Imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) with different cation alkyl chain ([i-C5mim] or [C4mim]) and inorganic anions ([Cl−], [Tf2N−], [PF6−] and [DCA−]) were synthesized and immobilized in commercial mesoporous silica. The synthesized supported ILs (SILs) were characterized using NMR, FTIR, TGA, BET, SEM and TEM. CO2 sorption capacity, reusability and CO2/N2 selectivity were assessed by the pressure-decay technique. The effects of IL concentration, cation and anion chemical structure in CO2 sorption capacity and CO2/N2 separation performance were evaluated. Tests evidenced that the presence of branching on the cation alkyl side chain increases CO2/N2 selectivity. The immobilization of the IL [i-C5TPIm][Cl] on mesoporous silica in different concentrations (50, 20, 10 and 5 %) revealed that lower IL concentration results in higher CO2 sorption capacity. Immobilization of ILs containing fluorinated anions at low concentrations in the mesoporous silica support may promote the improvement of the CO2/N2 selectivity without interfering on CO2 sorption capacity of the original support. CO2 sorption capacity value shown by sample SIL-5 % - [i-C5TPIm][Tf2N] (79.50 ± 0.70 mg CO2  g-1) was close to the value obtained for the pristine mesoporous silica (81.70 ± 2.20 mg CO2 g-1) and the selectivity (4.30 ± 0.70) was more than twice of the one obtained for the support alone (2.32 ± 0.4). Recycle tests demonstrated that the ILs immobilized in mesoporous silica samples are stable, providing a new option to be used in CO2 capture processes.

Microfluidic (MF) advancements have been leveraged toward the development of state-of-the-art platforms for molecular diagnostics, where isothermal amplification schemes allow for further simplification of DNA detection and quantification protocols. The MF integration with loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is today the focus of a new generation of chip-based devices for molecular detection, aiming at fast and automated nucleic acid analysis. Here, we combined MF with droplet digital LAMP (ddLAMP) on an all-in-one device that allows for droplet generation, target amplification, and absolute quantification. This multilayer 3D chip was developed in less than 30 minutes by using a low-cost and extremely adaptable production process that exploits direct laser writing technology in “Shrinky-dinks” polystyrene sheets. ddLAMP and target quantification were performed directly on-chip, showing a high correlation between target concentration and positive droplet score. We validated this integrated chip via the amplification of targets ranging from five to 500,000 copies/reaction. Furthermore, on-chip amplification was performed in a 10 µL volume, attaining a limit of detection of five copies/µL under 60 min. This technology was applied to quantify a cancer biomarker, c-MYC, but it can be further extended to any other disease biomarker.

The mitigation of climate change effects requires the use of alternative materials and technologies to control CO2 atmospheric levels through its capture, storage and use. In this field, the current work presents the evaluation of two poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) (poly-1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazolium acetate and hydroxide) combined with free ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidolium acetate (BMI·OAc) for CO2 capture. The sorption capacity of PIL@IL composites was evaluated under 20 bar of CO2 at 298 K. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy allowed quantification of CO2 sorption (physisorption and/or chemisorption) and in situ study of the PIL−CO2 interaction mechanism. NMR in combination with Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations suggested a 3D organization of PIL composites, maintaining a similar organization to ILs. Also, the use of aqueous solutions of PIL@IL composites was tested, identifying the optimum conditions for water activation (intrinsic water trapped inside IL structure) for chemisorption. As our main contribution, we demonstrate the possibility to control the sorption pathway towards CO2 physisorption, or CO2 conversion (chemisorption) through carbonation (HCO3−/CO32-) according to the PIL/IL ratio, ions structure and water amount. The use of PIL/IL composites is a promising advance for further CO2 reuse approaching a biomimetic carbonation process.

The relationship between linear chain (ethylene oxide units) length of polymerisable monomers with morphology, electro-optical properties and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of the corresponding polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films was investigated. The preferred liquid crystal molecule alignment and permanent memory effect of PDLC were greatly influenced by the length of the molecular chain of prepolymers to be incorporated as a polymer matrix. By increasing the number of ethylene oxide in prepolymer chain and maintaining the number of functionalities (polymerisable groups in each monomer molecule), the permanent memory effect of PDLC increased, as proved by solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy.

Rapid, real-time, and non-invasive identification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
and gases is an increasingly relevant field, with applications in areas such as healthcare, agriculture,
or industry. Ideal characteristics of VOC and gas sensing devices used for artificial olfaction include
portability and affordability, low power consumption, fast response, high selectivity, and sensitivity.
Microfluidics meets all these requirements and allows for in situ operation and small sample amounts,
providing many advantages compared to conventional methods using sophisticated apparatus such
as gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. This review covers the work accomplished so far
regarding microfluidic devices for gas sensing and artificial olfaction. Systems utilizing electrical
and optical transduction, as well as several system designs engineered throughout the years are
summarized, and future perspectives in the field are discussed.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are among the most studied and promising materials for selective CO2 capture and transformation. The high CO2 sorption capacity associated with the possibility to activate this rather stable molecule through stabilization of ionic/radical species or covalent interactions either with the cation or anion has opened new avenues for CO2 functionalization. However, recent reports have demonstrated that another simpler and plausible pathway is also involved in the sorption/activation of CO2 by ILs associated with basic anions. Bare ILs or IL solutions contain almost invariable significant amounts of water and through interaction with CO2 generate carbonates/bicarbonates rather than carbamic acids or amidates. In these cases, the IL acts as a base and not a nucleophile and yields buffer‐like solutions that can be used to shift the equilibrium toward acid products in different CO2 reutilization reactions. In this Minireview, the emergence of IL buffer‐like solutions as a new reactivity paradigm in CO2 capture and activation is described and analyzed critically, mainly through the evaluation of NMR data.

Peri-implantitis is an infectious disease that affects about one of five patients who receive a dental implant within 5 years after the surgery. To minimize this reaction the development of new biomaterials with antibacterial action is needed that can be used as a coating material in orthodontic implants. In addition, these biomaterials can be doped with several ions, which add specific properties that may act at the cellular level, such as increasing the angiogenesis efficiency. In this work, 45S5 Bioglass® has been used as the base material because it presents higher bioactivity compared to other biomaterials. To add antibacterial function and increase positive effects on bone metabolism, zinc and magnesium ions were introduced in the glass network. The main objective was the synthesis of the 45S5 glass by melt-quenching and study the biological performance as function of the zinc and magnesium concentrations. The structural and biological properties of the prepared samples are discussed.

High Strength Concrete (HSC) slab–column connections with relatively low concrete strengths compared to today’s capabilities have been tested under seismic-type loading in the past. Herein, the hybrid use of HSC with compressive strength around 120 MPa and Normal Strength Concrete (NSC) is investigated through three reversed horizontal cyclic loading tests with different geometries of the HSC region and a reference NSC specimen. The results show that HSC applied in the vicinity of the column can significantly enhance the seismic performance of slab–column connections. The best result in terms of drift capacity and economic use of HSC was achieved in the case of full-depth HSC extended from the column’s face up to 2.5 times the effective depth. Drift ratios up to 3.0% were achieved. A comparison with previous tests showed that the hybrid use of HSC and NSC can achieve similar results to the provision of punching shear reinforcement.