Innovative Materials, Technologies, and Sensors

A special issue of Chemosensors (ISSN 2227-9040). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials for Chemical Sensing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 18892

Special Issue Editors

1. Department of Polymers and Advanced Matererials, University Basque Country, UPV/EHU, 20018 San Sebastian, Spain
2. EHU Quantum Center, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Spain and IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48011 Bilbao, Spain
Interests: magnetic materials and applications; amorphous nano-crystalline and granular magnetic materials; hysteretic magnetic properties; magnetic wires; transport properties (giant magneto-impedance effect, magneto-resistance); magnetic sensors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, 2 Dublin, Ireland
Interests: infrared and Raman spectroscopy of condensed matter; semiconductor quantum dots; silicon photonic crystals; 2D materials; metal nanoparticles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
1. Department of Advanced Polymers and Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, Chemistry Faculty, University of Basque Country, UPV/EHU, 20018 San Sebastian, Spain
2. Department Applied Physics I, Escuela de Ingeniería de Gipuzkoa, EIG, University of Basque Country, UPV/EHU, 20018 San Sebastian, Spain
Interests: advanced magnetic materials; amorphous; nanocrystalline and granular magnetic materials; post-processing of magnetic materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Progress in technology and engineering is greatly affected by the development of advanced functional materials with improved properties. Most industrial sectors, such as construction, automobile and aerospace industries, microelectronics, sensors, medicine, security, etc., demand cost-effective materials with tunable and optimized properties (i.e., enhanced physical (magnetic or mechanical) or chemical characteristics, biocompatibility, etc.).

Another challenge is related to the miniaturization of modern devices, which tends to stimulate a rapid development of micro- and nano-scale magnetic materials, including nanostructured thin films, micro- and nano-wires, nano-dots, and nanoparticle assemblies.

Additionally, most materials’ physical and chemical properties need optimization in order to be suitable for technological applications. Materials engineering is intrinsically related to the understanding and application of the fundamental principles and laws of nature allowing the transformation at an industrial level of raw material and energy into products useful to society. However, the insecure supplies of critical materials (i.e., rare-earth or Co) could hinder the development of new technologies related to massive applications. Accordingly, the development of novel technologies and applications is critically affected by the development of new cost-effective materials and by the improvement of the physical properties of existing materials.

The overall goal of this Special Issue is to provide the most up-to-date information about recent developments of cost-effective and innovative materials with advanced functional properties, made suitable for technological applications. Both reviews and original research papers will be considered. Reviews should provide an up-to-date, well-balanced overview of the current state of the art of a particular application and include main results from different groups.

This Special Issue aims to  promote research and developmental activities in Innovative Engineering Materials and Process Engineering.

Potential topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

New advanced functional materials: Ceramics and Glasses, Composites, Amorphous Materials, Biomaterials

Multifunctional Materials, Magnetic Materials

Development of innovative technologies and materials

Properties optimization techniques

Chemical and physical engineering fundamentals

Chemical and physical engineering equipment design and process design

Materials Manufacturing and Processing

Nanomanufacturing and Nanomaterials

Environmental engineering and sustainable development

Multiscale modeling

Materials for chemical sensing

Nano- and micro-technologies

Chemical and Physical sensing materials and techniques

Materials Design

Prof. Dr. Arcady Zhukov
Prof. Dr. Tatiana Perova
Prof. Dr. Valentina Zhukova
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Chemosensors is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • advanced materials
  • innovating technologies and materials, properties optimization techniques, chemical and physical properties, biological processes, sensors

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1982 KiB  
Article
Detection of Polynitro Compounds at Low Concentrations by SERS Using Ni@Au Nanotubes
by Alena Shumskaya, Elizaveta Kozhina, Sergey Bedin, Stepan Andreev, Ekaterina Kulesh, Alexander Rogachev, Maxim Yarmolenko, Ilya Korolkov, Artem Kozlovskiy, Maksim Zdorovets, Viktor Belyaev, Valeriya Rodionova and Larissa Panina
Chemosensors 2022, 10(8), 306; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors10080306 - 02 Aug 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1585
Abstract
The identification of high-energy compounds in trace concentrations not only in the laboratory, but also in field conditions is of particular interest. The process should be clear, easy, and well-recognizable. We formed SERS-active substrates by using elongated nickel nanotubes synthesized by electrochemical deposition [...] Read more.
The identification of high-energy compounds in trace concentrations not only in the laboratory, but also in field conditions is of particular interest. The process should be clear, easy, and well-recognizable. We formed SERS-active substrates by using elongated nickel nanotubes synthesized by electrochemical deposition in the pores of ion-track membranes and coated them with gold for further application in the detection of low concentrations of analytes. The substrates were characterized using various techniques to determine the morphology of the nanotubes and modifying gold layer. The possibility of obtaining two types of gold-layer morphology was shown: in the form of a smooth film up to 20–50 nm thick and a coating with nanoneedles up to 250 nm long. The electric fields around the nanotubes were simulated at a laser wavelength of 532 nm to demonstrate the influence of the gold-layer morphology on the field distribution. The “needle” morphology was chosen to form the most effective SERS-active substrates for detection of low concentrations of aromatic polynitro compounds. The spectral peaks were identified by comparing the model and experimental Raman spectra at concentrations down to 10−5 M. Within this limit, all peaks (“fingerprints” of the substance) were clearly distinguishable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Materials, Technologies, and Sensors)
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13 pages, 3095 KiB  
Article
Fabrication and Magneto-Structural Properties of Co2-Based Heusler Alloy Glass-Coated Microwires with High Curie Temperature
by Mohamed Salaheldeen, Alfonso Garcia-Gomez, Mihail Ipatov, Paula Corte-Leon, Valentina Zhukova, Juan Maria Blanco and Arcady Zhukov
Chemosensors 2022, 10(6), 225; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors10060225 - 14 Jun 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2148
Abstract
In this work, we were able to produce Co2FeSi Heusler alloy glass-covered microwires with a metallic nucleus diameter of about 4.4 µm and total sample diameter of about 17.6 μm by the Taylor–Ulitovsky Technique. This low cost and single step fabrication [...] Read more.
In this work, we were able to produce Co2FeSi Heusler alloy glass-covered microwires with a metallic nucleus diameter of about 4.4 µm and total sample diameter of about 17.6 μm by the Taylor–Ulitovsky Technique. This low cost and single step fabrication process allowed the preparation of up to kilometers long glass-coated microwires starting from a few grams of high purity inexpensive elements (Co, Fe and Si), for a wide range of applications. From the X-ray diffraction, XRD, analysis of the metallic nucleus, it was shown that the structure consists of a mixture of crystalline and amorphous phases. The single and wide crystalline peak was attributed to a L21 crystalline structure (5.640 Å), with a possible B2 disorder. In addition, nanocrystalline structure with an average grain size, Dg = 17.8 nm, and crystalline phase content of about 52% was obtained. The magnetic measurements indicated a well-defined magnetic anisotropy for all ranges of temperature. Moreover, soft magnetic behavior was observed for the temperature measuring range of 5–1000 K. Strong dependence of the magnetic properties on the applied magnetic field and temperature was observed. Zero field cooling and field cooling magnetization curves showed large irreversibility magnetic behavior with a blocking temperature (TB = 205 K). The in-plane magnetization remanence and coercivity showed quite different behavior with temperature, due to the existence of different magnetic phases induced from the internal stress created by the glass-coated layer. Moreover, a high Curie temperature was reported (Tc ≈ 1059 K), which predisposes this material to being a suitable candidate for high temperature spintronic applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Materials, Technologies, and Sensors)
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0 pages, 3704 KiB  
Article
Self-Assembled Corn-Husk-Shaped Fullerene Crystals as Excellent Acid Vapor Sensors
by Zexuan Wei, Jingwen Song, Renzhi Ma, Katsuhiko Ariga and Lok Kumar Shrestha
Chemosensors 2022, 10(1), 16; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors10010016 - 02 Jan 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2141 | Correction
Abstract
Low-molecular-weight acid vapors cause aging and destruction in material processing. In this paper, facile fabrication of novel corn-husk-shaped fullerene C60 crystals (CHFCs) through the dynamic liquid–liquid interfacial precipitation method is reported. The CHFCs were grown at the liquid–liquid interface between isopropyl alcohol [...] Read more.
Low-molecular-weight acid vapors cause aging and destruction in material processing. In this paper, facile fabrication of novel corn-husk-shaped fullerene C60 crystals (CHFCs) through the dynamic liquid–liquid interfacial precipitation method is reported. The CHFCs were grown at the liquid–liquid interface between isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and a saturated solution of C60 in mesitylene under ambient temperature and pressure conditions. The average length, outer diameter, and inner diameter of CHFCs were ca. 2.88 μm, 672 nm, and 473 nm, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed the CHFCs exhibit a mixed face-centered cubic (fcc) and hexagonal-close pack (hcp) crystal phases with lattice parameters a = 1.425 nm, V = 2.899 nm3 for fcc phase and a = 2.182 nm, c = 0.936 nm, a/c ratio = 2.33, and V = 3.859 nm3 for hcp phase. The CHFCs possess mesoporous structure as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen sorption analysis. The specific surface area and the pore volume were ca. 57.3 m2 g−1 and 0.149 cm3 g−1, respectively, are higher than the nonporous pristine fullerene C60. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensing results show the excellent sensing performance CHFCs sensitive to acetic acid vapors due to the enhanced diffusion via mesoporous architecture and hollow structure of the CHFCs, demonstrating the potential of the material for the development of a new sensor system for aliphatic acid vapors sensing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Materials, Technologies, and Sensors)
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14 pages, 44348 KiB  
Article
Bottom-Up Synthesis of Mesoporous TiO2 Films for the Development of Optical Sensing Layers
by David Ortiz de Zárate, Sara Serna, Salvador Ponce-Alcántara, Miroslavna Kovylina and Jaime García-Rupérez
Chemosensors 2021, 9(12), 329; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors9120329 - 25 Nov 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2222
Abstract
Many optical sensors exploit the interesting properties of porous materials, as they ensure a stronger interaction between the light and the analyte directly within the optical structure. Most porous optical sensors are mainly based on porous silicon and anodized aluminum oxide, showing high [...] Read more.
Many optical sensors exploit the interesting properties of porous materials, as they ensure a stronger interaction between the light and the analyte directly within the optical structure. Most porous optical sensors are mainly based on porous silicon and anodized aluminum oxide, showing high sensitivities. However, the top-down strategies usually employed to produce those materials might offer a limited control over the properties of the porous layer, which could affect the homogeneity, reducing the sensor reproducibility. In this work, we present the bottom-up synthesis of mesoporous TiO2 Fabry-Pérot optical sensors displaying high sensitivity, high homogeneity, and low production cost, making this platform a very promising candidate for the development of high-performance optical sensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Materials, Technologies, and Sensors)
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12 pages, 1484 KiB  
Article
Optimized 3D Finite-Difference-Time-Domain Algorithm to Model the Plasmonic Properties of Metal Nanoparticles with Near-Unity Accuracy
by Mehran Rafiee, Subhash Chandra, Hind Ahmed and Sarah J. McCormack
Chemosensors 2021, 9(5), 114; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors9050114 - 20 May 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3090
Abstract
The finite difference time domain (FDTD) method is a grid-based, robust, and straightforward method to model the optical properties of metal nanoparticles (MNPs). Modelling accuracy and optical properties can be enhanced by increasing FDTD grid resolution; however, the resolution of the grid size [...] Read more.
The finite difference time domain (FDTD) method is a grid-based, robust, and straightforward method to model the optical properties of metal nanoparticles (MNPs). Modelling accuracy and optical properties can be enhanced by increasing FDTD grid resolution; however, the resolution of the grid size is limited by the memory and computational requirements. In this paper, a 3D optimized FDTD (OFDTD) was designed and developed, which introduced new FDTD approximation terms based on the physical events occurring during the plasmonic oscillations in MNP. The proposed method not only required ~52% less memory than conventional FDTD, but also reduced the calculation requirements by ~9%. The 3D OFDTD method was used to model and obtain the extinction spectrum, localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) frequency, and the electric field enhancement factor (EF) for spherical silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). The model’s predicted results were compared with traditional FDTD as well as experimental results to validate the model. The OFDTD results were found to be in excellent agreement with the experimental results. The EF accuracy was improved by 74% with respect to FDTD simulation, which helped reaching a near-unity OFDTD accuracy of ~99%. The λLSPR discrepancy reduced from 20 nm to 3 nm. The EF peak position discrepancy improved from ±5.5 nm to only ±0.5 nm. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Materials, Technologies, and Sensors)
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19 pages, 2693 KiB  
Article
Electrospun Fibres of Chitosan/PVP for the Effective Chemotherapeutic Drug Delivery of 5-Fluorouracil
by Jamie J. Grant, Suresh C. Pillai, Tatiana S. Perova, Sarah Hehir, Steven J. Hinder, Marion McAfee and Ailish Breen
Chemosensors 2021, 9(4), 70; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors9040070 - 31 Mar 2021
Cited by 41 | Viewed by 4427
Abstract
Electrospun nanofibrous mats consisting of chitosan (CS) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were constructed. Tuning of solution and process parameters was performed and resulted in an electrospun system containing a 6:4 ratio of PVP:CS. This is a significant increase in the proportion of spun CS [...] Read more.
Electrospun nanofibrous mats consisting of chitosan (CS) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were constructed. Tuning of solution and process parameters was performed and resulted in an electrospun system containing a 6:4 ratio of PVP:CS. This is a significant increase in the proportion of spun CS on the previously reported highest ratio PVP:CS blend. SEM analysis showed that the nanofibrous mats with 4 wt% CS/6 wt% PVP (sample E) comprised homogenous, uniform fibres with an average diameter of 0.569 μm. XPS analysis showed that the surface of the samples consisted of PVP. Raman and FTIR analysis revealed intermolecular interactions (via H-bonding) between PVP and CS. In FTIR spectra, the contribution of chitosan to CS/PVP complexes was shown by the downshift of the C=O band and by the linear increase in intensity of C-O stretching in CS. XPS analysis showed a smaller shift at the binding energy 531 eV, which relates to the amide of the acetylated functional groups. The obtained results demonstrate a sensitivity of Raman and FTIR tests to the presence of chitosan in PVP:CS blend. The chemotherapy drug 5-Fu was incorporated into the constructs and cell viability studies were performed. WST-8 viability assay showed that exposure of A549 human alveolar basal epithelial cells to 10 mg/mL 5-Fu loaded fibres was most effective at killing cells over 24 h. On the other hand, the constructs with loading of 1 mg/mL of drug were not efficient at killing A549 human alveolar basal epithelial cells. This study showed that CS/PVP/5-Fu constructs have potential in chemotherapeutic drug delivery systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Materials, Technologies, and Sensors)
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21 pages, 4010 KiB  
Review
Review of Helical Magnetic Structures in Magnetic Microwires
by Alexander Chizhik, Julian Gonzalez, Arcady Zhukov and Przemyslaw Gawronski
Chemosensors 2022, 10(8), 291; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors10080291 - 23 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1869
Abstract
We provide an overview of the helical magnetic structures in magnetic microwires. Having analyzed the experimental data describing the magnetic behavior of magnetic microwires since the 1990s, we found indirect evidence of the existence of various types of helical magnetic structures. Purposeful research [...] Read more.
We provide an overview of the helical magnetic structures in magnetic microwires. Having analyzed the experimental data describing the magnetic behavior of magnetic microwires since the 1990s, we found indirect evidence of the existence of various types of helical magnetic structures. Purposeful research has allowed us to discover the spiral magnetic structure as one of the most unusual helical structures. A comparison of the spiral structure with another type of helical structure—elliptical—was carried out. In the analysis, emphasis was placed on the length of the domain wall as one of the most important parameters. The difference in the dynamic properties of the spiral and elliptical domain walls has been demonstrated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Materials, Technologies, and Sensors)
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