In the present work, the sol-gel synthesis method was employed as strategy to obtain a magnetic and mesoporous silica-niobia material. The planned synthesis was based on the hetero-condensation of niobium and silicon alkoxide precursors, in the presence of spherical magnetite particles. The resulting material presented interesting characteristics such as magnetism, large mesopores, in the range from 20 to 50 nm, and 68 m2 g-1 of surface area. These features allowed its use as modifier of carbon paste electrode for p-nitrophenol determination, since niobia has never been used in electrochemical sensors for the determination of nitrophenol compounds. By using differential pulse voltammetry technique, the electrode can be applied in a wide range of p-nitrophenol concentration, from 10 to 490 μmol L-1, with a limit of detection of 1.2 µmol L-1 and sensitivity up to 0.60 µA L µmol-1. The proposed electrode presented good sensitivity and selectivity and it was applied in real water samples.

Thin films containing silver nanoparticles homogeneously dispersed, with narrow size distribution below 10 nm, were synthesized on flat glass surface, by using an ionic silsesquioxane as stabilizer and crosslinking agent. The films can be prepared without previous functionalization of substrate surfaces and without addition of other components. The films were heat treated up to 200 ºC and characterized by ultraviolet-visible, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and ellipsometry. The films were thermally stable when heated up to 200 ºC, presenting the same thickness, and maintaining both optical and morphological properties of silver nanoparticles. The antibacterial activity of the films, containing the silver nanoparticles, was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus by using the film applicator coating method, showing an excellent performance even after the third cycle of sterilization.

Este artigo apresenta um procedimento para determinar a condutividade térmica de gases através de injeção por pulso, utilizando um detector de condutividade térmica (TCD). As medidas foram efetuadas à 323K e pressão atmosférica, com um sensor de filamento de tungstênio de 160 ômega. Através de aproximações bem definidas, foi possível transformar uma equação de segunda ordem não-linear, que descreve a saída do sensor como uma função de condutividade térmica e calor específico a volume constante (Cv), em uma equação linear de primeira ordem. De acordo com esta equação, o sinal elétrico do sensor, elevado ao quadrado e integrado em função do tempo, multiplicado pelo Cv, é proporcional a razão do Cv pela condutividade térmica. Os resultados experimentais obtidos com os gases Ar, N2, O2, CH4, CO2, C2H4, C3H6 e i-C4H8 estão de acordo com o modelo teórico proposto e a correlação de linearidade confirma a validade do método proposto.

This paper presents a procedure to determine the thermal conductivity of gases by pulse injection, using a thermal conductivity detector (TCD). The measurements are taken at 323K and atmospheric pressure with a 160 omega tungsten filament sensor. Under well defined approximations the original nonlinear second order equation, which describes the sensors output, as a function of thermal conductivity and constant volume specific heat was transformed into a linear first order equation. According to this equation the time integrated, second order sensors electrical output signal, multiplied by the constant volume heat capacity is proportional to the constant volume heat capacity, divided by the thermal conductivity. The experimental results obtained with Ar, N2, O2, CH4, CO2, C2H4, C3H6 and i-C4H8 gases are in good agreement with the proposed theoretical model and the linearity correlation confirms the validity of the proposed method.