Person:
Espinal Viguri, Maialen

Profile Picture

Email Address

Birth Date

Research Projects

Organizational Units

Job Title

Last Name

Espinal Viguri

First Name

Maialen

person.page.departamento

Ciencias

ORCID

0000-0003-0227-9458

person.page.upna

811866

Name

Filters

2021 - 20246
Reset filters

Settings

Author: López Ramón, María Victoria ×

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
  • Thumbnail Image
    PublicationOpen Access
    Hybrid xerogels: study of the sol-gel process and local structure by vibrational spectroscopy
    (MDPI, 2021) Cruz Quesada, Guillermo; Espinal Viguri, Maialen; López Ramón, María Victoria; Garrido Segovia, Julián José; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Ciencias; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
    The properties of hybrid silica xerogels obtained by the sol-gel method are highly dependent on the precursor and the synthesis conditions. This study examines the influence of organic substituents of the precursor on the sol-gel process and determines the structure of the final materials in xerogels containing tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and alkyltriethoxysilane or chloroalkyltri-ethoxysilane at different molar percentages (RTEOS and ClRTEOS, R = methyl [M], ethyl [E], or propyl [P]). The intermolecular forces exerted by the organic moiety and the chlorine atom of the precursors were elucidated by comparing the sol-gel process between alkyl and chloroalkyl series. The microstructure of the resulting xerogels was explored in a structural theoretical study using Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and deconvolution methods, revealing the distribution of (SiO)4 and (SiO)6 rings in the silicon matrix of the hybrid xerogels. The results demonstrate that the alkyl chain and the chlorine atom of the precursor in these materials determines their inductive and steric effects on the sol-gel process and, therefore, their gelation times. Furthermore, the distribution of (SiO)4 and (SiO)6 rings was found to be consistent with the data from the X-ray diffraction spectra, which confirm that the local periodicity associated with four-fold rings increases with higher percentage of precursor. Both the sol-gel process and the ordered domains formed determine the final structure of these hybrid materials and, therefore, their properties and potential applications.
  • Thumbnail Image
    PublicationOpen Access
    Tunability of hybrid silica xerogels: surface chemistry and porous texture based on the aromatic precursor
    (MDPI, 2023) Rosales Reina, Beatriz; Cruz Quesada, Guillermo; Padilla-Postigo, Nataly; Irigoyen-Razquin, Marian; Alonso-Martínez, Ester; López Ramón, María Victoria; Espinal Viguri, Maialen; Garrido Segovia, Julián José; Ciencias; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
    The interest in new materials with specific properties has increased because they are essential for the environmental and technological needs of our society. Among them, silica hybrid xerogels have emerged as promising candidates due to their simple preparation and tunability: when they are synthesised, depending on the organic precursor and its concentration, their properties can be modulated, and thus, it is possible to prepare materials with à la carte porosity and surface chemistry. This research aims to design two new series of silica hybrid xerogels by co-condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) with triethoxy(p-tolyl)silane (MPhTEOS) or 1,4-bis(triethoxysilyl)benzene (Ph(TEOS)2 and to determine their chemical and textural properties based on a variety of characterisation techniques (FT-IR, 29Si NMR, X-ray diffraction and N2 , CO2 and water vapour adsorption, among others). The information gathered from these techniques reveals that depending on the organic precursor and its molar percentage, materials with different porosity, hydrophilicity and local order are obtained, evidencing the easy modulation of their properties. The ultimate goal of this study is to prepare materials suitable for a variety of applications, such as adsorbents for pollutants, catalysts, films for solar cells or coatings for optic fibre sensors.
  • Thumbnail Image
    PublicationOpen Access
    Design of novel photoactive modified titanium silicalites and their application for venlafaxine degradation under simulated solar irradiation
    (Wiley, 2024) Cruz Quesada, Guillermo; Sampaio, María J.; Espinal Viguri, Maialen; López Ramón, María Victoria; Garrido Segovia, Julián José; Silva, Cláudia G.; Faria, Joaquim L.; Ciencias; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa, PJUPNA18-2022
    Titanium silicalites (TS) are well-known materials for their use in industrial oxidation reactions, and although they are used as photocatalysts, their activity is limited. Therefore, numerous synthetic strategies are investigated to improve their photocatalytic activity. Herein, three series of modified titanium silicalites are synthesized using three different organotriethoxysilanes at different molar percentages with the aim of modifying the structure of the zeolite, both at a porous and chemical level, to obtain materials with high photocatalytic activity. The study of their morphological, textural, chemical, and UV–vis light absorption properties through various characterization techniques has allowed the selection of the best candidates to test their photoactivity in the degradation of venlafaxine, an antidepressant drug that persists as a contaminant in wastewater and has serious neurotoxic effects. Materials synthesized using a 5% molar percentage of RTEOS and 10% of PhTEOS (Ph = phenyl) are able to degrade venlafaxine, whereas the reference material does not show any photocatalytic activity. These results lead the way to use this synthetic strategy to develop titanium silicates and optimize their photocatalytic activity in degradation reactions of different pollutants.
  • Thumbnail Image
    PublicationOpen Access
    New hybrid organochlorinated xerogels
    (2021) Cruz Quesada, Guillermo; Espinal Viguri, Maialen; López Ramón, María Victoria; Garrido Segovia, Julián José; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Ciencias
    Hybrid silica xerogels (HSXG) combine the properties of organic and inorganic components in the same material, which makes them promising and versatile candidates for multiple applications. These materials can be easily prepared by the sol-gel process, which offers the possibility to obtain different morphologies. The incorporation of organic precursors plays an important role in their properties, hence, allowing the design of materials for specific applications such as coatings for optical fibers [1]. The aim of this work was to study the influence of the alkyl chain and chlorine atom on the morphological and textural properties of various hybrid materials produced by co-condensation. For this purpose, three series of hybrid xerogels were prepared by co-condensation of TEOS and a chloroalkyltriethoxysilane (TEOS:ClRTEOS, R = methyl, ethyl or propyl) at different molar ratios. The influence of the precursors on the structure and textural properties of the xerogels was studied by means of N2 adsorption, XRD (X-ray diffraction), 29Si NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) and FE-SEM (Field Emission-scanning electron microscope) [2].
  • Thumbnail Image
    PublicationOpen Access
    Novel silica hybrid xerogels prepared by co-condensation of TEOS and ClPhTEOS: a chemical and morphological study
    (MDPI, 2022) Cruz Quesada, Guillermo; Espinal Viguri, Maialen; López Ramón, María Victoria; Garrido Segovia, Julián José; Ciencias; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2
    The search for new materials with improved properties for advanced applications is, nowadays, one of the most relevant and booming fields for scientists due to the environmental and technological needs of our society. Within this demand, hybrid siliceous materials, made out of organic and inorganic species (ORMOSILs), have emerged as an alternative with endless chemical and textural possibilities by incorporating in their structure the properties of inorganic compounds (i.e., mechanical, thermal, and structural stability) in synergy with those of organic compounds (functionality and flexibility), and thus, bestowing the material with unique properties, which allow access to multiple applications. In this work, synthesis using the sol-gel method of a series of new hybrid materials prepared by the co-condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and 4-chlorophenyltriethoxysilane (ClPhTEOS) in different molar ratios is described. The aim of the study is not only the preparation of new materials but also their characterization by means of different techniques (FT-IR, 29Si NMR, X-ray Diffraction, and N2/CO2 adsorption, among others) to obtain information on their chemical behavior and porous structure. Understanding how the chemical and textural properties of these materials are modulated with respect to the molar percentage of organic precursor will help to envisage their possible applications: From the most conventional such as catalysis, adsorption, or separation, to the most advanced in nanotechnology such as microelectronics, photoluminescence, non-linear optics, or sensorics.
  • Thumbnail Image
    PublicationOpen Access
    From fundamental materials chemistry to sensing applications: unravelling the water adsorption mechanism of a luminescent optical fibre sensor membrane
    (Elsevier, 2024) Cruz Quesada, Guillermo; Rosales Reina, Beatriz; López Torres, Diego; Reinoso, Santiago; López Ramón, María Victoria; Arzamendi Manterola, María Cruz; Elosúa Aguado, César; Espinal Viguri, Maialen; Garrido Segovia, Julián José; Ciencias; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Zientziak; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
    This work provides insight into the correlation between the luminescent response of a water-vapour optical fibre sensor and the textural properties of its lanthanide-doped silica coating. To this end, a library of 16 silica xerogels derived from combinations between 2 lanthanide dopants (EuIII, TbIII) and 8 antenna ligands was synthesised and characterised by photoluminescence spectroscopy and N2 and CO2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, among others. Based on the best luminescent response and most-suited porous texture, the material doped with TbIII and 2,2′-(4-(2-Ethoxyethoxy)pyridine-2,6-diyl)bis(4,5-dihydrooxazole) was selected to construct the probe. A film of this material was affixed to a commercial silica fibre by dip-coating and the resulting sensor was tested in a climatic chamber with relative humidity ranging from 20 to 90% to obtain normalised time-response and calibration curves at three temperatures. The response was linear up to certain water-vapour concentrations, beyond which abruptly changed to polynomial, acting against the sensor resolution. The adsorption mechanism was elucidated by comparing the isosteric enthalpies of adsorption calculated from the sensor calibration curves to those determined from the monolith water-vapour isotherms, revealing that capillary condensation in the membrane mesopores was the key phenomenon leading to the response deviating from linearity.