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In this research work, DEXTRAN- and polyethyl- ene glycol (PEG)-coated iron-oxide superparamagnetic nano- particles were synthetized and their cytotoxicity and biodistribution assessed. Well-crystalline hydrophobic Fe3O4 SPIONs were formed by a thermal decomposition process with d 5 18 nm and r 5 2 nm; finally, the character of SPIONs was changed to hydrophilic by a post-synthesis pro- cedure with the functionalization of the SPIONs with PEG or DEXTRAN. The nanoparticles present high saturation mag- netization and superparamagnetic behavior at room tempera- ture, and the hydrodynamic diameters of DEXTRAN- and PEG-coated SPIONs were measured as 170 and 120 nm, respectively. PEG- and DEXTRAN-coated SPIONs have a Spe- cific Power Absorption SPA of 320 and 400 W/g, respectively, in an ac magnetic field with amplitude of 13 kA/m and fre- quency of 256 kHz. In vitro studies using VERO and MDCK cell lineages were performed to study the cytotoxicity and cell uptake of the SPIONs. For both cell lineages, PEG- and DEXTRAN-coated nanoparticles presented high cell viability for concentrations as high as 200 lg/mL. In vivo studies were conducted using BALB/c mice inoculating the SPIONs intrave- nously and exposing them to the presence of an external magnet located over the tumour. It was observed that the amount of PEG-coated SPIONs in the tumor increased by up to 160% when using the external permanent magnetic as opposed to those animals that were not exposed to the exter- nal magnetic field. V C

Throughout this investigation, experiments on laser ablation with silicon (Si) wafers have been performed using silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) as a sacrificial layer to find the optimal fluence capable of removing the Si 3 N 4 , which allows the subsequent anisotropic etching in Si with potassium hydroxide. As a result, an alternative to the traditional micromachining techniques that require more steps and processing times has been introduced. The effect of the pulse numbers on Si wafers has been studied and it has been observed that when increasing the pulse numbers at the same fluence, the capacity of the pyramidal cavity formed was greater than using only one pulse at higher fluences. Microcavities were performed with a floating Si 3 N 4 layer. This happens to be very useful for the development of drug delivery systems and the manufacture of microarrays. Microcavities were also used as masters for the fabrication of microionizers in polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS).

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are valuable for their application in nanotechnology, electrical properties and high surface area, and in our particular case, for the manufacture of nanosensors. In this work the technique of Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) was used for the manufacture of CNT. The process was conducted in a horizontal tube reactor using methane as precursor gas and an R.F. discharge of 1000w output power acting as ionizing medium. Having achieved the synthesis of CNT on copper (Cu) substrates, heated with an internal electrical resistance to a process temperature of 900°C, the substrates were coated with ferric nitrate Fe(NO 3 ) 3 , which served as a catalyst and nucleation center. The heating system used differs from traditional methods by its internal heating. Growth of CNT was achieved on vertical walls on Cu substrates and perpendicular to it; a prerequisite for the manufacture of nanosensors, which is the main objective of this work, as well as to reduce as much as possible the diameter of the CNT, being its main features 5 μm average length and 7 nm average diameter.

Propulsion pellets of different metal/salt (Zn/CaCO 3 ) composition have been prepared. The impulse imparted to the pellet by the laser has been measured using two different methods: a torsion pendulum and a piezoelectric sensor. The dependence of the coupling coefficient, C m , on the composition of the solid binary propellants in ablative laser propulsion has been investigated under different experimental conditions: in vacuum and at atmospheric pressure as well as with two different wavelengths, IR and UV. The composition of the Zn/CaCO 3 propellant mixture that optimizes the coupling coefficient, C m , has been determined.

SnO2 microrods exhibited an ultra-fast photo-response when light led 402-940 nm was switched on and off. SnO2 microrods films were prepared with SnCl4 as the starting material. We found that increasing light radiation flux decreases the resistance. The effect of radiation on the film will be discussed as function of chemiabsorbed oxygen.

Epitaxial YBa2Cu3Ox superconducting films have been grown in-situ by XeCl excimer laser ablation of a sintered pellet. The films, 1000–1500 A thick, were deposited on monocrystalline SrTiO3, LaAlO3, MgO and YSZ substrates. X-ray diffraction and RBS-channeling techniques were used for the structural analysis of the substrates and of the films.