Period:
2010 / 2011

Period:
2010 / 2012

Period:
2010 / 2011

Period:
2009 / 2010

Period:
2008 / 2010

Financial source: Junta de Andalucía Code: P09-TEP-5283 (Proyecto de Excelencia)

Research head: Angel Barranco Quero Period: 3-02-2010 / 2-02-2013 Research group: Ana Borrás, Fabián Frutos, Lola González-García, Said Hamad, S. Lago, Alberto Palmero, Carmen Ruiz-Herrero, Juan R. Sánchez-Valencia, Johan Toudert

The Nanophoton project aims the development of a novel family of materials, struc-tures and device prototypes for application in solar energy, environmental sensing and space communication technology. The starting point of the project is the research in the photonic properties of hybrid nanometric films. These functional thin films will be processed and inte-grated in optical structures. The project encompasses fundamental molecular simulation studies, the development of novel nanometric functional structures, the study of suitable processing/integration procedures and the validation of prototype devices. These devices will be of three kinds: photonic gas sensors, detectors insensitive to the angle of detection for diffuse optical communications and photovoltaic cells. An interesting characteristic of the Nanophoton technology will be its fully compatibility with the current optoelectronic and microelectronic industrial manufacturing processes.

Financial source: Junta de Andalucía Code: P09-CTS-5189 (Proyecto de Excelencia)

Research head: Agustín R. González-Elipe Period: 3-02-2010 / 2-02-2013 Research group: José Cotrino Bautista, Rafael Alvarez Molina, Carmen López Santos, Jorge Gil Rostra, Antonia Terriza Fernández

OSTEOMEM aims at developing disposable and biodegradable membranes for bone regeneration to be use in chirurgic oral and maxillofacial implants for the treatment of defects. During the healing of the bone defects, membranes must simultaneously preserve the formation of soft tissues and promote the filling of the hole by the new bone, so that, after the reabsorption of the membrane, the structure of tissues would be similar to that prior to the chirurgical intervention. To achieve that, the membranes should degrade within the body in a period of four-six months, thus avoiding the need of a second intervention required to remove non-biodegradable membranes. It is expected that the membranes developed in the project are comparable to that of animal membranes and avoid the problems associated with the use of these latter.

Financial source: Junta de Andalucía Code: P07-FQM-03298 (Proyecto de Excelencia)

Research head: José Cotrino Bautista Period: 1-02-2008 / 31-01-2011 Research group: Agustín R. González-Elipe, Francisco Yubero Valencia

The project PlasNitro discusses the characterization of nitrogen plasmas in various technological related applications with techniques of deposition and functionalization of materials, reforming and processes of sterilization. Different procedures to measure properties of plasmas will go down to point, plasma that can be used in doping, deposition, functionalization and modification of materials and that contain nitrogen. In all cases by using techniques of diagnosis based in the detection of nitrogen species. Nitrogen is a usual component nowadays, only or in mixtures with other gases, in a lot of processes used in technology of plasma. Its experimental characterization and/or the modeling will allow getting fundamental properties from plasma (electron density, electron temperature, temperature of the gas, reactive species, etc.) and knowing the contribution to the homogenous (in phase plasma) and heterogeneous (in the surface-material interaction) reactions of the appropriate components of nitrogen. Numerical codes to get out the electron energy distribution function in plasma will become elaborate in the project. To this end the evaluation of the vibrational distribution of nitrogen will be necessary previously. This step implies taking into account multiple vibrational-vibrational processes, vibrational-translactional and vibrational-rotational processes. In the project we will be able to obtain models of fluid of the nitrogen plasma with the contributions of the most important species of the plasma. The theoretical calculations will be complemented with experimental measurements using electrostatic Langmuir’s probe, this will allow measuring the electron energy distribution function, as well as density and temperature of the electrons. The partial nitrogen pressure in each application and the plasma’s neutral components will be controlled by means of an analysis of residual gases. The kinetic modeling of the nitrogen plasma will enable the interpretation of measurements in the plasma out of the thermodynamic equilibrium and by using the Monte Carlo technique of simulation that enable the control of deposition/modification and the nano/microstructure of the materials. We will have, in this way, techniques that they will enable to control themselves and improving the procedures of work and the properties desired in the materials.

Financial source: Ministerio de Industria (Contrato: ARQUIMEA) Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial (Programa CENIT)

Research head: Angel Barranco Quero Period: 1-09-2010 / 31-10-2011 Research group: José Cotrino Bautista, Ricardo Molina Mansilla, Juan Pedro Espinós Manzorro, Ana Isabel Borrás Martos, Angel Barranco Quero

The objective of the project is the development of thin films with adequate optical properties for their use as active elements in optical gas sensors capable of responding to the presence of gases and/or volatile products produced by the partial decomposition of explosives.

Financial source: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Code: CSD2008-00023 (CONSOLIDER)

Research head: Agustín R. González-Elipe Period: 15-12-2008 / 15-12-2013 Research group: Fernández Camacho, A., Espinós, J.P., Yubero, F., Cotrino, J., Sánchez López, J.C., Barranco, A., Palmero, A., Rojas, C.

FUNCOAT is an integrated project within the application call CONSOLIDER-INGENIO 2010 aiming at the exploitation of synergies existing in the Spanish scientific community, with the general objective of developing principles, processes and devices related to the surface functionalisation of materials. The project integrates 14 well-accredited research centres covering from fundamental and theoretical aspects to final applications. This large effort of integration is critical to achieve substantial advances in this broad field, which go beyond the mere accumulation of results. The research teams belong to different institutions: University, CSIC (responsible for the management of the project) and Technological centres. They maintain scientific relationships among them that extend over the last 15 years. Specific scientific and technological objectives are: understanding of fundamental phenomena driving the modification of surfaces and interfaces, control of the micro- and nano- structure of surfaces and thin films, optimization of thin film deposition methods, process development of multifunctional surfaces for novel applications (mechanical and metallurgical, optical, magnetic, energy, biomaterials, etc) and, finally, the production of new devices based on functionalised surfaces. Other important objectives include the technological transfer of the scientific results to the productive sectors as well as the education and training of scientists, young researchers and engineers. Strategic sectors of our modern society where the activities of FUNCOAT find a direct impact are material processing, energy, environment, health care, agriculture, etc. In order to accomplish an efficient coordination of efforts and the integration of the activities of all the groups, the project is structured around six workpackages: A) Fundamental phenomena in surfaces, interfaces and thin films, B) New processes for the control of the micro- and nano- structure of films and surfaces, C) Mechanical and metallurgical coatings for surface protection, D) Chemical functionalisation and biomedical applications, E) Coatings for optical control, photonic applications and solar energy collection and F) Novel magnetic phenomena in surfaces/interfaces.