Laboratory Instrumentation

HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography): a separation and analytical technique that enables the identification and quantification of the components of a mixture in the liquid phase. It is widely used in chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and biochemistry due to its high resolution and precision. In our research, it is used to evaluate the removal of organic compounds in solution over time. Additionally, the instrument allows the quantification of the by-products formed.

The instrument used is a Shimadzu Prominence LC-2050 LT equipped with a diode-array detector (SPD-M30A). Separations are carried out using a C18 column (Eclipse Plus, 150 mm length and 4.6 mm diameter, 5 μm; Agilent).

TOC (Total Organic Carbon): an analytical instrument used to determine the total amount of organic carbon present in a liquid sample. In our laboratory, it is used to evaluate the efficiency of organic substance degradation processes. A low final TOC value indicates a high degree of contaminant mineralization into CO₂ and H₂O, as well as efficient water purification.

The laboratory instrument is a TOC-L CSH (Shimadzu).

Magnetic induction heater: an instrument that generates an alternating magnetic field through a coil supplied with alternating current. Magnetic materials subjected to this field undergo induced heating processes, allowing the material to be heated directly without the need for an external thermal bath. This type of heating is more efficient and reduces energy losses. In our group, magnetic induction is used to enhance catalytic processes compared to conventional heating, with applications in organic synthesis and environmental remediation.

The laboratory is equipped with an EASYHEAT LI 8310 system (Ambrell) coupled to a UT55A temperature controller (Yokogawa) and an OPTOCON TS3 fiber optic probe.

Related publications

• Direct 3D printing of zero valent iron@polylactic acid catalyst for tetracycline degradation with magnetically inducing active persulfate — Fernandez-Velayos, S.; Sanchez-Marcos, J.; Munoz-Bonilla, A.; Herrasti, P.; Men… SCI TOTAL ENVIRON (2022)
• Improved Suzuki-Miyaura reaction conversion efficiency using magnetic nanoparticles and inductive heating — Villacampa, Alejandro; Duque, Luis; Juanes, Olga; Javier Palomares, Francisco; … J MATER SCI (2022)
• Direct 3D printing of zero valent iron@polylactic acid catalyst for tetracycline degradation with magnetically inducing active persulfate. — Fernandez-Velayos, S;Sanchez-Marcos, J;Munoz-Bonilla, A;Herrasti, P;Menendez, N… The Science of the total environment (2021)

Laboratory photochemical reactor: equipment designed to carry out light-induced reactions, especially in the UV range. It consists of a jacketed quartz reactor equipped with an immersion UV-C LED lamp with adjustable intensity, allowing precise control of the irradiation conditions. It is used in studies of photocatalysis, pollutant degradation, and advanced photochemical processes.

The equipment available in the laboratory is a Photolab LED275-1i from apria.

Potentiostat: an electrochemical instrument that allows control of the potential of a working electrode with respect to a reference electrode, while recording the current flowing between the working electrode and a counter electrode. It is used for material characterization and the study of electrochemical reactions. In our group, it is mainly employed for the analysis of electrocatalysts in different reactions, such as the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). This reaction may proceed through a 2-electron pathway, aimed at the production of hydrogen peroxide (applicable in environmental processes such as electro-Fenton), or through a 4-electron pathway, which is relevant for energy applications such as Zn–air batteries.

The laboratory is equipped with three AUTOLAB potentiostats controlled using NOVA 2.0 software. One of them is coupled to a Pine rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) system for advanced kinetic studies.

Furnaces: laboratory equipment designed to apply heat in a controlled and uniform manner. They are used in processes such as sample drying, thermal treatments, calcination, and the removal of moisture and organic matter. The laboratory is equipped with different types of furnaces, including a muffle furnace (MR 170, HERAEUS), an oven for hydrothermal treatments (Memmert), and a tubular furnace (ST 100 60 40, Hobersal) for heating materials under the flow of different gases (air, nitrogen, oxygen, or ammonia).

Spectrophotometer: an instrument that measures the interaction of light with a sample, generally its absorption or transmittance at different wavelengths. It allows the determination of concentrations and the study of the optical properties of substances.

The laboratory is equipped with three spectrophotometers: Lambda 365, Lambda 35, and Lambda 25 (PerkinElmer).