: 17360-17368.

Research article
Published: 24 April 2021 in Advanced Healthcare Materials
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Rapid detection of bacterial presence on implantable medical devices is essential to prevent biofilm formation, which consists of densely packed bacteria colonies able to withstand antibiotic‐mediated killing. In this work, a smart approach is presented to integrate electrochemical sensors for detecting bacterial infections in biomedical implants made of isotactic polypropylene (i‐PP) using chemical assembly. The electrochemical detection is based on the capacity of conducting polymers (CPs) to detect extracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) released from cellular respiration of bacteria, which allows distinguishing prokaryotic from eukaryotic cells. Oxygen plasma‐functionalized free‐standing i‐PP, coated with a layer (≈1.1 µm in thickness) of CP nanoparticles obtained by oxidative polymerization, is used as working electrode for the anodic polymerization of a second CP layer (≈8.2 µm in thickness), which provides very high electrochemical activity and stability. The resulting layered material, i‐PPf/CP2, detects the electro‐oxidation of NADH in physiological media with a sensitivity 417 µA cm−2 and a detection limit up to 0.14 × 10−3 m, which is below the concentration of extracellular NADH found for bacterial cultures of biofilm‐positive and biofilm‐negative strains.

ACS Style

Brenda G. Molina; Luis J. del Valle; Jordi Casanovas; Sonia Lanzalaco; Maria M. Pérez‐Madrigal; Pau Turon; Elaine Armelin; Carlos Alemán. Plasma‐Functionalized Isotactic Polypropylene Assembled with Conducting Polymers for Bacterial Quantification by NADH Sensing. Advanced Healthcare Materials 2021, 2100425 .

AMA Style

Brenda G. Molina, Luis J. del Valle, Jordi Casanovas, Sonia Lanzalaco, Maria M. Pérez‐Madrigal, Pau Turon, Elaine Armelin, Carlos Alemán. Plasma‐Functionalized Isotactic Polypropylene Assembled with Conducting Polymers for Bacterial Quantification by NADH Sensing. Advanced Healthcare Materials. 2021; ():2100425.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Brenda G. Molina; Luis J. del Valle; Jordi Casanovas; Sonia Lanzalaco; Maria M. Pérez‐Madrigal; Pau Turon; Elaine Armelin; Carlos Alemán. 2021. "Plasma‐Functionalized Isotactic Polypropylene Assembled with Conducting Polymers for Bacterial Quantification by NADH Sensing." Advanced Healthcare Materials , no. : 2100425.

Research article
Published: 23 April 2021 in Advanced Materials Interfaces
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Smart designs of hydroxyapatite (HAp) materials with customized electrical properties are drawing increasing attention for their wide range of potential applications. Such enhanced electrical properties directly arise from the number and orientation of OH− groups in the HAp lattice. Although different polarization treatments have been proposed to enhance the final conductivity by generating vacancies at high temperatures and imposing specific OH− orientations through electric voltages, no direct measurement showing the evolution that OH− groups undergo has been described yet. In this article, the first direct empirical observation that allows the characterization of both the generation of vacancies and the polarization of OH− groups is reported. The mechanisms behind the electrical enhancement are elucidated allowing to distinguish between charge accumulation at the crystal grains, which is due to the formed vacancies, and charge accumulation in the boundaries of particles. In addition, a linear dependence between the number of vacancies and the superficial charge is observed. Therefore, it is demonstrated that the charge accumulation at the micrometric grain boundaries has a great impact on the catalytic properties of the thermally stimulated polarized HAp. These results will be used for further optimization of the catalyst properties.

ACS Style

Jordi Sans; Marc Arnau; Francesc Estrany; Pau Turon; Carlos Alemán. Regulating the Superficial Vacancies and OH − Orientations on Polarized Hydroxyapatite Electrocatalysts. Advanced Materials Interfaces 2021, 8, 2100163 .

AMA Style

Jordi Sans, Marc Arnau, Francesc Estrany, Pau Turon, Carlos Alemán. Regulating the Superficial Vacancies and OH − Orientations on Polarized Hydroxyapatite Electrocatalysts. Advanced Materials Interfaces. 2021; 8 (11):2100163.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jordi Sans; Marc Arnau; Francesc Estrany; Pau Turon; Carlos Alemán. 2021. "Regulating the Superficial Vacancies and OH − Orientations on Polarized Hydroxyapatite Electrocatalysts." Advanced Materials Interfaces 8, no. 11: 2100163.

Journal article
Published: 19 April 2021 in Polymers
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Flexible hydrogels are attracting significant interest as solid-like electrolytes for energy storage devices, especially for supercapacitors, because of their lightweight and anti-deformation features. Here, we present a comparative study of four ionic conductive hydrogels derived from biopolymers and doped with 0.1 M NaCl. More specifically, such hydrogels are constituted by κ-carrageenan (κC), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), poly-γ-glutamic acid (PGGA) or a phenylalanine-containing polyesteramide (PEA). After examining the morphology and the swelling ratio of the four hydrogels, which varies between 483% and 2356%, their electrical and capacitive behaviors were examined using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Measurements were conducted on devices where a hydrogel film was sandwiched between two identical poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) electrodes. The bulk conductivity of the prepared doped hydrogels is 76, 48, 36 and 34 mS/cm for PEA, PGGA, κC and CMC, respectively. Overall, the polyesteramide hydrogel exhibits the most adequate properties (i.e., low electrical resistance and high capacitance) to be used as semi-solid electrolyte for supercapacitors, which has been attributed to its distinctive structure based on the homogeneous and abundant distribution of both micro- and nanopores. Indeed, the morphology of the polyestermide hydrogel reduces the hydrogel resistance, enhances the transport of ions, and results in a better interfacial contact between the electrodes and solid electrolyte. The correlation between the supercapacitor performance and the hydrogel porous morphology is presented as an important design feature for the next generation of light and flexible energy storage devices for wearable electronics.

ACS Style

Guillem Ruano; José Iribarren; Maria Pérez-Madrigal; Juan Torras; Carlos Alemán. Electrical and Capacitive Response of Hydrogel Solid-Like Electrolytes for Supercapacitors. Polymers 2021, 13, 1337 .

AMA Style

Guillem Ruano, José Iribarren, Maria Pérez-Madrigal, Juan Torras, Carlos Alemán. Electrical and Capacitive Response of Hydrogel Solid-Like Electrolytes for Supercapacitors. Polymers. 2021; 13 (8):1337.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Guillem Ruano; José Iribarren; Maria Pérez-Madrigal; Juan Torras; Carlos Alemán. 2021. "Electrical and Capacitive Response of Hydrogel Solid-Like Electrolytes for Supercapacitors." Polymers 13, no. 8: 1337.

Communication
Published: 15 April 2021 in Chemical Communications
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The selective production of ethanol has been achieved by fixing carbon from CO2 and CH4. The reaction, which is based on the electro-reduction of CO2, is catalysed by polarized hydroxyapatite and occurs under mild reaction conditions.

ACS Style

Jordi Sans; Guillem Revilla-López; Vanesa Sanz; Jordi Puiggalí; Pau Turon; Carlos Alemán. Permanently polarized hydroxyapatite for selective electrothermal catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide into ethanol. Chemical Communications 2021, 57, 5163 -5166.

AMA Style

Jordi Sans, Guillem Revilla-López, Vanesa Sanz, Jordi Puiggalí, Pau Turon, Carlos Alemán. Permanently polarized hydroxyapatite for selective electrothermal catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide into ethanol. Chemical Communications. 2021; 57 (42):5163-5166.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jordi Sans; Guillem Revilla-López; Vanesa Sanz; Jordi Puiggalí; Pau Turon; Carlos Alemán. 2021. "Permanently polarized hydroxyapatite for selective electrothermal catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide into ethanol." Chemical Communications 57, no. 42: 5163-5166.

Journal article
Published: 07 April 2021 in Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal
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Rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus have boosted the need of knowledge about inactivation mechanisms to minimize the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Recent studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 virus can be disabled by heating, the exposure time for total inactivation depending on the reached temperature (e.g. more than 45 min at 329 K or less than 5 min at 373 K. In spite of recent crystallographic structures, little is known about the molecular changes induced by the temperature. Here, we unravel the molecular basis of the effect of the temperature over the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein, which is a homotrimer with three identical monomers, by executing atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at 298, 310, 324, 338, 358 and 373 K. Furthermore, both the closed down and open up conformational states, which affect the accessibility of receptor binding domain, have been considered. Our results suggest that the spike homotrimer undergoes drastic changes in the topology of the hydrogen bonding interactions and important changes on the secondary structure of the receptor binding domain (RBD), while electrostatic interactions (i.e. salt bridges) are mainly preserved. The proposed inactivation mechanism has important implications for engineering new approaches to fight the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, as for example, cleaving or reorganizing the hydrogen bonds through chaotropic agents or nanoparticles with local surface resonant plasmon effect.

ACS Style

Didac Martí; Juan Torras; Oscar Bertran; Pau Turon; Carlos Alemán. Temperature effect on the SARS-CoV-2: A Molecular dynamics study of the spike homotrimeric glycoprotein. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal 2021, 19, 1848 -1862.

AMA Style

Didac Martí, Juan Torras, Oscar Bertran, Pau Turon, Carlos Alemán. Temperature effect on the SARS-CoV-2: A Molecular dynamics study of the spike homotrimeric glycoprotein. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal. 2021; 19 ():1848-1862.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Didac Martí; Juan Torras; Oscar Bertran; Pau Turon; Carlos Alemán. 2021. "Temperature effect on the SARS-CoV-2: A Molecular dynamics study of the spike homotrimeric glycoprotein." Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal 19, no. : 1848-1862.

Journal article
Published: 30 March 2021 in Journal of Catalysis
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The enhanced catalytic activity of permanently polarized hydroxyapatite, which is achieved using a thermally stimulated polarization process, largely depends on both the experimental conditions used to prepare crystalline hydroxyapatite from its calcium and phosphate precursors and the polarization process parameters. A mineral to brushite, which is an apatitic phase that can evolve to hydroxyapatite, is found at the surface of highly crystalline hydroxyapatite. It appears after chemical precipitation and hydrothermal treatment performed at 150 °C for 24 h followed by a sinterization at 1000 °C and a polarization treatment by applying a voltage of 500 V at high temperature. Both the high crystallinity and the presence of brushite-like phase on the electrophotocatalyst affect the nitrogen and carbon fixation under mild reaction conditions (95 °C and 6 bar) and the synthesis of glycine and alanine from a simple gas mixture containing N2, CO2, CH4 and H2O. Thus, the Gly/Ala ratio can be customized by controlling the presence of brushite on the surface of the catalyst, enabling to develop new strategies to regulate the production of amino acids by nitrogen and carbon fixation.

ACS Style

Jordi Sans; Vanesa Sanz; Luis J. del Valle; Jordi Puiggalí; Pau Turon; Carlos Alemán. Optimization of permanently polarized hydroxyapatite catalyst. Implications for the electrophotosynthesis of amino acids by nitrogen and carbon fixation. Journal of Catalysis 2021, 397, 98 -107.

AMA Style

Jordi Sans, Vanesa Sanz, Luis J. del Valle, Jordi Puiggalí, Pau Turon, Carlos Alemán. Optimization of permanently polarized hydroxyapatite catalyst. Implications for the electrophotosynthesis of amino acids by nitrogen and carbon fixation. Journal of Catalysis. 2021; 397 ():98-107.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jordi Sans; Vanesa Sanz; Luis J. del Valle; Jordi Puiggalí; Pau Turon; Carlos Alemán. 2021. "Optimization of permanently polarized hydroxyapatite catalyst. Implications for the electrophotosynthesis of amino acids by nitrogen and carbon fixation." Journal of Catalysis 397, no. : 98-107.

Research article
Published: 18 March 2021 in Advanced Engineering Materials
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Flexible electrochemical sensors based on electroactive materials have emerged as powerful analytical tools for biomedical applications requiring bioanalytes detection. Within this context, 3D printing is a remarkable technology for developing electrochemical devices, due to no design constraints, waste minimization, and batch manufacturing with high reproducibility. However, the fabrication of 3D printed electrodes is still limited by the in‐house fabrication of conductive filaments, which requires the mixture of the electroactive material with melted of thermoplastic polymer (e.g., polylactic acid, PLA). Herein, a simple approach is presented for preparing electrochemical dopamine (DA) biosensors. Specifically, the surface of 3D‐printed PLA specimens, which exhibit an elastic modulus and a tensile strength of 3.7 ± 0.3 GPa and 47 ± 1 MPa, respectively, is activated applying a 0.5 m NaOH solution for 30 min and, subsequently, poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) is polymerized in situ using aqueous solvent. The detection of DA with the produced sensors has been demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, and chronoamperometry. In summary, the obtained results reflect that low‐cost electrochemical sensors, which are widely used in medicine and biotechnology, can be rapidly fabricated using the proposed approach that, although based on additive manufacturing, does not require the preparation of conductive filaments.

ACS Style

Adrián Fontana-Escartin; Anna Puiggalí-Jou; Sonia Lanzalaco; Oscar Bertran; Carlos Alemán. Manufactured Flexible Electrodes for Dopamine Detection: Integration of Conducting Polymer in 3D‐Printed Polylactic Acid. Advanced Engineering Materials 2021, 2100002 .

AMA Style

Adrián Fontana-Escartin, Anna Puiggalí-Jou, Sonia Lanzalaco, Oscar Bertran, Carlos Alemán. Manufactured Flexible Electrodes for Dopamine Detection: Integration of Conducting Polymer in 3D‐Printed Polylactic Acid. Advanced Engineering Materials. 2021; ():2100002.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Adrián Fontana-Escartin; Anna Puiggalí-Jou; Sonia Lanzalaco; Oscar Bertran; Carlos Alemán. 2021. "Manufactured Flexible Electrodes for Dopamine Detection: Integration of Conducting Polymer in 3D‐Printed Polylactic Acid." Advanced Engineering Materials , no. : 2100002.

Research article
Published: 11 March 2021 in Advanced Sustainable Systems
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One limitation of wearable electronics, and at the same time a challenge, is the lack of energy storage devices with multiple functionalities produced using clean and environmental‐friendly strategies. Here, a multifunctional conductive hydrogel containing poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and alginate is fabricated, to be used as electrodes in supercapacitors, by applying water‐mediated self‐assembly and polymerization processes at room temperature. The interpenetration of both polymers allows the combination of flexibility and self‐healing properties within the same hydrogel together with the intrinsic biocompatibility and sustainability of such materials. Initially, PEDOT:polystyrene sulfonate and alginate aqueous solutions are mixed in two different proportions (1:1 and 1:3) and ionically crosslinked with CaCl2. Subsequently, re‐interpenetration of poly(hydroxymethyl‐3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) by anodic polymerization in CaCl2 aqueous solution is achieved. Re‐interpenetrated 1:3 PEDOT/alginate hydrogels show excellent capacitance values (35 mF cm−2) and good capacitance retention. In addition, the electrochemical properties are not significantly changed after many cutting/self‐healing cycles as observed by cyclic voltammetry. Therefore, this sustainably produced hydrogel shows promising properties for use in wearable energy storage devices.

ACS Style

Ismael Babeli; Guillem Ruano; Anna Puiggalí‐Jou; Maria‐Pau Ginebra; Carlos Alemán; Jose Garcia‐Torres. Self‐Healable and Eco‐Friendly Hydrogels for Flexible Supercapacitors. Advanced Sustainable Systems 2021, 5, 2000273 .

AMA Style

Ismael Babeli, Guillem Ruano, Anna Puiggalí‐Jou, Maria‐Pau Ginebra, Carlos Alemán, Jose Garcia‐Torres. Self‐Healable and Eco‐Friendly Hydrogels for Flexible Supercapacitors. Advanced Sustainable Systems. 2021; 5 (5):2000273.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ismael Babeli; Guillem Ruano; Anna Puiggalí‐Jou; Maria‐Pau Ginebra; Carlos Alemán; Jose Garcia‐Torres. 2021. "Self‐Healable and Eco‐Friendly Hydrogels for Flexible Supercapacitors." Advanced Sustainable Systems 5, no. 5: 2000273.

Journal article
Published: 09 March 2021 in Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry
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Three dye molecules (Dye) of Acid Brilliant Scarlet 3R (AR18), Amido Naphthol Red G (AR1), Indigo Carmine (IC), as well as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as dopant agents were used for electrochemical synthesis of polypyrrole (PPy) layers onto indium doped tin oxide (ITO) coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) electrode. The morphology, electrochemical, optical, and spectroelectrochemical properties of the layers were investigated. The study of the electrochemical behavior showed that the presence of each AR18, AR1, or IC with SDS, had shown an excellent synergistic effect on the electrochemical stability of layers. The morphological characterization of the PPy/dopant(s) using atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed that the surface roughness in the PPy/IC-SDS layer was 39% and 32% less than the PPy/AR18-SDS and PPy/AR1-SDS, respectively. The absorption spectrum of PPy/dopant(s) in the UV–Vis-NIR wavelength range showed the formation of polaron and bipolaron in PPy chains. Also, the optical bandgap energy of PPy/dopant(s) decreased, and the fully doped state in all PPy films was observed. Spectroelectrochemical properties of the films showed that the simultaneous use of each dye molecule and the surfactant as dopant in PPy layers demonstrated proper electrochemical and optical stability and satisfactory electrochromic parameters. For example, the color contrast of PPy/AR18-SDS was 50%, while this parameter in control sample (PPy doped with lithium perchlorate) was 21%. Also, the cathodic and anodic coloration efficiency showed a 6-fold increase in PPy/Dye-SDS compared to PPy/ClO4-. In general, according to the results it is likely that by increasing the number of anion groups in the dye molecules and decreasing their dimensions as dopant agents, the electrochemical and electrochromic properties of the resultant layer would be improved.

ACS Style

Maryam Bayat; Hossein Izadan; Sara Santiago; Francesc Estrany; Mohammad Dinari; Dariush Semnani; Carlos Alemán; Gonzalo Guirado. Study on the electrochromic properties of polypyrrole layers doped with different dye molecules. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 2021, 886, 115113 .

AMA Style

Maryam Bayat, Hossein Izadan, Sara Santiago, Francesc Estrany, Mohammad Dinari, Dariush Semnani, Carlos Alemán, Gonzalo Guirado. Study on the electrochromic properties of polypyrrole layers doped with different dye molecules. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry. 2021; 886 ():115113.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maryam Bayat; Hossein Izadan; Sara Santiago; Francesc Estrany; Mohammad Dinari; Dariush Semnani; Carlos Alemán; Gonzalo Guirado. 2021. "Study on the electrochromic properties of polypyrrole layers doped with different dye molecules." Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 886, no. : 115113.

Journal article
Published: 23 February 2021 in Materials
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Herein, the influence of the substrate in the formation of zirconium oxide monolayer, from an aqueous hexafluorozirconic acid solution, by chemical conversion and by electro-assisted deposition, has been approached. The nanoscale dimensions of the ZrO2 film is affected by the substrate nature and roughness. This study evidenced that the mechanism of Zr-EAD is dependent on the potential applied and on the substrate composition, whereas conversion coating is uniquely dependent on the adsorption reaction time. The zirconium oxide based nanofilms were more homogenous in AA2024 substrates if compared to pure Al grade (AA1100). It was justified by the high content of Cu alloying element present in the grain boundaries of the latter. Such intermetallic active sites favor the obtaining of ZrO2 films, as demonstrated by XPS and AFM results. From a mechanistic point of view, the electrochemical reactions take place simultaneously with the conventional chemical conversion process driven by ions diffusion. Such findings will bring new perspectives for the generation of controlled oxide coatings in modified electrodes used, as for example, in the construction of battery cells; in automotive and in aerospace industries, to replace micrometric layers of zinc phosphate by light-weight zirconium oxide nanometric ones. This study is particularly addressed for the reduction of industrial waste by applying green bath solutions without the need of auxiliary compounds and using lightweight ceramic materials.

ACS Style

Vitor Bonamigo Moreira; Anna Puiggalí-Jou; Emilio Jiménez-Piqué; Carlos Alemán; Alvaro Meneguzzi; Elaine Armelin. Green Nanocoatings Based on the Deposition of Zirconium Oxide: The Role of the Substrate. Materials 2021, 14, 1043 .

AMA Style

Vitor Bonamigo Moreira, Anna Puiggalí-Jou, Emilio Jiménez-Piqué, Carlos Alemán, Alvaro Meneguzzi, Elaine Armelin. Green Nanocoatings Based on the Deposition of Zirconium Oxide: The Role of the Substrate. Materials. 2021; 14 (4):1043.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vitor Bonamigo Moreira; Anna Puiggalí-Jou; Emilio Jiménez-Piqué; Carlos Alemán; Alvaro Meneguzzi; Elaine Armelin. 2021. "Green Nanocoatings Based on the Deposition of Zirconium Oxide: The Role of the Substrate." Materials 14, no. 4: 1043.

Paper
Published: 12 February 2021 in Soft Matter
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Sustained electrical stimuli on conducting polymer nanoparticles allow the controlled release of loaded pharmacological chaperones, which are low-molecular weight chemical molecules used for the treatment of diseases caused by protein instability.

ACS Style

Hamidreza Enshaei; Anna Puiggalí-Jou; Núria Saperas; Carlos Alemán. Conducting polymer nanoparticles for a voltage-controlled release of pharmacological chaperones. Soft Matter 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Hamidreza Enshaei, Anna Puiggalí-Jou, Núria Saperas, Carlos Alemán. Conducting polymer nanoparticles for a voltage-controlled release of pharmacological chaperones. Soft Matter. 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hamidreza Enshaei; Anna Puiggalí-Jou; Núria Saperas; Carlos Alemán. 2021. "Conducting polymer nanoparticles for a voltage-controlled release of pharmacological chaperones." Soft Matter , no. : 1.

Research article
Published: 31 December 2020 in Crystal Growth & Design
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The synthesis of hydroxyapatite (HAp) with different shapes and sizes has attracted increasing attention because the applicability of this ceramic material depends on structure-properties relationships (i.e., the dimensions and morphology of HAp crystals determine properties such as the bioactivity and mechanical strength). Although different synthetic routes based on the addition of surfactants, organic modifiers, or dispersants have been proposed to control the growth of HAp crystals, many efforts are being devoted to simplify the whole process using simple parameters such as pH. However, the control of the morphology is still poor and shows low reproducibility. In this work, a new additive-free synthetic route, which is based on the hydrothermal method and the utilization of nonaqueous solvents, is proposed. The influence of the synthesis parameters such as pH, concentration of starting solutions, and the solvent on relevant features such as phase purity, crystallinity, crystallite size, and morphology has been examined using spectroscopic techniques, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. As a consequence, this work presents an easy and robust method based only on the use of organic solvent and the control of the pH that produces pure and crystalline HAp with a controlled shape and size. This method has been used to elucidate some of the key aspects of the crystal growth mechanism and to synthesize HAp crystals with different and well-defined shapes (e.g., belts, rods, flakes needle-like, or polymorph) and sizes, in a reproducible way.

ACS Style

Jordi Sans; Vanesa Sanz; Jordi Puiggalí; Pau Turon; Carlos Alemán. Controlled Anisotropic Growth of Hydroxyapatite by Additive-Free Hydrothermal Synthesis. Crystal Growth & Design 2020, 21, 748 -756.

AMA Style

Jordi Sans, Vanesa Sanz, Jordi Puiggalí, Pau Turon, Carlos Alemán. Controlled Anisotropic Growth of Hydroxyapatite by Additive-Free Hydrothermal Synthesis. Crystal Growth & Design. 2020; 21 (2):748-756.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jordi Sans; Vanesa Sanz; Jordi Puiggalí; Pau Turon; Carlos Alemán. 2020. "Controlled Anisotropic Growth of Hydroxyapatite by Additive-Free Hydrothermal Synthesis." Crystal Growth & Design 21, no. 2: 748-756.

Journal article
Published: 31 December 2020 in Journal of Controlled Release
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We examine different approaches for the controlled release of L-lactate, which is a signaling molecule that participates in tissue remodeling and regeneration, such as cardiac and muscle tissue. Robust, flexible, and self-supported 3-layers films made of two spin-coated poly(lactic acid) (PLA) layers separated by an electropolymerized poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) layer, are used as loading and delivery systems. Films with outer layers prepared using homochiral PLA and with nanoperforations of diameter 146 ± 70 experience more bulk erosion, which also contributes to the release of L-lactic acid, than those obtained using heterochiral PLA and with nanoperforations of diameter 66 ± 24. Moreover, the release of L-lactic acid as degradation product is accelerated by applying biphasic electrical pulses. The four approaches used for loading extra L-lactate in the 3-layered films were: incorporation of L-lactate at the intermediate PEDOT layer as primary dopant agent using (1) organic or (2) basic water solutions as reaction media; (3) substitution at the PEDOT layer of the ClO4− dopant by L-lactate using de-doping and re-doping processes; and (4) loading of L-lactate at the outer PLA layers during the spin-coating process. Electrical stimuli were applied considering biphasic voltage pulses and constant voltages (both negative and positive). Results indicate that the approach used to load the L-lactate has a very significant influence in the release regulation process, affecting the concentration of released L-lactate up to two orders of magnitude. Among the tested approaches, the one based on the utilization of the outer layers for loading, approach (4), can be proposed for situations requiring prolonged and sustained L-lactate release over time. The biocompatibility and suitability of the engineered films for cardiac tissue engineering has also been confirmed using cardiac cells.

ACS Style

Anna Puiggalí-Jou; Jesús Ordoño; Luis J. del Valle; Soledad Pérez-Amodio; Elisabeth Engel; Carlos Alemán. Tuning multilayered polymeric self-standing films for controlled release of L-lactate by electrical stimulation. Journal of Controlled Release 2020, 330, 669 -683.

AMA Style

Anna Puiggalí-Jou, Jesús Ordoño, Luis J. del Valle, Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Elisabeth Engel, Carlos Alemán. Tuning multilayered polymeric self-standing films for controlled release of L-lactate by electrical stimulation. Journal of Controlled Release. 2020; 330 ():669-683.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anna Puiggalí-Jou; Jesús Ordoño; Luis J. del Valle; Soledad Pérez-Amodio; Elisabeth Engel; Carlos Alemán. 2020. "Tuning multilayered polymeric self-standing films for controlled release of L-lactate by electrical stimulation." Journal of Controlled Release 330, no. : 669-683.

Review
Published: 20 December 2020 in Molecules
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Diphenylalanine peptide (FF), which self-assembles into rigid tubular nanostructures, is a very short core recognition motif in Alzheimer’s disease β-amyloid (Aβ) polypeptide. Moreover, the ability of the phenylalanine (F or Phe)-homopeptides to self-assemble into ordered nanostructures has been proved. Within this context it was shown that the assembly preferences of this family of compounds is altered by capping both the N- and C-termini using highly aromatic fluorenyl groups (i.e., fluorenyl-9-methoxycarbonyl and 9-fluorenylmethyl ester, named Fmoc and OFm, respectively). In this article the work performed in the field of the effect of the structure and incubation conditions on the morphology and polymorphism of short (from two to four amino acid residues) Phe-homopeptides is reviewed and accompanied by introducing some new results for completing the comparison. Special attention has been paid to the influence of solvent: co-solvent mixture used to solubilize the peptide, the peptide concentration and, in some cases, the temperature. More specifically, uncapped (FF, FFF, and FFFF), N-capped with Fmoc (Fmoc-FF, Fmoc-FFF, and Fmoc-FFFF), C-capped with OFm (FF-OFm), and doubly capped (Fmoc-FF-OFm, Fmoc-FFF-OFm, and Fmoc-FFFF-OFm) Phe-homopeptides have been re-measured. Although many of the experienced assembly conditions have been only revisited as they were previously reported, other experimental conditions have been examined by the first time in this work. In any case, pooling the effect of highly aromatic blocking groups in a single study, using a wide variety of experimental conditions, allows a perspective of how the disappearance of head-to-tail electrostatic interactions and the gradual increase in the amount of π–π stacking interactions, affects the morphology of the assemblies. Future technological applications of Phe-homopeptides can be envisaged by choosing the most appropriate self-assemble structure, defining not only the length of the peptide but also the amount and the position of fluorenyl capping groups.

ACS Style

Enric Mayans; Carlos Alemán. Revisiting the Self-Assembly of Highly Aromatic Phenylalanine Homopeptides. Molecules 2020, 25, 6037 .

AMA Style

Enric Mayans, Carlos Alemán. Revisiting the Self-Assembly of Highly Aromatic Phenylalanine Homopeptides. Molecules. 2020; 25 (24):6037.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Enric Mayans; Carlos Alemán. 2020. "Revisiting the Self-Assembly of Highly Aromatic Phenylalanine Homopeptides." Molecules 25, no. 24: 6037.

Research article
Published: 18 December 2020 in Advanced Healthcare Materials
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Conducting polymers have been increasingly used as biologically interfacing electrodes for biomedical applications due to their excellent and fast electrochemical response, reversible doping–dedoping characteristics, high stability, easy processability, and biocompatibility. These advantageous properties can be used for the rapid detection and eradication of infections associated to bacterial growth since these are a tremendous burden for individual patients as well as the global healthcare system. Herein, a smart nanotheranostic electroresponsive platform, which consists of chloramphenicol (CAM)‐loaded in poly(3,4‐ethylendioxythiophene) nanoparticles (PEDOT/CAM NPs) for concurrent release of the antibiotic and real‐time monitoring of bacterial growth is presented. PEDOT/CAM NPs, with an antibiotic loading content of 11.9 ± 1.3% w/w, are proved to inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli and Streptococcus sanguinis due to the antibiotic release by cyclic voltammetry. Furthermore, in situ monitoring of bacterial activity is achieved through the electrochemical detection of β‐nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a redox active specie produced by the microbial metabolism that diffuse to the extracellular medium. According to these results, the proposed nanotheranostic platform has great potential for real‐time monitoring of the response of bacteria to the released antibiotic, contributing to the evolution of the personalized medicine.

ACS Style

Hamidreza Enshaei; Anna Puiggalí‐Jou; Luis J. Del Valle; Pau Turon; Núria Saperas; Carlos Alemán. Nanotheranostic Interface Based on Antibiotic‐Loaded Conducting Polymer Nanoparticles for Real‐Time Monitoring of Bacterial Growth Inhibition. Advanced Healthcare Materials 2020, e2001636 .

AMA Style

Hamidreza Enshaei, Anna Puiggalí‐Jou, Luis J. Del Valle, Pau Turon, Núria Saperas, Carlos Alemán. Nanotheranostic Interface Based on Antibiotic‐Loaded Conducting Polymer Nanoparticles for Real‐Time Monitoring of Bacterial Growth Inhibition. Advanced Healthcare Materials. 2020; ():e2001636.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hamidreza Enshaei; Anna Puiggalí‐Jou; Luis J. Del Valle; Pau Turon; Núria Saperas; Carlos Alemán. 2020. "Nanotheranostic Interface Based on Antibiotic‐Loaded Conducting Polymer Nanoparticles for Real‐Time Monitoring of Bacterial Growth Inhibition." Advanced Healthcare Materials , no. : e2001636.