Titanium dioxide was synthesized on glass substrates from titanium (IV)isopropoxide and hydrochloride acid aqueous solutions through microwave irradiation using as seed layer either fluorine-doped crystalline tin oxide (SnO2:F) or amorphous tin oxide (a-SnOx). Three routes have been followed with distinct outcome: (i) equimolar hydrochloride acid/water proportions (1HCl:1water) resulted in nanorod arrays for both seed layers; (ii) higher water proportion (1HCl:3water) originated denser films with growth yield dependent on the seed layer employed; while (iii) higher acid proportion (3HCl:1water) hindered the formation of TiO2. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the materials crystallized with the rutile structure, possibly with minute fractions of brookite and/or anatase. XRD peak inversions observed for the materials synthesized on crystalline seeds pointed to preferred crystallographic orientation. Electron diffraction showed that the especially strong XRD peak inversions observed for TiO2 grown from the 1HCl:3water solution on SnO2:F originated from a [001] fiber texture. Transmittance spectrophotometry showed that the materials with finer structure exhibited significantly higher optical band gaps. Photocatalytic activity was assessed from methylene blue degradation, with the 1HCl:3water SnO2:F material showing remarkable degradability performance, attributed to a higher exposure of (001) facets, together with stability and reusability.

The present work reports a simple and easy wet chemistry synthesis of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanospheres at room temperature without surfactants and using different precursors. Structural characterization was carried out by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with focused ion beam and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The optical band gaps were determined from diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photoluminescence behavior of the as-synthesized nanospheres showed significant differences depending on the precursors used. The Cu2O nanospheres were constituted by aggregates of nanocrystals, in which an on/off emission behavior of each individual nanocrystal was identified during transmission electron microscopy observations. The thermal behavior of the Cu2O nanospheres was investigated with in situ X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry experiments. Remarkable structural differences were observed for the nanospheres annealed in air, which turned into hollow spherical structures surrounded by outsized nanocrystals. FAU - Nunes, Daniela

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As people have become increasingly aware, the age of the European population is rising and the percentage of adults aged 65 years and older is expected to increase. In addition, older people spend about 20 hours per day indoors, and many of them spend essentially their time in elderly care centers (ECC). In this sense, the study of indoor environments and how elder people may be particularly at risk of adverse health effects from pollutants, even at low exposures, due to multiple underlying chronic diseases is becoming an important issue to be addressed by research. Such conditions are highly prevalent, multifactorial, and associated with multiple comorbidities and poor outcomes, such as increased disability and decreased quality of life. The importance of this topic was heightened in 2012 by the World Health Day in 2012 Ageing and health with the theme "Good health adds life to years" and also the ?European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations?. Accordingly, this project is suitable to integrate these initiatives and to ensure greater recognition of what older people bring to society and create more supportive conditions for them. To our knowledge, this is the first study in Portugal to assess effects of indoor air contaminants on health status and quality of life in older persons living in ECC. The aim of GERIA project is to carry out a risk assessment, often difficult for older people, involving the identification of multiple factors potentially affecting health and quality of life, the quantification of human exposure to pollutants, and the evaluation of the individual?s response to these stimuli. The results of this project contribute to the understanding of health effects due to indoor environment variables and to provide health benefits to ECC residents with relatively simple measures.

Modelling of ventilation is strongly dependent on the physical characteristics of the building of which precise evaluation is a complex and time consuming task. In the frame of a research project, two children day care centres (CDCC) have been selected in order to measure the envelope air permeability, the flow rate of mechanical ventilation systems and indoor and outdoor temperature. The data obtained was used as input to the computer code CONTAM for ventilation simulations. The results obtained were compared with direct measurements of ventilation flow from short term measurements with CO2 tracer gas and medium term measurements with perfluorocarbon tracer (PFT) gas decay method. After validation, in order to analyse the main parameters that affect ventilation, the model was used to predict the ventilation rates for a wide range of conditions. The purpose of this assessment was to find the best practices to improve natural ventilation. A simple analytical method to predict the ventilation flow rate of rooms is also presented. The method is based on the estimation of wind effect on the room through the evaluation of an average factor and on the assessment of relevant cross section of gaps and openings combined in series or in parallel. It is shown that it may be applied with acceptable accuracy for this type of buildings when ventilation is due essentially to wind action.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs exert their pharmacological activity through inhibition of cyclooxygenase 1 and 2 (COX-1 and COX-2). Recent research suggests that a balanced inhibition of both COX-1 and COX-2 is the key to reduce the side-effects exhibited by COX inhibitors. We developed new benzimidazole-based compounds that showed a balanced COX inhibition, supported by molecular docking screening. The human whole blood assays demonstrated that the ester derivatives were potent inhibitors. Competitive saturation transfer difference (STD)-NMR experiments, in the presence of COX-2, using naproxen and diclofenac demonstrated that ester derivatives do not compete with diclofenac for the same binding site, but compete with the allosteric inhibitor naproxen. Combination of NMR spectroscopy with molecular docking has permitted us to detect a new naproxen-like inhibitor, which could be used for future drug development.

The presentwork reports charging effects and surface potential variations in pure copper, cuprous oxide and cu- pric oxide nanowires observed by electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). The copper nanowires were produced by wet synthesis, oxidation into cuprous oxide nanowires was achieved throughmicrowave irradiation and cupric oxide nanowireswere obtained via furnace annealing in at- mospheric conditions. Structural characterization of the nanowireswas carried out byX-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. During the EFM experiments the electrostatic field of the positive probe charged negatively the Cu-based nanowires, which in turn polarized the SiO2 dielectric substrate. Both the probe/nanowire capacitance as well as the sub- strate polarization increased with the applied bias. Cu2O and CuO nanowires behaved distinctively during the EFMmeasurements in accordancewith their band gap energies. Thework functions(WF) of the Cu-based nano- wires, obtained by KPFM measurements, yieldedWFCuO N WFCu N WFCu2O

Solution-processed field-effect transistors are strategic building blocks when considering low-cost sustainable flexible electronics. Nevertheless, some challenges (e.g., processing temperature, reliability, reproducibility in large areas, and cost effectiveness) are requirements that must be surpassed in order to achieve high-performance transistors. The present work reports electrolyte-gated transistors using as channel layer gallium–indium-zinc-oxide nanoparticles produced by solvothermal synthesis combined with a solid-state electrolyte based on aqueous dispersions of vinyl acetate stabilized with cellulose derivatives, acrylic acid ester in styrene and lithium perchlorate. The devices fabricated using this approach display a ION/IOFF up to 1 × 106, threshold voltage (VTh) of 0.3–1.9 V, and mobility up to 1 cm2/(V s), as a function of gallium–indium-zinc-oxide ink formulation and two different annealing temperatures. These results validates the usage of electrolyte-gated transistors as a viable and promising alternative for nanoparticle based semiconductor devices as the electrolyte improves the interface and promotes a more efficient step coverage of the channel layer, reducing the operating voltage when compared with conventional dielectrics gating. Moreover, it is shown that by controlling the applied gate potential, the operation mechanism of the electrolyte-gated transistors can be modified from electric double layer to electrochemical doping.

{The complex {[}Ph4P](2){[}Cu(bdt)(2)] (1(red)) was synthesized by the reaction of {[}Ph4P]2{[}S2MoS2CuCl] with H2bdt (bdt = benzene-1,2-dithiolate) in basic medium. 1(red) is highly susceptible toward dioxygen, affording the one electron oxidized diamagnetic compound {[}Ph4P]{[}Cu(bdt)(2)] (1(ox)). The interconversion between these two oxidation states can be switched by addition of O-2 or base (Et4NOH = tetraethylammonium hydroxide), as demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry and UV-visible and EPR spectroscopies. Thiomolybdates, in free or complex forms with copper ions, play an important role in the stability of 1(red) during its synthesis, since in its absence, 1(ox) is isolated. Both 1(red) and 1(ox) were structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. EPR experiments showed that 1(red) is a Cu(II)-sulfur complex and revealed strong covalency on the copper-sulfur bonds. DFT calculations confirmed the spin density delocalization over the four sulfur atoms (76%) and copper (24%) atom, suggesting that 1(red) has a ``thiyl radical character{''}. Time dependent DFT calculations identified such ligand to ligand charge transfer transitions. Accordingly, 1(red) is better described by the two isoelectronic structures {[}Cu(I)(bdt(2), 4S(3-{*}))](2-) {[}Cu-II(bdt(2), 4S(4-))](2-). On thermodynamic grounds, oxidation of 1(red) (doublet state) leads to 1(ox) singlet state, {[}Cu-III(bd(t)2, 4S(4-))](1-).}