NANOFlow is a multidisciplinary Project that aims the development of novel optofluidics sensing devices integrating advanced multifunctional nanostructured materials. The project is solidly grounded in the research group experience in the synthesis of nanoestructured functional thin films, advance surface treatments and development of planar photonic structures The main objective of the project is to combine and integrate the available synthetic and processing methodologies in the fabrication of optofluidic components capable of modifying their physical behavior when they are exposed to liquids. The integration of these optofluidic components together with accessory technologies based on new principles of photonic detection, large surface area microplasmas discharge as light sources or flexible substrates for the fabrication of sensing tags define an ambitious landscape of applications that will be explored in the project. Besides, the modeling of thin film growth in combination with advanced deposition diagnosis methodologies will be combined to adjust the thin film deposition processes to the desired functionalities.Therefore, NANOFlow aims to cover all the scientific-technological chain from the materials development to the final applications including advanced characterization, flexible synthetic routes, alternative low-cost and high throughput process (e.g. atmospheric plasma synthesis), device integration and testing of devices in real conditions.

The NANOFlow research activities will culminate in the development of three innovative devices, namely smart labels for sensing, traceability and anticounterfeiting applications (e.g. smart labels incorporated in food-packaging), a versatile optofluidic multisensing device and an optofluidic photocatalytic cleaning system that will integrate a large area microplasma source, liquid actuated UV/Visible optical switches and a photocatalytic nanostructured surface. All of these devices will operate under the basis of an optofluidic actuation and/or response and are designed to present clear potentialities for direct application in liquid sensing, manipulation and monitoring.

The NANOFlow research activities in the different work-packages and, particularly, the final devices are intended to have a direct impact in the Theme 2 (Seguridad and Calidad Alimentaria) of the “RETOS” defined in the call covering this project proposal.. Besides, some of the activities proposed, in particular the third device are also connected with the Theme 3 (Energía segura eficiente y limpia) of the call. It is very interesting to stress that these activities are of particular relevance in the geographical context of Andalucia where Agriculture,  Food production and Energy are three of the most relevant strategic sectors.

Keywords: Nanostructured thin films, photonic planar devices, optofluidics, smart labels, liquid handling, liquid monitoring

Financial source: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad Code: MAT2013-42900-P

Research head: Ana Isabel Borrás Martos Period: 1-01-2014 / 31-12-2016 Research group: José Cotrino Bautista, Ricardo Molina Mansilla, Juan Pedro Espinós Manzorro, Ana Isabel Borrás Martos, Angel Barranco Quero

HYBR(1)D is a multidisciplinary Project that aims the development of novel multifunctional nanostructured materials for applications as renewable energy devices, photonics and device miniaturization. The main objective of the project is the development of original synthetic strategies for nanostructured 1D materials like organic and inorganic nanowires and other hybrid hetero-structured systems. Special attention will be paid to the development of coaxial “core@shell/multi-shell” structures integrating organic, metallic and oxide nanostructured components. These materials will be synthesized using an innovative methodology compatible with processable substrates of different nature that will be fully scalable to industrial production. In addition, the project also included exploratory studies about self-supported composite membranes where the nanostructured 1D materials will be embedded. A second project objective is to probe the functionality of the novel 1D nanostructures in different applications under the global strategy that we defined as development of “selfpowered nanosystems”. These applications are: energy power generation devices (solar cells and piezoelectric nanogenerators) and nanosensors. It is worthy to notice that although the materials under study are relatively diverse, from semiconducting inorganic nanotubes (TiO2, ZnO) to organic single-crystal nanowires (“small molecules”) or hybrid heterostructures, the synthetic vacuum methodologies are, in all the cases, very similar and easily adaptable. These methodologies are physical vapor deposition (organic molecules), plasma assisted vacuum deposition (organic molecules and inorganic oxides), metal dc-sputtering and oxygen plasma etching. All of them can be used sequentially or in combination and are integrated in the same reactors. The project PI and the Nanotechnology on Surface group from the ICMS-CSIC have a solid background in the use of plasma and vacuum technology for the study of functional thin films and devices that is being extended to the field of 1D supported nanostructures in the recent years. HYBR(1)D project intend to cover all the scientific-technological chain from the materials development to the final applications including advanced characterization, flexible synthetic routes, device integration and testing at laboratory scale.

Financial source: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad Code: MAT2013-40852-R

Research head: Agustín R. González-Elipe Period: 01-01-2014 / 31-12-2016 Research group: José Cotrino Bautista, Ricardo Molina Mansilla, Victor Rico Gavira, Francisco Yubero Valencia, Juan Pedro Espinós Manzorro, Alberto Palmero Acebedo, Angel Barranco Quero, Fernando Lahoz Zamarro

This project aims at the development of a new generation of low dimensional responsive systems and sensors that integrate nanostructured layers with well-controlled electrical and optical properties which, prepared by innovative vacuum and plasma methods, present a tunable and high porosity and are able to actively interact with the environment. The basic principles of the oblique angle approach (OAD) during the physical vapor deposition (PVD) of evaporated thin films will be extended to the fabrication of similar layers by plasma and magnetron sputtering techniques. Combination of these techniques along with other innovative plasma technologies, including atmospheric pressure plasma deposition or plasma-evaporation polymerization will be employed to achieve a strict control over the nanostructure and properties of final films and complex systems . Supported metal and oxide nanostructured thin films, stacked multilayers and hybrid and composite suported nanostructures will be prepared and thereafter characterized by advanced electron and proximity microscopies and other techniques. Process-control strategies will be implemented in order to understand the fundamental mechanisms governing the film structurations and to propose new synthetic routes scalable to industrial production so as to achieve tailored morphologies and properties for these porous thin film materials. Highly ordered and homogenous arrays of these nanostructures will be used as ambient temperature gas and liquid sensors, microfluidic responsive devices and intelligent labelling tags. For these applications the supported porous thin films will be suitably functionalized with metal nanoparticles, grafted molecular chains or layers of other polymeric materials. They will be also stacked in the form of vertically ordered photonic structures. Innovative device integration approaches including the water removal of evaporated sacrificial layers of NaCl and their integration in the form of microdevices will be carried out to fabricate advanced sensors, microreactors and responsive systems. Photonic, electrical and/or electrochemical principles of transduction will be implemented into the devices for detecting and/or fabricating i) oxygen and chlorine in solutions, ii) glucose and organic matter in water iii) gas and vapor sensors or iv) inteligent labels. Specific applications are foressen for the control of the outside environment (air and waters), industrial and greenhouse locations, agroindustrial processes such as fermentation and the tracking and trazability of different kinds of goods and foods.

Financial source: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad Code: RECUPERA2020 – 2.2.3

Research head: José Cotrino Bautista Period: 2-12-2013 / 31-12-2015 Research group: Ana María Gómez Ramírez, Antonio Méndez Montoro de Damas

This project is related with a technology to generate a cold plasma at atmospheric pressure with air flowing through a reactor. The specific objective of this activity is the development of a prototype air purification system for greenhouses, food processing centers, livestock enclosures, or other similar types of markets or enclosures where the concentration of gases harmful to the health of the workers can be very significant by the use of insecticides, fungicides, disinfectants or other compounds. The developed system should be able to purify the air in closed installations and where a large number of chemicals, mainly volatile organic compounds, accumulate in the air that is handled. The cold plasma reactor technology design follows the characteristics of packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge by using ferroelectric dielectric.

Financial source: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad Code: RECUPERA2020 – 1.4.1

Research head: Agustín R. González-Elipe Period: 2-12-2013 / 31-12-2015 Research group: Juan Pedro Espinós Manzorro, José Cotrnio Bautista, Francisco Yubero Valencia, Alberto Palmero Acebedo, Angel Barranco Quero, Ana I. Borrás Martos, Victor J. Rico Gavira, Rafael Alvarez Molina, Pedro Angel Salazar Carballo

The objective of this Project is the development of new integrated and robust micro/nano- fluidic systems that enable the reliable incorporation of control tests, sensorization and rapid analysis of agrofood products, mainly liquids or soluble. The technology to be developed should be applied to final products, as well as during their different elaboration steps. IN particular, a niche of application that will be directly addressed in the project is the control of fermentation process with the development of new integrated fluidic transductors that permit the quantitative detection of glucose and/or other sugars by means of electrochemical and photonic developments integrated in microfluidic and similar devices.

Photovoltaic or solar cells (SC) devices –that transform light into electricity- have been extensively studied in the last decades since they represent a promising way to exploit the sun energy. Currently, perovskite-based solar cells(SC) are receiving increasing attention due to their low cost and high efficiency. They are very promising as an alternative for the existing ones, but still need to advance to reach higher efficiency and durability and require synthesis methods compatible with the industrial production of CMOS devices at wafer scale. These recent SC are mostly fabricated via wet methods in planar architecture. Inherent to the nature of the wet approaches, usually appear several drawbacks as contaminations and chemical reactions on the interfaces that might result deterioration of the SC performance.
PlasmaPerovSol main objective is the fabrication of a complete perovskite solar cell device by a full plasma and vacuum integrated process carried out under the premises of the “one reactor concept”. Thus, the different components of the solar cell will be deposited sequentially within a vacuum reactor avoiding exposition of the materials and interfaces to air or solvents. The technology developed by the hosting group combine vacuum deposition assisted by plasma that permits the fabrication of conformal layers over a large variety of templates. This approach is also proposed here to fabricate conformal multilayers over 1D scaffold that will push the advantages of one-dimensional SC. Plasma and vacuum processes present as advantage the high purity and stoichiometric control on the deposition within an ample range of materials compositions. The synthesis approach is compatible with large scale industrial production and allows the fabrication of SC on processable and flexible substrates. At the same time, the low temperatures used make the approach compatible with current CMOS technology and by using masks permits their integration on preformed devices.

Period:
01-09-2015 / 30-09-2018 

Period:
2015 / 2016

Period:
2013 / 2014

Financial source: Junta de Andalucía Code: P12-FQM-2265 (Proyecto de Excelencia)

Research head: José Cotrino Bautista Period: 30-01-2014 / 29-01-2017 Research group: Francisco José García García, Jorge Gil Rostra, Richard M. Lambert, Manuel Macías Montero, Alberto Palmero Acebedo, Victor Rico Gavira

This research project aims first the study of different unknown basic aspects of the construction of the dielectric barrier discharge, better design conditions for: barrier electrodes, the design of the metallic electrodes and dielectrics and to know the best working conditions (size and operation frequency) for the plasma. One goal is to control the lateral functionalization of advanced materials and other objective, is the discovering of new plasma catalysis processes that can increase selectivity and the reduction of energy consumption by plasma chemical reactions in controlled industrial processes of high added value and/or impact. It is expected for both applications, a clear advance in optimization of the industrial process.