Los materiales nanoestructurados en nuestra vida diaria. Entrevista a Rosa Menéndez.
Entrevista realizada por Lorena Cabeza (DIVULGA) para Profes.net
Rosa Menéndez nació en Corollos, Asturias, en 1956. Tras graduarse en Química y doctorarse en esta misma disciplina por la Universidad de Oviedo en 1986, pudo llevar a cabo varias estancias postdoctorales en Inglaterra y Estados Unidos. En 1989 se incorpora al Instituto Nacional del Carbón del CSIC, donde actualmente lleva a cabo su trabajo como profesora de investigación. Entre los años 2003 y 2008 ha sido directora de este instituto, y entre 2008 y 2009 ostentó el cargo de vicepresidenta de Investigación Científica y Técnica del CSIC. Es autora de más de 160 artículos en revistas científicas de impacto y ha dirigido 16 tesis doctorales. Su investigación se centra en la química de los materiales y la energía, y en concreto en la mejora de los procesos de conversión del carbón y la puesta en valor de sus derivados y los del petróleo. También dirige una línea de investigación sobre la síntesis química del grafeno, un material que puede revolucionar nuestras vidas en un futuro cercano.
¿Qué trabajo lleva a cabo en el INCAR?
R.- Desde comienzos de los años 90 venimos desarrollando materiales de carbono de características muy distintas, como fibras de carbono, materiales compuestos, carbones activados y en los últimos años materiales grafénicos. Partiendo de derivados del carbón y del petróleo, preparamos precursores específicos para cada tipo de material. Y el material, a su vez, viene condicionado por la aplicación para la que está previsto. Nuestros materiales encuentran aplicación en el sector aeronáutico, con materiales compuestos; el almacenamiento de energía, con carbones activados y grafenos; la catálisis, con carbones activados y grafenos; y el medio ambiente, con carbones activados y grafenos para la eliminación de contaminantes en vertidos industriales.
¿Qué son los materiales nanoestructurados? ¿Cuál es su ventaja respecto a otros materiales convencionales?
R.- Desde que se comenzó a trabajar en nanotecnología, en la década de los 80, se han tratado de desarrollar nuevos métodos de producción de materiales constituidos por cristales de un tamaño inferior a los 100 nanómetros, los llamados materiales nanoestructurados. Cuando se reduce el tamaño de los materiales al rango nanométrico, se inducen diferencias en sus propiedades físicas. También los procesos superficiales se ven fuertemente alterados. Por ello, un control preciso de las dimensiones de los materiales en el rango de los nanómetros nos permite variar sus propiedades. Esto abre la puerta al diseño de materiales para mercados muy diversos como las aplicaciones biomédicas, ópticas, en energía, etc.
¿Están presentes los materiales nanoestructurados en nuestra vida diaria?
R.- Lo están desde hace años. Por ejemplo, los ordenadores han experimentado desde los años 90 mejoras muy importantes debido precisamente al uso de materiales nanoestructurados. Los paneles solares fabricados con nanomateriales también permiten minimizar el empleo de bloques de silicio. Otros materiales comunes que contienen nanopartículas son las cremas solares, donde se emplean para absorber la radiación UV, además de para facilitar su incorporación a la piel. También se emplean nanopartículas de plata como agentes biocidas para minimizar el riesgo de contraer infecciones. Los nanomateriales también están presentes en el deporte: bicicletas con nanotubos de carbono, raquetas de tenis reforzadas con estos nanotubos, etc. Y todavía son muchas más las aplicaciones que se esperan en los próximos años: leds fabricados a partir de puntos cuánticos mucho más baratos que los actuales, materiales capaces de introducirse en nuestro cuerpo y atacar selectivamente células cancerígenas, etc.
¿Son estos materiales seguros?
R.- La mayoría de los nanomateriales no son más peligrosos que sus equivalentes “macro”. Por ejemplo, los materiales en forma de películas delgadas que conforman las memorias de los ordenadores no son más dañinas por el hecho de ser nano. En general, debemos distinguir dos casos: uno, los nanomateriales adheridos a otros materiales, que no resultan más peligrosas que las micropartículas correspondientes (depende solo de su naturaleza: el arsénico es igual de tóxico nanoestructurado o no); y dos, nanopartículas dispersas en el aire, que pueden resultar más peligrosas al ser inhaladas.
¿Cuáles son los materiales avanzados más prometedores en los que se está investigando?
R.- El mundo de los materiales es muy amplio, pero todo lo relacionado con nanomateriales, láminas delgadas y materiales inteligentes está dentro de lo más prometedor. En concreto, existen grandes expectativas en relación con los materiales grafénicos por su gran potencial para aplicaciones que van desde el campo de las comunicaciones y microelectrónica a otros ámbitos como la química fina y la energía, en producción y almacenamiento. Se trata de un material con unas propiedades electrónicas únicas, además de una especial resistencia y flexibilidad.
¿Qué características son las que hacen del grafeno un material tan especial?
R.- El grafeno, formado por una capa de átomos de carbono, es a la vez metálico, flexible y transparente. Es resistente, sus constantes elásticas son las más altas que se han medido en un material, y admite tensiones muy elevadas sin romperse. Es además muy impermeable, ya que no permite el paso de átomos y moléculas a pesar de su pequeño espesor. Desde el punto de vista químico es un material inerte.
¿En qué aplicaciones concretas se espera que se use?
R.- El hecho de presentar unas excelentes propiedades mecánicas, térmicas, eléctricas y ópticas, le convierte en candidato para un gran número de aplicaciones en áreas tan diversas como la nanoelectrónica, los sensores moleculares, las telecomunicaciones, los componentes mecánicos, en forma de material compuesto, almacenamiento de energía y salud, por ejemplo, en la liberación controlada de fármacos.
¿En qué fase se encuentra la investigación sobre grafenos?
R.- La investigación sobre grafenos avanza de forma rápida, a pasos agigantados científicamente hablando. En estos momentos el objetivo es buscar procesos que permitan su obtención en grandes cantidades, de forma competitiva desde el punto de vista económico y energético, y respetando el medio ambiente. Las expectativas superan con creces a las planteadas por los fullerenos y nanotubos de carbono en su día, y parecen estar más próximas a su materialización. Tienen la ventaja de la variedad y simplicidad de los procesos y de la variedad en la calidad de los materiales, con lo que pueden ser utilizados en aplicaciones muy diversas. Para la utilización masiva de los grafenos todavía queda mucho camino por recorrer y mucha investigación por realizar.
¿Cómo se obtiene el grafeno?
R.- Se utilizan fundamentalmente dos vías para su síntesis, a partir del grafito o materiales grafíticos: mediante la separación de las láminas de grafeno individuales mecánicamente o por vía química -lo que se denomina método top-down-, y mediante síntesis química o depósito en fase de vapor a partir de moléculas más pequeñas –el método bottom-up-. La primera incluye también la obtención de grafenos mediante apertura de nanotubos. Cada una de ellas dispone de un amplio abanico de precursores y condiciones de proceso que enriquecen o dificultan, según se mire, la consecución del material final. En nuestro grupo los estamos preparando por vía química, utilizando distintos grafitos de partida y aplicando distintos procedimientos de reducción, y también por apertura de nanofibras y nanotubos, y mediante exfoliación mecánica del grafito.
Y, ¿qué hay de los fullerenos?
R.- Los fullerenos han marcado un hito desde el punto de vista científico. Se mostró al mundo una nueva forma de carbono que nadie hubiese imaginado. Supusieron un salto cualitativo en la ciencia del carbono, hasta entonces basada en las dos formas alotrópicas conocidas por todos, el grafito y el diamante. Se ha trabajado intensamente en la búsqueda de aplicaciones para este material en campos como la biomedicina o la energía, pero en mi opinión no se han consolidado y siguen siendo materia de investigación después de más de veinte años. También es relevante el que abrieran el camino al descubrimiento de los nanotubos de carbono, que sí se están produciendo a escala industrial y están ampliando considerablemente su rango de aplicaciones.
Felt mildly happier after reading, which sounds silly but is true, and a look at skinbeaute extended that small mood lift, content that improves rather than degrades my mental state is content I want more of and the cumulative effect of reading sites that lift versus sites that drag is real over time.
Worth recommending broadly to anyone who reads on the topic, and a look at heidiharrington only confirms that, the rare combination of accessibility and depth in this site makes it suitable for both newcomers and people who already know the area which is hard to pull off in any blog format today and rarely managed.
Once I had read three posts the editorial pattern was clear, and a look at appalpha confirmed the pattern from a fourth angle, sites where the underlying approach reveals itself through accumulated reading rather than being announced are sites with real depth and this one has that quality clearly visible across multiple pieces consistently.
Just dropping by to say thanks for the effort, it does not go unnoticed when a writer cares this much about the reader, and after I went through puntersa I was certain this is one of the better corners of the internet for this particular kind of content which is genuinely refreshing.
Just want to recognise that someone clearly cared about how this turned out, and a look at robertbernard confirmed that care extends across the broader site, you can feel the difference between content shipped to hit a deadline and content released because the writer was actually proud of the result for once.
Reading this slowly and letting each paragraph land before moving on, and a stop at sagestack earned the same patient approach, content that rewards slow reading rather than speed is content with real density and the writers here are clearly producing work that benefits from the careful eye rather than the rushed scan.
Clean writing, easy to read, and never tries too hard to impress, that combination is harder to find than people think, and after my time on eatworld I am sure this site treats its readers well, no flashy tricks just useful content done right which is honestly all I want online.
Now considering carefully how to share this site with the right audience rather than broadcasting widely, and a look at voltajapan extended that careful sharing impulse, content worth sharing carefully rather than spamming is content that has earned a higher kind of recommendation and this site has earned that careful shareability throughout pieces.
Liked the careful selection of which details to include and which to skip, and a stop at jillspence reflected the same editorial judgement, knowing what to leave out is just as important as knowing what to include and this site has clearly figured out where that line sits for the topics it covers regularly.
Liked that the post resisted a sales pitch ending, and a stop at alpineapp maintained the no pitch approach, content that ends without trying to convert me into a customer or subscriber is content that has confidence in its own value and this site is clearly playing the long game on reader trust.
Reading the writers other posts after this one suggests the quality is consistent rather than peak, and a stop at biffya confirmed the consistent quality reading, sites that hold the same level across many pieces rather than peaking on a few are sites with sustainable editorial discipline and this one has clearly developed that.
Liked that the post resisted a sales pitch ending, and a stop at susanallen maintained the no pitch approach, content that ends without trying to convert me into a customer or subscriber is content that has confidence in its own value and this site is clearly playing the long game on reader trust.
Closed the laptop after this and let the ideas settle for a few hours, and a stop at asymmetriesa similarly rewarded reflective time, content that benefits from sitting with rather than racing past is the kind I want more of and the kind that this site appears to consistently produce week after week here.
Reading this slowly because the writing rewards a slower pace, and a stop at appvineyard did the same, the pace at which I read content is something I now use as a quality signal and writing that earns a slower pace earns my attention as a reader looking for substance these days.
Started imagining how I would explain the topic to someone else after reading, and a look at carsicka gave me more material for that imagined explanation, content that improves my own ability to discuss a topic is content that has actually transferred knowledge rather than just decorating my screen for a few minutes.
Now adding this to a list of sites I want to see flourish, and a stop at solidstack reinforced that wish, the few sites I actively root for are sites that produce the kind of work I want more of in the world and this one has joined that small list based on what I have read so far.
Honestly impressed by how much useful content sits in such a small post, and a stop at canvasgraffiti confirmed the rest of the site packs a similar punch, density without confusion is a hard balance to strike and this site has clearly cracked the code on it across many different topic areas covered.
Genuine reaction is that I will probably think about this on and off for a few days, and a look at andreastewart added fuel to that, the best content lingers in your head after you close the tab rather than evaporating immediately and this site clearly knows how to write that kind of memorable content.
Learned something from this without having to dig through layers of fluff, and a stop at develite added a bit more context that helped tie things together for me, definitely a useful corner of the internet for anyone who wants real information without the usual marketing nonsense around it that often ruins similar pages.
Honest assessment is that this is one of the better short reads I have had this week, and a look at bulbula reinforced that, the bar for short content is low because most of it sacrifices substance for brevity but this site manages both at once which is harder than it sounds for most writers attempting it.
Felt mildly happier after reading, which sounds silly but is true, and a look at charlesking extended that small mood lift, content that improves rather than degrades my mental state is content I want more of and the cumulative effect of reading sites that lift versus sites that drag is real over time.
Big thanks to whoever wrote this, you saved me a lot of time hunting for the same info on other sites, and a stop at sagepixel only added more useful detail without going off topic, that kind of focus is honestly hard to come across these days when most posts wander everywhere.
Well done, the kind of post that makes you slow down and actually read instead of skimming for keywords, and a look at knavea kept me reading carefully too, that is a sign of writing that has been crafted rather than churned out for an algorithm to see today and tomorrow.
Felt mildly happier after reading, which sounds silly but is true, and a look at dawncore extended that small mood lift, content that improves rather than degrades my mental state is content I want more of and the cumulative effect of reading sites that lift versus sites that drag is real over time.
Thank you for being clear and direct, that simple approach saves so much frustration on the reader’s end, and a stop at thrivereach only made me more sure of it, the rest of the content seems to follow the same pattern which is a great sign of consistent editorial care behind the scenes.
Liked the careful selection of which details to include and which to skip, and a stop at clementecenter reflected the same editorial judgement, knowing what to leave out is just as important as knowing what to include and this site has clearly figured out where that line sits for the topics it covers regularly.
A thoughtful piece that did not strain to be thoughtful, and a look at nanothailand continued that effortless quality, when thinking shows up in writing without the writer drawing attention to it you know you are reading something genuinely considered rather than something performing the appearance of consideration which is also common online.
Decided this was the best thing I had read all morning, and a stop at myriadcloud kept that ranking intact, ranking my reading is something I do mentally throughout the day and the top rank is competitive and not easily won but this site won it without needing to overstate its claims for that.
Useful information presented in a way that does not feel like a sales pitch, that is what I appreciated most, and a stop at bradleyhart was the same, no upsell and no fake urgency just steady content laid out properly for someone trying to actually learn from it rather than just be sold to.
Solid quality, the kind of work that holds up to a careful read rather than a quick skim, and a quick look at starfleeta kept that standard going strong, content that rewards attention rather than punishing it is something I appreciate more and more these days online across nearly every topic I follow.
Thanks again for the post, I learned a couple of things I can actually use later this week, and after I went over mariesnyder the rest of the site looked equally promising, definitely going to spend more time here when I get a free moment over the weekend to read more carefully.
Picked up something useful for a side project, and a look at argonapp added another piece I will incorporate, content that connects to specific projects I am working on is content with practical utility and the practical utility of this site is showing up across multiple posts I have read in the last hour or so.
Reading this confirmed that my time researching the topic in other places had not been wasted, and a stop at onyxdash extended the confirmation, when independent sources agree that is a useful signal and this site is one of the more reliable sources I have found for cross checking what I read elsewhere on similar subjects.
My friends would appreciate a few of these posts and I will be sending links accordingly, and a look at wendysilva added more pages to my share queue, content that earns shares to specific people in specific contexts is content with social utility and this site is generating those targeted shares from me consistently lately.
Started taking notes about halfway through because the points were stacking up, and a look at magnamode added enough material that my notes file grew further, content that demands note taking from a passive reader is content with substance and the writers here are clearly producing that kind of work consistently across topics.
Felt the post had been written without using a single buzzword, and a look at echodomain continued that clean vocabulary, content free of jargon and trendy phrases reads better and ages better and this site has clearly committed to a vocabulary that will not feel dated in three years which is impressive editorially.
My professional context would benefit from having this kind of resource available, and a look at ordersimple extended the professional applicability, the rare site that contributes meaningfully to professional work rather than just personal interest is content with multiplied value and this one is providing that professional utility consistently across multiple pieces.
Bookmark added without hesitation after finishing, and a look at flowbase confirmed I should bookmark the homepage too rather than just this page, the rare site that earns category level trust rather than just single article approval is the kind I want to rely on across many different topics over time.
Decided to set a calendar reminder to revisit, and a stop at courtneyward extended that revisit list, calendar entries for content are a level of commitment I rarely make but when I do they signal a higher regard than a simple bookmark and this site has earned that calendar tier of relationship from me today.
Reading this in pieces over a coffee break and finding it consistently rewarding, and a stop at a-nz47 extended that into related material I will return to later, the kind of site that fits naturally into small reading windows without requiring a long uninterrupted block is genuinely useful for how I actually browse.
Now feeling that this site is the kind I want to make sure does not disappear, and a look at brickbase reinforced that quiet protective feeling, the rare sites whose disappearance would actually matter to me are the sites I want to support through return visits and recommendations and this one has joined that small protected list.
A piece that exhibited the kind of patience that good writing requires, and a look at earsurgeon continued that patient quality, hurried writing is easy to spot and this site reads as having been written without time pressure which produces a different feel than the rushed content that dominates much of the modern blog space.
Thank you for keeping the writing honest and the points easy to verify against your own experience, and a stop at xylowise reflected the same approach, no exaggeration just steady useful content that I can take with me into my own work without second guessing every sentence I happen to read here.
The conclusions felt earned rather than tacked on at the end like an afterthought, and a look at resellinga kept that careful structure going, you can tell when a writer has thought about the shape of their post versus just letting it ramble out and hoping for the best at the end which most do.
Appreciated that the writer trusted the reader to follow along without constant restating of earlier points, and a look at fastfield continued that respect for the reader, treating an audience as capable adults rather than as people to be hand held through every paragraph is something I notice and value highly across the open internet today.
During a quiet evening reading session this provided just the right depth without being heavy, and a stop at vegaterbaik maintained the same evening appropriate weight, content with depth that does not exhaust the reader is content with editorial calibration and this site has clearly figured out how to be substantial without being demanding all the time.
Came in tired from a long day and the writing held my attention anyway, and a stop at wandabruce kept that going, content that can engage a fatigued reader is doing something right because most online reading happens in suboptimal conditions like that one and quality content adapts to it without complaint.
Друзья ситуация Беда пришла в семью Соседи стучат в стену Скорая не приедет на такой вызов Короче, только стационар реально помог — лечение запоя в стационаре до полной стабилизации Врачи наблюдали круглосуточно В общем, не потеряйте контакты — выход из запоя в стационаре https://vyvod-iz-zapoya-v-staczionare-sankt-peterburg-axm.ru Не надейтесь что само пройдёт Это может спасти чью-то семью
Closed the tab with a small sense of finality rather than the usual rushed exit, and a stop at golddomain produced the same considered closing, when reading ends with deliberate satisfaction rather than impatient skip you know the time was well spent and this site is producing those satisfying endings consistently across what I read.
Recommended to anyone working in or curious about this area, the depth and clarity combine well, and a look at forwardmotionstarts keeps that going across more pages, the kind of site that earns regular visits rather than chasing trends has my respect because it suggests genuine commitment to the topic itself rather than to chasing trends.