Redispersion and Self-Assembly of C60 Fullerene in Water and Toluene

ACS Omega

DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.7b00049

This work aims at assessing the influence of two different solvents, bidistilled water and toluene, on dispersions of carbon-based engineered nanomaterials, namely, fullerenes, and their self-assembly behavior. The obtained self-assembled carbon-based materials were characterized using UV–vis spectrophotometry and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The results obtained were unexpected when toluene was used for dispersing fullerene C60, with the formation of two different types of self-assembled structures: fullerene C60 nanowhiskers (FNWs) and a type of quasispherical nanostructure. The FNWs ranged between 1 and 6 μm in length, whereas the quasispherical fullerene C60 nanoaggregates ranged between 10 and 50 nm in diameter. Aggregates obtained in toluene showed a well-formed crystal structure. When using water, the obtained aggregates were amorphous and showed a no well-defined shape. Their sizes ranged between 20 and 40 nm for nanosized structures and between 0.4 and 4.8 μm for micron-sized self-aggregates.

Structural and thermo-rheological analysis of solutions and gels of a β-lactoglobulin fraction isolated from bovine whey

Food Chemistry, 198 (2016) 45–53

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.11.090

A β-Lactoglobulin fraction (r-βLg) was isolated from milk whey hydrolysates produced with cardosins from Cynara cardunculus. The impact of the technological process on the r-βLg structure and how in turn this determined its heat-induced gelation was investigated. Results were analysed taking pure β-Lg (p-βLg) as control sample. The process induced changes in the r-βLg native conformation causing exposure of hydrophobic groups, lower thermal stability and also, shorter thermal treatments needed to give rise to non-native and aggregated species.

At pH 3.2, r-βLg and p-βLg solutions exhibited two gelation steps, with the advantage that r-βLg protein may form stable gels at lower temperature than p-βLg. At pH 7.2, a specific thermo-viscoelastic stability to 73 °C was found, which corresponded to the gel point in both protein solutions. The difference was that while for p-βLg solution in sol state δ < 45° (solid-like), however for r-βLg solution δ > 45° (fluid-like).

Cleavage of carbofuran and carbofuran-derivatives in micellar aggregates

Progress in Reaction Kinetics and Mechanism, 40 (2015) 105-118

DOI: /10.3184/146867815X14259195615547

In recent years, the stability of carbamate pesticides have been studied by our research group in a wide range of biomimetic microheterogeneous media such as micelles or reverse micelles. These microheterogeneous media included different surfactant species and, hence, different self-assembled structures. In particular, basic hydrolysis of carbofuran and its derivatives have been analysed in the presence of anionic, cationic, non-ionic and reverse micelles. The results obtained from these physicochemical and kinetic studies, as well as a consistent comparison of them, are now summarised.

Alkaline hydrolysis of vinclozolin: effect of humic acids aggregates in water

Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical

DOI: 10.1016/j.molcata.2015.02.017

The influence of natural organic substances as humate colloidal aggregates in water solutions upon the chemical stability of vinclozolin has been investigated in basic media. A large inhibition (9 times-fold) has been observed and it has been rationalized in terms of a micellar pseudophase model. The observed behaviour could increase significantly the half-life of this fungicide. Moreover, these experimental results have been compared with the corresponding ones of other substances in these natural colloidal aggregates.