A multiplexed phospholipid membrane platform for curvature sensitive protein screening.

The curvature of lipid membranes plays a key role in many relevant biological processes such as membrane trafficking, vesicular budding and host-virus interactions. In vitro studies on the membrane curvature of simplified biomimetic models in the nanometer range are challenging, due to their complicated nanofabrication processes. In this work, we propose a simple and low-cost platform for curvature sensitive protein screening, prepared through scanning probe lithography (SPL) methods, where lipid bilayer patches of different compositions can be multiplexed onto substrate areas with tailored local curvature. The curvature is imposed by anchoring nanoparticles of the desired size to the substrate prior to lithography. As a proof of principle, we demonstrate that a positive curvature membrane sensitive protein derived from the BAR domain of Nadrin2 binds selectively to lipid patches patterned on substrate areas coated with 100 nm nanoparticles. The platform opens up a path for screening curvature-dependent protein-membrane interaction studies by providing a flexible and easy to prepare substrate with control over lipid composition and membrane curvature.

Carbon Dioxide Hydrogenation by Means of Plasmonic Resonance Activation in Silica Aerogel Media.

Surface Plasmon Resonance can be used to activate zinc oxide/copper catalysts in order to perform the carbon dioxide hydrogenation reaction by means of light energy, avoiding high-temperature processes. The synthesis and impregnation methods have been designed to fill glass microreactors with ZnO/Cu nanoparticles supported on transparent silica aerogels to maximize the light absorbed by the catalyst. A LED device surrounding the glass microreactors provided white light to activate the catalyst homogeneously throughout the reactor. Temperature, pressure, amount of catalyst and gases flow were studied as possible variables to enhance the process trying to maximize CO2 conversion rates, achieving the best results working at high pressures. The use of transparent SiO2 Aerogels as supports for photocatalytic gas phase reactions even under high-pressure conditions is demonstrated.

Novel windows for "solar commodities": a device for CO2 reduction using plasmonic catalyst activation.

A novel plasmonic reactor concept is proposed and tested to work as a visible energy harvesting device while allowing reactions to transform CO2 to be carried out. Particularly the reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction has been tested as a means to introduce renewable energy into the economy. The development of the new reactor concept involved the synthesis of a new composite capable of plasmonic activation with light, the development of an impregnation method to create a single catalyst reactor entity, and finally the assembly of a reaction system to test the reaction. The composite developed was based on a Cu/ZnO catalyst dispersed into transparent aerogels. This allows efficient light transmission and a high surface area for the catalyst. An effective yet simple impregnation method was developed that allowed introduction of the composites into glass microchannels. The activation of the reaction was made using LEDs that covered all the sides of the reactor allowing a high power delivery. The results of the reaction show a stable process capable of low temperature transformations.