Ángel Justo

Bio: Ángel Justo is an academic researcher from Spanish National Research Council. The author has contributed to research in topics: Thin film & X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The author has an hindex of 23, co-authored 64 publications receiving 2069 citations. Previous affiliations of Ángel Justo include Polish Academy of Sciences & University of Seville.

Preparation and characterization of TiO2 photocatalysts supported on various rigid supports (glass, quartz and stainless steel). Comparative studies of photocatalytic activity in water purification

Abstract: In the present study TiO 2 has been supported on several rigid substrates. Deposition on glass and quartz was carried out by a dip coating procedure and the deposition on stainless steel by an electrophoretic deposition process. The resulting materials have been characterized by XPS, SEM/EDX, XRD and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The materials were then tested for the photocatalytic degradation of malic acid. For this reaction, the sample supported on quartz showed the highest catalytic activity. The photocatalytic activity pattern as a function of the nature of the support (fused silica, glass, stainless steel) followed the decreasing order: TiO 2 /quartz > TiO 2 /steel ≈ TiO 2 /glassaphotolysis. This decline in activity has been correlated with the presence of cationic impurities (Si 4+ , Na + , Cr 3+ , Fe 3+ ) in the layer as a consequence of the necessary thermal treatments to improve the cohesion of the titania layer and its adhesion onto the support.

Tailored synthesis of nanostructured WC/a-C coatings by dual magnetron sputtering

Abstract: Nanostructured coatings with variable contents of tungsten carbide (WC) and amorphous carbon (a-C) are prepared by controlling the sputtering power ratio using WC and graphite targets. XRD and TEM/ED analysis shows that increasing the C incorporation, the WC nanocrystalline phases evolve from γ-W 2 C to β-WC 1 − x . Further C enrichment leads to a nanocomposite structure of small WC 1 − x crystals dispersed in a-C matrix. The a-C at.% is estimated by XPS analysis and correlated with the observed tribo-mechanical properties. The hardness and friction properties vary from hard/high friction (36–40 GPa; μ = 0.6–0.8) to moderate-hard/low friction (16–20 GPa; μ ∼ 0.2) coatings depending on the film composition. The transition point is found for a-C content of 10 at.%. This correlates with a change from nanocrystalline WC to nanocomposite WC 1 − x /a-C coatings. The overall study will help to understand the previous literature data and will serve as guide for a tailored synthesis of these WC/a-C nanocomposites.

Determination of pigments and binders in pompeian wall paintings using synchrotron radiation – high-resolution x-ray powder diffraction and conventional spectroscopy – chromatography

Abstract: The employment of synchrotron techniques complemented by conventional laboratory systems has allowed us to deepen and improve our knowledge of Roman wall painting procedures. The palette identified in wall paintings from Pompeii and Herculaneum from the second century bc includes goethite, hematite, cinnabar, glauconite, Egyptian blue, and other components such as calcite and aragonite. Proof of the use of organic binders is provided by FTIR and PY–GC/MS. Therefore, the possibility of the use of ‘a secco’ techniques cannot be ruled out. Pigments in wall paintings are usually found in small percentages and conventional X-ray diffractometers do not detect them. Synchrotron radiation – high-resolution X-ray powder diffraction has allowed identification with only a few micrograms of sample.

Phd by thesis

Abstract: Deposits of clastic carbonate-dominated (calciclastic) sedimentary slope systems in the rock record have been identified mostly as linearly-consistent carbonate apron deposits, even though most ancient clastic carbonate slope deposits fit the submarine fan systems better. Calciclastic submarine fans are consequently rarely described and are poorly understood. Subsequently, very little is known especially in mud-dominated calciclastic submarine fan systems. Presented in this study are a sedimentological core and petrographic characterisation of samples from eleven boreholes from the Lower Carboniferous of Bowland Basin (Northwest England) that reveals a >250 m thick calciturbidite complex deposited in a calciclastic submarine fan setting. Seven facies are recognised from core and thin section characterisation and are grouped into three carbonate turbidite sequences. They include: 1) Calciturbidites, comprising mostly of highto low-density, wavy-laminated bioclast-rich facies; 2) low-density densite mudstones which are characterised by planar laminated and unlaminated muddominated facies; and 3) Calcidebrites which are muddy or hyper-concentrated debrisflow deposits occurring as poorly-sorted, chaotic, mud-supported floatstones. These

Effects of F- Doping on the Photocatalytic Activity and Microstructures of Nanocrystalline TiO2 Powders

Abstract: A novel and simple method for preparing highly photoactive nanocrystalline F--doped TiO2 photocatalyst with anatase and brookite phase was developed by hydrolysis of titanium tetraisopropoxide in a mixed NH4F−H2O solution. The prepared F--doped TiO2 powders were characterized by differential thermal analysis-thermogravimetry (DTA-TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV−vis absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectra (PL), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and BET surface areas. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the photocatalytic oxidation of acetone in air. The results showed that the crystallinity of anatase was improved upon F- doping. Moreover, fluoride ions not only suppressed the formation of brookite phase but also prevented phase transition of anatase to rutile. The F--doped TiO2 samples exhibited stronger absorption in the UV−visible range with a red shift in the band gap transition. The photocatalytic activity of F--doped TiO2 powders prep...

Two-dimensional flexible nanoelectronics.

Abstract: The unique electrical, mechanical and physical properties of two-dimensional materials make them attractive candidates in flexible nanoelectronic systems. Here Akinwande et al. review the literature on two-dimensional materials in flexible nanoelectronics, and highlight barriers to their full implementation.

Crystallinity of inorganic films grown by atomic layer deposition: Overview and general trends

Abstract: Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is gaining attention as a thin film deposition method, uniquely suitable for depositing uniform and conformal films on complex three-dimensional topographies. The deposition of a film of a given material by ALD relies on the successive, separated, and self-terminating gas–solid reactions of typically two gaseous reactants. Hundreds of ALD chemistries have been found for depositing a variety of materials during the past decades, mostly for inorganic materials but lately also for organic and inorganic–organic hybrid compounds. One factor that often dictates the properties of ALD films in actual applications is the crystallinity of the grown film: Is the material amorphous or, if it is crystalline, which phase(s) is (are) present. In this thematic review, we first describe the basics of ALD, summarize the two-reactant ALD processes to grow inorganic materials developed to-date, updating the information of an earlier review on ALD [R. L. Puurunen, J. Appl. Phys. 97, 121301 (2005)], and give an overview of the status of processing ternary compounds by ALD. We then proceed to analyze the published experimental data for information on the crystallinity and phase of inorganic materials deposited by ALD from different reactants at different temperatures. The data are collected for films in their as-deposited state and tabulated for easy reference. Case studies are presented to illustrate the effect of different process parameters on crystallinity for representative materials: aluminium oxide, zirconium oxide, zinc oxide, titanium nitride, zinc zulfide, and ruthenium. Finally, we discuss the general trends in the development of film crystallinity as function of ALD process parameters. The authors hope that this review will help newcomers to ALD to familiarize themselves with the complex world of crystalline ALD films and, at the same time, serve for the expert as a handbook-type reference source on ALD processes and film crystallinity.