Síntese e imobilização de nanopartículas de ouro em fibras regeneradas via exaustão para potencial aplicação biomédica

The advancement of nanotechnology in the synthesis and characterisation of nanoparticles (NP's) has played an important role in the development of new technologies for various applications of nano-scale materials that have unique properties. The scientific development in the last decades in the field of nanotechnology has sought ceaselessly, the discovery of new materials for the most diverse applications, such as biomedical areas, chemical, optical, mechanical and textiles. The high bactericidal efficiency of metallic nanoparticles (Au and Ag), among other metals is well known, due to its ability to act in the DNA of fungi, viruses and bacteria, interrupting the process of cellular respiration, making them important means of study, in addition to its ability to protect UVA and UVB. The present work has as its main objective the implementation of an innovative method in the impregnation of nanoparticles of gold in textile substrate, functionalized with chitosan, by a dyeing process by exhaustion, with the control of temperature, time and velocity, thus obtaining microbial characteristics and UV protection. The exhausted substrates with colloidal solutions of NPAu's presented the colours, lilac and red (soybean knits) due to their surface plasmon peak around 520-540 nm. The NPAu's were synthesized chemically, using sodium citrate as a reducing agent and stabilizer. The material was previously cationised with chitosan, a natural polyelectrolyte, with the purpose of functionalising it to enhance the adsorption of colloid, at concentrations of 5, 7, 10 and 20 % of the bonding agent on the weight of the material (OWM). It was also observed, through an experimental design 23 , with 3 central points, which was the best process of exhaustion of the substrates, using the following factors: Time (min.), temperature (OC) and concentration of the colloid (%), having as a response to variable K/S (ABSORBÂNCIA/ Kubelka-Munk) of the fibres. Furthermore, it was evidenced as the best response, the following parameters: concentration 100%, temperature 70 ºC and time 30 minutes. The substrate with NPAu was characterised by XRD; thermal analysis using TGA; microstructural study using SEM/EDS and STEM, thus showing the NP on the surface of the substrate confirming the presence of the metal. The substrates showed higher washing fastness, antibacterial properties and UV radiation protection.

Resonance fluorescence spectrum of a \Lambda-type quantum emitter close to a metallic nanoparticle

We theoretically study the resonance fluorescence spectrum of a three-level quantum emitter coupled to a spherical metallic nanoparticle. We consider the case that the quantum emitter is driven by a single laser field along one of the optical transitions. We show that the development of the spectrum depends on the relative orientation of the dipole moments of the optical transitions in relation to the metal nanoparticle. In addition, we demonstrate that the location and width of the peaks in the spectrum are strongly modified by the exciton-plasmon coupling and the laser detuning, allowing to achieve controlled strongly subnatural spectral line. A strong antibunching of the fluorescent photons along the undriven transition is also obtained. Our results may be used for creating a tunable source of photons which could be used for a probabilistic entanglement scheme in the field of quantum information processing.

Analysis of metallic nanoantennas for solar energy conversion

Recently thermo-electrical nanoantennas, also known as Seebeck nanoantennas, have been proposed as an alternative for solar energy harvesting applications. In this work we present the optical and thermal analysis of metallic nanoantennas operating at infrared wavelengths, this study is performed by numerical simulations using COMSOL Multiphysics. Several different nanoantenna designs were analyzed including dipoles, bowties and square spiral antennas. Results show that metallic nanoantennas can be tuned to absorb electromagnetic energy at infrared wavelengths, and that numerical simulation can be useful in optimizing the performance of these types of nanoantennas at optical and infrared wavelengths.

In vivo surface roughness evolution of a stressed metallic implant

Peer reviewed

Generation of a train of ultrashort pulses using periodic waves in tapered photonic crystal fibres

Funding This work was supported by the Ministry of Education , Nigeria for financial support through the TETFUND scholarship 55 scheme; CSIR [grant number 03(1264)/12/EMR-II].

On the group delay statistics of few-mode fibres with intermediate linear mode coupling

We report an investigation on the statistics of group delay for few-mode fibres operating in the weak and strong linear coupling regimes as well as in the intermediate coupling regime. A single expression linking the standard deviation of the group delay spread to the fibre linear mode coupling is validated for any coupling regime, considering up to six linearly polarized guided modes. Furthermore, the study of the probability density function of the group delays allowed deriving and validating an analytical estimation for the maximum group delay spread as a function of linear mode coupling.

Suppression of nonlinear distortion in few-mode fibres using strong mode coupling

In this paper, we investigate the impact of linear mode coupling on the efficiency of intermodal four-wave mixing and on the group delay statistics in few-mode fibres. The investigation will include not only the weak or strong linear coupling regimes, but also the transition region between them, the intermediate coupling regime. This analysis will allow to assess the level of coupling strength require to suppress the nonlinear distortion in a few-mode fibre below the level of distortion for single-mode propagation without mode coupling.

Enhanced spectral compression in nonlinear optical fibres

We propose two new approaches to enhance the spectral compression process arising from nonlinear pulse propagation in an optical fibre. We numerically show that an additional sinusoidal temporal phase modulation of the pulse enables efficient reduction of the intensity level of side lobes in the spectrum. Another strategy is to select a regime of propagation in which normal group-velocity dispersion reshapes the initial stretched pulse to a near-Fourier-transform-limited rectangular waveform.

Progress in photosensitive polymer optical fibres and gratings

Polymer optical fibre Bragg gratings are useful for strain sensor applications for large dynamic range. We report recent progress in developing polymer optical fibres with higher photosensitivity and fabricating POF gratings at alternative wavelength. © 2010 Optical Society of America.

Organometallic derivatives of cyclotriphosphazene as precursors of nanostructured metallic materials: a new solid state method

The cyclic phosphazene trimers [N3P3(OC6H5)5OC5H4N·Ti(Cp)2Cl][PF6] (3), [N3P3(OC6H4CH2CN·Ti(Cp)2Cl)6][PF6]6 (4), [N3P3(OC6H4-But)5(OC6H4CH2CN·Ti(Cp)2Cl)][PF6] (5), [N3P3(OC6H5)5C6H4CH2CN·Ru(Cp)(PPh3)2][PF6] (6), [N3P3(OC6H5)5C6H4CH2CN·Fe(Cp)(dppe)][PF6] (7) and N3P3(OC6H5)5OC5H4N·W(CO)5 (8) were prepared and characterized. As a model, the simple compounds [HOC5H5N·Ti(Cp)2Cl]PF6 (1) and [HOC6H4CH2CN·Ti(Cp)2Cl]PF6 (2) were also prepared and characterized. Pyrolysis of the organometallic cyclic trimers in air yields metallic nanostructured materials, which according to transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM/SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX), and IR data, can be formulated as either a metal oxide, metal pyrophosphate or a mixture in some cases, depending on the nature and quantity of the metal, characteristics of the organic spacer and the auxiliary substituent attached to the phosphorus cycle. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) data indicate the formation of small island and striate nanostructures. A plausible formation mechanism which involves the formation of a cyclomatrix is proposed, and the pyrolysis of the organometallic cyclic phosphazene polymer as a new and general method for obtaining metallic nanostructured materials is discussed.

Engineering metallic nanoparticles for enhancing and probing catalytic reactions

Recent developments in tailoring the structural and chemical properties of colloidal metal nanoparticles (NPs) have led to significant enhancements in catalyst performance. Controllable colloidal synthesis has also allowed tailor-made NPs to serve as mechanistic probes for catalytic processes. The innovative use of colloidal NPs to gain fundamental insights into catalytic function will be highlighted across a variety of catalytic and electrocatalytic applications. The engineering of future heterogenous catalysts is also moving beyond size, shape and composition considerations. Advancements in understanding structure-property relationships have enabled incorporation of complex features such as tuning surface strain to influence the behavior of catalytic NPs. Exploiting plasmonic properties and altering colloidal surface chemistry through functionalization are also emerging as important areas for rational design of catalytic NPs. This news article will highlight the key developments and challenges to the future design of catalytic NPs.

A Method for Promoting Assembly of Metallic and Nonmetallic Nanoparticles into Interfacial Monolayer Films

Two-dimensional metal nanoparticle arrays are normally constructed at liquid–oil interfaces by modifying the surfaces of the constituent nanoparticles so that they self-assemble. Here we present a general and facile new approach for promoting such interfacial assembly without any surface modification. The method use salts that have hydrophobic ions of opposite charge to the nanoparticles, which sit in the oil layer and thus reduce the Coulombic repulsion between the particles in the organic phase, allowing the particles to sit in close proximity to each other at the interface. The advantage of this method is that because it does not require the surface of the particles to be modified it allows nonmetallic particles including TiO2 and SiO2 to be assembled into dense interfacial layers using the same procedure as is used for metallic particles. This opens up a route to a new family of nanostructured functional materials.

Use of Fibres Obtained from the Cashew (Anacardium ocidentale, L) and Guava (Psidium guayava) Fruits for Enrichment of Food Products

OLIVEIRA, E. L. et al. Use of Fibres obtained from the Cashew (Anacardium ocidentale, L) and Guava (Psidium guayava) Fruits for Enrichment of Food Products. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology, Curitiba, PR, v. 48, p. 143-150, 2005.

Analysis of major metallic elements in chilean wines by atomic absorption spectroscopy

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)