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The central objective of this project is to take advantage of the unique properties of bacterial cellulose and enhance them through the incorporation of nanoparticles or nanomaterials. The synthesis of stable nanocomposites that combine the advantages of bacterial cellulose with the particular properties of nanoparticles is a promising direction of research. These nanocomposites could exhibit improved mechanical, optical, electrical or chemical properties compared to pure bacterial cellulose, which would further increase their application potential in various industries.
Biopolymers of biological origin such as starch, chitin, chitosan can be used for the development of nanoparticles presenting great potential in biomedical applications such as the development of controlled drug release systems, antibacterial activity due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability and minimal toxicity. Various synthesis methods such as nanoprecipitation, microemulsion method, acid hydrolysis, among others are used for the development of nanoparticles with different shapes such as spherical and oval, surface charges, and sizes in the range of 1 to 100 nm.
This project aims to develop improved polymer electrolytes for supercapacitors. It seeks to increase the specific energy of supercapacitors without sacrificing their high power and durability. The electrolyte, which is crucial for ion transfer between electrodes and electric current, becomes the main focus. In addition, the possibility of replacing liquid electrolytes with solid or gel electrolytes using polymeric matrices will be explored. Solid or gel electrolytes offer advantages in terms of safety and stability by avoiding leakage and hermetic encapsulation.
Quantum dots present unique tunable optical properties due to their nanometer scale size (~10 nm) so they are considered as the most efficient light emitting technology. Traditionally these quantum dots are manufactured from silicon, germanium or compound semiconductors including CdSe, PbSe, among others and involving polluting reagents.
Recently, researchers have been looking for more eco-friendly alternatives with carbon-based quantum dots as a new class of nanomaterials. One of the richest sources of carbon are polysaccharides such as starch, chitosan, chitin, gelatin, sodium alginate, carrageenan, among others. The advantage of these polysaccharides, besides having carbon in their composition, they present heteroatoms such as oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur.
The optical properties of carbon quantum dots such as photoluminescence and quantum yield can be modified and tuned by incorporating the aforementioned heteroatoms on their surface. Different synthesis methods are employed, which are classified into two approaches: top-down and bottom-up. The top-down approach consists of decomposing a material until nanoparticles with dimensions of less than 10 nm are obtained, while the bottom-up approach uses small molecules.
Carbonization methods such as electrochemical and laser ablation are classified in the top-down approach. On the other hand, hydrothermal carbonization, solvothermal, microwave assisted synthesis, pyrolysis, ultrasound, among others are classified in the bottom-up approach. The optimization of the manufacturing processes of carbon quantum dots with tunable properties will allow them to be used in the development of new high quality and low energy consumption displays, as well as optical sensors, electrocatalysis, among others.
This project aims to take advantage of polymeric materials derived from biological sources to convert waste heat into electricity using the Seebeck effect. The Seebeck effect is a physical phenomenon in which an electric current is generated in a conductive material when there is a temperature gradient along it. The goal is to improve the efficiency of converting heat into electricity using a combination of the unique properties of biopolymers and the conductive properties of nanoparticles.
Molecular dynamics analysis is a powerful material characterization technique that allows to obtain a wide range of structural properties of the material. In this technique, an electric field is applied at different frequencies and temperatures, thus revealing different structural changes within the material. In the present project, composites based on bacterial cellulose will be evaluated for their response to this type of mechanical and molecular dynamics characterization.
The present thesis project proposes to develop bacterial cellulose nano-supports for photocatalysis processes with application in the generation of green hydrogen. Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a type of cellulose of high purity and crystallinity, synthesized by bacteria in the form of nanofibers (diameter ~100nm). BC nano-supports will allow to increase the efficiency of commercial photocatalysts, thus optimizing photocatalysis processes by employing BC-based nanostructures.
Carbon membranes are carbonaceous materials with pore size distribution in the range from 3 to 5 Å and surface areas in the range from 250 to 400 m2/g. The pore size in such membranes can be used to separate gases (hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon monoxide and inert gases) and low molecular weight straight and branched chain hydrocarbons. Potential applications of carbon membranes from bacterial cellulose include the field of large-scale energy-efficient gas separators.
Quantum dots (quantum dots) are considered to be the most efficient light-emitting technology. The unique properties of quantum dots are due to their small size (~10 nm), which allows them to be exploited in terms of higher luminosity and color purity, thus obtaining outstanding image quality. The present thesis topic proposes to obtain carbon quantum dots using polysaccharides obtained from Peruvian sea sources as raw material. The processing parameters will be evaluated and optimized to tune the optical, morphological and physicochemical properties of the quantum dots.
The active compounds found in Peruvian superfoods will be “loaded” in nanoparticles of natural polymers. The large surface area of these nanoparticles will increase their absorption performance. In this thesis, different processes will be developed in order to optimize the route to obtain nanomaterials for the encapsulation of active compounds. Technical parameters related to physicochemical and morphological properties will be evaluated; as well as, the loading and release efficiency will serve to validate their use.
Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) transform mechanical vibrations into electrical energy with an electrical power on the order of 10-100 μW. Current applications of TENGs encompass their use as a power source for wearable and lightweight devices as sensors for Internet of Things applications. This thesis project proposes the fabrication of a prototype triboelectric nanogenerator from biopolymers and nanoparticles obtained from natural resources. The performance of the prototype will be evaluated through the characterization of mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. In addition, biodegradation tests will be carried out to evaluate the disintegration of the prototype under controlled conditions.
It has been reported in the scientific literature that biopolymers (natural polymers) can be used to develop materials for energy storage applications. Biopolymeric solid electrolytes, which allow the passage of ions for energy storage, are one of the most important components in modern devices such as batteries and flexible supercapacitors. The main objective of this project is to optimize the mechanical and conductivity properties of biopolymer electrolytes obtained from biopolymers obtained from green algae from the Peruvian coast.
Biopolymers can be used in the manufacture of gels with diverse applications in the medical, cosmetic, adhesive, food and other industries. To determine the potential industrial applications of new gels made from algal (carrageenan, ulvan) and bacterial (bacterial cellulose) biopolymers, it is necessary to know their mechanical behavior under stress and deformation. This response can be quite complex and far from a linear behavior. The objective of this project is to determine the mechanical behavior of gels produced from biopolymers under different stress and deformation conditions. It will be sought to determine if the response of such gels can be modeled using a constitutive law. The characterization will be carried out using a rheometer TA Instruments model HR-3, in order to establish relationships between structure and properties of the gels.
Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than 5 mm that can be found in different ecosystems altering the habitat of the species which they interact with (MINAM). In the present project, we will monitor and evaluate the properties of microplastics collected on Peruvian coastal beaches. The techniques to study microplastics include thermogravimetry, microscopy, calorimetry and nanoindentation. In addition, the interaction of microplastics with other contaminants found in the collection areas will be analyzed, as well as the impact on aquatic ecosystems.
This thesis project proposes the fabrication of a prototype charge storage device from biopolymers obtained from renewable sources. The biopolymers will be used to manufacture different parts of the charge storage devices, such as separators, supports, electrolytes, anodes and cathodes. The performance of the prototype will be evaluated by characterizing mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. In addition, biodegradation tests will be performed to determine the time required for the prototype to degrade under controlled conditions.
Cellulose is one of the most abundant biopolymers available. Its ability to form fibers and networks can be exploited to incorporate other materials and form composites that have new properties, different from that of pure cellulose. By incorporating conductive nanomaterials, conductive cellulose materials can be obtained that can be used in the manufacture of electronic devices. The aim of this work is to develop a manufacturing process that allows the incorporation of conductive nano-objects in cellulose matrices to obtain a new conductive nanocomposite that can be used in electronic devices. The final properties of this material relevant to the potential application, such as mechanical, thermal and electrical conduction properties, will be evaluated.
The development of technologies for the generation of clean energy is essential for the fight against climate change. This has promoted the use of renewable energies such as photovoltaic, wind, geothermal, among others. However, none of these forms of energy has been able to displace the use of fossil fuels by itself. One of the fuels that has shown potential to be used as a replacement for fossil fuels is green hydrogen, which only emits water vapor as a by-product when burned. The present project proposes to develop composites using a biopolymeric matrix reinforced by commercial catalyst particles (CdS, MoS2 and TiO2). These biocomposites will increase the amount and duration of the active sites where water hydrolysis takes place and, consequently, the photocatalytic efficiency. The final properties of the produced biocomposite will be evaluated, including mechanical, morphological and thermal properties.