Alberto Sols Biomedical Research Institute
Biblos-e Archivo. Repositorio Institucional de la UAMNot a member yet
65432 research outputs found
Sort by
From a marsh that was once sea: The geological evolution of Europe's largest biological reserve as told by its benthic foraminifera-a review
Get PDFThis paper presents an updated list of benthic foraminifera found in brackish and marine (paleo-)environments of the Doñana National Park (SW Spain) from the Lower Pliocene to the present-day. This list, based on published records, includes ninety-four species whose autoecology and temporal distribution in surface sections and continuous sediment cores allow us to infer the palaeogeographic evolution of this Biosphere Reserve over the last millions of years. During the Lower Pliocene, this area was occupied by a wide shallow bay with Nonion faba and Ammonia beccarii as the most representative species. During the Upper Pliocene, there was a transition to terrestrial environments, later dominated by fluvial dynamics for much of the Pleistocene and devoid of these aquatic microorganisms. During the Upper Pleistocene and part of the Holocene, the park was flooded during the MIS-1 transgression and a large lagoon was formed and progressively silted up. At this stage, benthic foraminiferal assemblages were dominated by the brackish species Ammonia morphogroup tepida and Haynesina germanica, which were occasionally replaced by marine species (mainly miliolids) during high-energy events. Currently, benthic foraminifera are mainly represented by Ammonia morphogroup tepida in the temporary lagoons and distributary channels, while Ammonia beccarii is dominant in their marginal marine areas. In summary, there is a clear correspondence between the palaeogeographic evolution of the park and its benthic foraminiferal associations, a review of which contributes to increase the knowledge of its remarkable present and past faunal diversityFunds have come from Andalusian Government (RNM-238 and RNM-293). It is a contribution to the Research Center in Historical, Cultural and Natural Heritage (CIPHCN) of the University of Huelva
Metallo-supramolecular helical fibres from chiral phenylacetylene monomers: cation induced self-assembly
No full textChiral metallo-supramolecular fibres can be easily obtained by mixing a chloroform solution of a phenylacetylene monomer (PA) that bears a chiral sulfoxide group as pendant, with different equivalents of a methanolic solution of AgClO4. Thus, while the PA is found molecularly dissolved in chloroform, the addition of Ag+ ions induce its aggregation through the formation of an axially chiral metallo-supramolecular aggregate with high thermal stable properties. In this case, the ability of the metal ion to coordinate the PA triple bond, combined with the argentophilicity of the metal ion and the planarity of the phenylacetylene drives to the formation of a helical coordination polymer, whose P or M axial chirality is determined by the chirality of the sulfoxide used as substituent of the PA. Depending on the PA/Ag+ (mol/mol) ratio, it is possible to tune the morphology of the metallo-supramolecular aggregate from chiral fibers to chiral gelWe thank Servicio de Microscopía Electrónica (RIAIDT, USC). Financial support from AEI (PID2022-136848NB-I00), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (PID2019-107307RB-100 and PID2020-117605GB-100, PID2020-113059GB-C21, PID2020-113059GB-C22). Xunta de Galicia (ED431C 2018/30, ED431C 2021/40, Centro Singular de Investigación de Galicia acreditación 2019–2022, ED431G 2019/03 and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is gratefully acknowledged. F.R.T. thanks Xunta de Galicia for a predoctoral contract. We acknowledge Servicio de Nanotecnología RIAIDT, USC
Explicit modelling of spectral bandshapes by a mixed quantum-classical approach: solvent order and temperature effects in the optical spectra of distryrylbenzene
No full textThe absorption and emission spectral shapes of a flexible organic probe, the distyrylbenzene (DSB) dye, are simulated accounting for the effect of different environments of increasing complexity, ranging from a homogeneous, low-molecular- weight solvent, to a long-chain alkane, and, eventually, a channel-forming organic matrix. Each embedding is treated explicitly, adopting a mixed quantum-classical approach, the Adiabatic Molecular Dynamics – generalized vertical Hessian (Ad-MD|gVH) model, which allows a direct simulation of the environment-induced constraining effects on the vibronic spectral shapes. In such a theoretical framework, the stiff modes of the dye are described at a quantum level within the harmonic approximation, including Duschinsky mixing effects, while flexible degrees of freedom of the solute (e. g. torsions) and those of the solvent are treated classically by means of molecular dynamics sampling. Such a setup is shown to reproduce the distinct effects exerted by the different environments in varied thermodynamic conditions. Besides allowing for a first-principles rationale on the supramolecular mechanism leading to the experimental spectral features, this result represents the first successful application of the Ad-MD|gVH method to complex embeddings and supports its potential application to other heterogeneous environments, such as for instance, pigment-protein complexes or organic dyes adsorbed into metal-organic frameworks. F.\u2009S. and G.\u2009P. thank the support of ICSC \u2013 Centro Nazionale di Ricerca in High Performance Computing, Big Data and Quantum Computing, funded by European Union \u2013 NextGenerationEU \u2013 PNRR, Missione 4 Componente 2 Investimento 1.4. J.\u2009G. acknowledges funding by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci\u00F3n (MICIN\u2010FEDER project PID2022\u2010138222NB\u2010C21), by the Severo Ochoa program for Centers of Excellence in R&D of the MICIN (CEX2020\u2010001039\u2010S), and by the Campus of International Excellence (CEI) UAM+CSIC. J.\u2009C. thanks Ministerio de Universidades, Plan de Recuperaci\u00F3n, Transformaci\u00F3n y Resiliencia and UAM for funding the research stay in Pisa with a requalification program (CA2/RSUE/2021\u201000890) and the MICINN Project PID2019\u2010110091GB\u2010I00 for financial support. Computational resources provided by ICCOM and the Centro de C\u00E1lculo Cient\u00EDfico at Universidad Aut\u00F3noma de Madrid (CCC\u2010UAM) are also acknowledge
Catalytic nitrate reduction using a Pd-Cu catalysts supported on carbon materials with different porous structure
No full textThe properties of the materials used as catalysts significantly affect their performance in catalytic NO3- reduction with hydrogen in polluted drinking water. Most studies have focused on how the active phase influences reaction selectivity and minimizes undesired NH4+ generation; however, there is still no clear consensus on the role of pore structure. In this study, carbon materials with different surface properties were used as supports to synthesize tailored Pd-Cu catalysts, assessing the role of micro- and mesopores in catalyst activity and selectivity in relation to mass transfer. Catalysts with Pd-Cu loadings of 1–1 and 1.5–1 wt% were examined. Higher catalytic activity was observed in catalysts supported on materials with low micropore volume, as limited reagent accessibility to metal within micropores hindered their effectiveness. It was also demonstrated that selectivity to NH4+ increased with higher micropore volume and micropore contribution to surface area, attributed to an imbalance in reagent transfer. This imbalance led to a higher H/N ratio at active sites within micropores and a corresponding increase in pHThe authors greatly appreciate the support from Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación RTI2018-098431-B-I00 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE) and PID2021-123079OB-I00 project funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and ERDF/EU. STEM-XEDS data were recorded at the facilities of the DME-UCA node of the Spanish Unique Infrastructure for Electron Microscopy of Materials (ICTS, ELECMI). Dydia Tanisha González thanks the Regional Government of Madrid a research grant (PEJ-2020-AI/AMB-17551). G.A.M. thanks Ministerio de Universidades for the FPU20/03969 gran
Structural insights of mechanochemically amorphised MIL-125-NH2
No full textIn this work, we investigated the response of the metal–organic framework MIL-125-NH2 to ball-milling. Both localised and bulk analyses revealed prolongued ball-milling results in a complete loss of long-range structural order. Investigation of this disorder revealed partial retention of the local bonding of the secondary building unit, suggesting structure collapse progressed primarily through metal–linker bond breakage. We explored the photocatalytic performance of the materials, and examined the materials’ band gap using UV-Vis reflectance spectroscopyLeverhulme Trust (RPG-2020-005) (T. D.
B., C. C. B., A. M. C.), the Royal Society for both a University
Research Fellowship (URF\R\211013) (T. D. B.) and a research
grant (RGS\R2\212221) (T. D. B.), UKRI and Diamond light
source (STU0366) (G.P.R.), the EPSRC Cambridge NanoDTC
(EP/S022953/1) (T. L.), St Edmunds College (C. Y.), the Croatian
Science Foundation (IP-2020-02-4702) (V. M., I. B., B. K. and K. U.),
the Spanish MICINN (PID2021-122299NB-100) (B. S., S. C., J. A. and
A. F), the University of Liverpool (L. N. M., B. T.), and the ERC
European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 818762) (R. C. E., J. K. G. K.
Brines as autocatalytic reaction/separation platform to convert CO2 to organic carbonates: Integrating CO2 emissions and brines management
No full textSeveral environmental issues are demanding urgent solutions to improve the sustainability of the future. In this work, two relevant and independent environmental issues, such as brines and CO2 management are investigated together, trying to find technological solutions that can incorporate synergies in the search for carbon–water cycle optimization, decarbonization, waste management, and resource utilization. Inorganic salts presented in brines were shown to be effective catalysts to convert CO2 to cyclic carbonates by cycloaddition to epoxides, whereas water is an ideal solvent to separate hydrophobic cyclic carbonates from inorganic salt catalysts with hydrophilic character. Although the hydrophobic character of epoxide reactant can impose some limitations in the reaction step, byproduct recycling can be an effective way to enable competitive catalytic activity and, thus, promote the widespread use of this innovative process. In addition, the purification of the cyclic carbonate is coupled with the isolation of a treated water stream, which is another product obtained. Although less desirable, the third product corresponds to the diol derived from the reaction of water with each epoxide, envisioning a coproduction scheme providing three valuable products (cyclic carbonate, diol, and water) from two wastes (brines and CO2) and one epoxide. Preliminary kinetic study and calculated energy consumption (1.87 kWh/kg of products) show competitiveness when evaluating individual water separation from brines and cyclic carbonate and diol productions, demonstrating the viability of this new process. The work also opens a new horizon for sustainability since global warming potential (0.148 kgCO2/kg) and water depletion ( 0.144 m3water/kg of products) improve reference individual technologieThe authors are grateful to Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación of Spain (project TED2021-129803A-I00) and Comunidad de Madrid (AgroSUSTEC-CM project, TEC-2024/BIO-27) for financial support and Centro de Computación Científica de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid for computational facilities. A. Belinchón also thanks Spanish Ministerio de Universidades for awarding him FPI grant PRE2021-09753
Enhancing photocatalytic performance of F-doped TiO2 through the integration of small amounts of a quinoline-based covalent triazine framework
Get PDFThe dataset that supports the findings of this study are archived in the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid data repository e‐cienciaDatos in https://doi.org/10.21950/S9FVN5We present the design and synthesis of a new quinoline-based covalent triazine framework (Quin-CTF) that combines two photoactive fragments within its structure (triazine and quinoline moieties). By hybridizing this CTF material with fluorine-doped titanium dioxide (F-TiO2), we prepared and characterized photocatalysts with enhanced performance that leverage the synergy between the two components for pollutant photodegradation in water. This F-TiO2@CTF hybrid system was evaluated for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye and a pharmaceutical compound such as ciprofloxacin as model water pollutants. The hybrid materials containing small amounts of CTF (0.5, 1, and 2 wt%) achieved remarkable photodegradation efficiencies, significantly outperforming their individual counterparts. The reactive oxidant species (ROS) involved in such processes catalyzed by F-TiO2 are different from those involved when pristine Quin-CTF or their hybrid materials are used. Furthermore, the hybrid materials demonstrated reusability, preserving high photocatalytic activity over multiple cycles. This work, therefore, highlights a promising strategy for designing cost-effective and eco-friendly photocatalytic systems via the incorporation of a small amount of CTF-based systems in a cheap material such as titanium dioxide, offering a sustainable and effective solution for mitigating water pollutionRM-B acknowledges that this research received funding through the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation MCIN/AEI/FEDER (10.13039/501100011033) through the project PID2022-141016OB-I00 via Proyectos de Generación de Conocimiento 2022. SG-R would like to thank funding from the research project PID2022-136417NB-I00 financed by AEI-Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades MCIU/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ and “ERDF A way of making Europe” and from the research project PDC2023-145884-I00 finance by AEI-Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades MICIU/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and the European Union Next GenerationEU/ PRTR. AM acknowledges the Spanish Government and the Funds Next Generation of the European Union through the grant Maria Zambrano-UAM (CA3/RSUE/2021-00648). MS-F thanks Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación for a FPI contract (PRE2020-092295
La generación de contenidos a través de inteligencia artificial y su incidencia en la propiedad intelectual
No full textSelective tracking of charge carrier dynamics in CuInS2 quantum dots
No full textArtículo escrito por un elevado número de autores, solo se referencian el que aparece en primer lugar, el nombre del grupo de colaboración, si le hubiere, y los autores pertenecientes a la UAMCuInS2 quantum dots have been studied in a broad range of applications, but despite this, the fine details of their charge carrier dynamics remain a subject of intense debate. Two of the most relevant points of discussion are the hole dynamics and the influence of Cu:In synthesis stoichiometry. It has been proposed that Cu-deficiency leads to the formation of Cu2+, affecting the localization of holes into Cu defects. Importantly, it is precisely these confined hole states that are used to explain the interesting photoluminescence properties of CuInS2 quantum dots. We use static X-ray spectroscopy to show no evidence for a measurable amount of native Cu2+states in Cu-deficient samples (above 20%). Instead, the improved properties of these samples are explained by an increase of crystallinity, reducing the concentration of mid-gap states. Furthermore, to understand the charge carrier dynamics, herein, we employ ultrafast optical transient absorption and fluorescence up-conversion spectroscopies in combination with ultrafast X-ray absorption spectroscopy using a hard X-ray free electron laser. We demonstrate that in no passivated samples, holes are transferred from Cu atoms on sub picosecond time scales. Finally, we observe that Cu-deficient samples are more robust against photothermal effects at higher laser fluences. This is not the case for the Cu-rich sample, where heating effects on the structure are directly observedThe TR-XAS XFEL experiments were performed at the BL3(EH2) of SACLA with the approval of the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI), proposal 2021B8047. The steady-state XAS experiments were performed at the CLÆSS beamline at ALBA Synchrotron with the collaboration of ALBA staff, proposal 2021095311. The facilities provided by the Center for Ultrafast Lasers (CLUR) of Universidad Complutense de Madrid (FLUPS) are gratefully acknowledged. A.B.C. is grateful to the Spanish “Ministerio de Universidades” and the “Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia”, as well as to UAM, for his “Margarita Salas” grant (ref CA1/RSUE/2021-00809). In addition, he receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie agreement No. 101034431 and from the “Severo Ochoa” Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D (CEX2020-001039S/AEI/10.13039/501100011033). W.G. acknowledges partial funding from Spanish Ministry of Universities through “Ayudas Beatriz Galindo” (BEAGAL18/00092), Regional Government of Madrid and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid through “Proyectos de I+D para Investigadores del Programa Beatriz Galindo” grant (ref.SI2/PBG/2020-00003) and from Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through “Proyectos de I+D+i2019” grant (ref. PID2019-108678GB-I00) and “Proyectos deI+D+i 2022” grant (ref. PID2022-140257NB-I00). B.R.C.V. and L.A.P. thank São Paulo Research Foundation, FAPESP, under grants 2018/15574-6 and 2022/06470-8. B.R.C.V. also thanks FAPESP for the postdoctoral scholarship under grants 2020/16077-6 and 2024/01722-4. A.F.V.F. thanks FAPESP under the grant 2023/10395-4. A.F.N. acknowledges the support from the FAPESP (grant no. 2017/11986-5) and Shell and the strategic importance of the support given by ANP (Brazil’s National Oil, Natural Gas, and Biofuels Agency). L.B. acknowledges support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through grant PID2021-122839NB-I00. J.C.-G. acknowledges the MICINN-FEDER (No. PID2021-128313OB-I00), support from the Regional Government of Madrid (TEC-2024/TEC-459, SYNMOLMAT-CM), a Research Consolidation Grant (No. CNS2022-36191), and project PDC202-314587-1I00 from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. V.V.M. acknowledges grants TED2021-131906A-100 and RYC2022-035200-I funded by Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (10.13039/501100011033) and support from the Regional Government of Madrid (2019-T2/IND-12737 and 2024-T1/TEC-31349). S.G.O. is grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for a Ph.D. grant (FPI, PRE2019-09345). M.A.S. acknowledges the support from the FAPEMIG (grant no. APQ-02598-23). The authors thank Reinhold Wannemacher, Luis Colmenar, and Iciar Arnay for their help with TRPL, PLQY and XRD measurements, respectively, at IMDEA Nanociencia. In addition, the authors acknowledge Esteban Urones from “Centro Nacional de Microscopía Electronica” (CNME) for the acquisition of TEM images. Furthermore, the authors thank Ramón Fernández from “Servicio Interdepartamental de Investigación” (SIdI) of Universidad Autónoma de Madrid for help with XRF measurements. This work was also partially funded by the regional government of Madrid (Spain) through the Tecnologias 2024 program, project MATRIX-CM (TEC-2024/TEC-85
Green infrastructure provides important wild bee refuges in intensive agricultural landscapes: The case of Spanish drove roads
No full textAgricultural intensification and reduced proximity to natural habitats and their associated resources negatively impact wild bee diversity. The Spanish network of drove roads, a series of traditional routes which have been maintained through the practice of transhumant grazing and livestock movements, plays a fundamental role in mitigating some of these negative impacts. This network, functioning as a form of green infrastructure, provides permanent semi-natural grasslands that serve as refuges for pollinators in particularly intensively managed agricultural landscapes. To explore the effect of the Conquense drove road –over 400 km long and one of the most frequently used transhumant drove roads in Castilla-La Mancha (central Spain)– on the wild bee community, we sampled a 240 km section that extends across three distinct ecoregions (Campo de Calatrava, Llanura Manchega and Mancha Alta), which differ biogeographically in terms of geology and geomorphology, likely resulting in differences in bee communities. We collected wild bee specimens using pan traps across three land use types present within each ecoregion: drove road grasslands, patches of semi-natural vegetation and intensive crop fields. Wild bee community composition showed significant differences between the three ecoregions. Drove roads showed a significant positive effect on species richness and Shannon's diversity when the availability of semi-natural habitat was low. Functional richness of wild bees was significantly higher in drove road grasslands compared to the other two land use types (semi-natural vegetation and crops). Moreover, the interaction between semi-natural cover and drove roads revealed a significant positive effect of drove roads on both functional richness and dispersion, particularly under conditions of low semi-natural habitat cover. Our study highlights that drove road grasslands can offer suitable habitat resources that support bee taxonomic and functional diversity, particularly in landscapes heavily transformed by intensive agriculture and with reduced availability of semi-natural areas. The EU Pollinators Initiative emphasizes the need of restoring natural habitats in agricultural landscapes and creating a network of ecological corridors for pollinators. In this context, the preservation of the Spanish network of drove roads is highly relevant. Drove road grasslands, when maintained through traditional transhumant grazing, can provide feeding and nesting resources to wild bees and other pollinators, especially within a highly intensified agricultural matrixThis work was financially supported by the European Union Life Program (project LIFE CAÑADAS, LIFE 18 NAT/ES/000930). Pablo Manzano is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through a María de Maeztu excellence accreditation 2023–2026 (Ref. CEX2021–001201-M, funded by MCIN/AEI/1013039/501100011033); by the Basque Government through the BERC 2022–2024 programme and through a Fellowship of Ikerbasque—Basque Foundation for Science; and by IUBS through the project “Pastoralism as a global herbivory socio-ecosystem