Our current research is focused on the development of new composite nanostructures for applications in optics, optoelectronic, environmental and biological applications. Utilizing chemical reduction, sol-gel, hydrothermal, microwave and ultrasound assisted, VS and VLS synthesis techniques we prepare metal, metal oxide and composite nanostructures of well-defined size, morphology and compositions for specific applications. Developing new nanostructured porous (meso- and micro-porous) materials for CO₂ capture and storage, highly active catalysts for contamination abatement, and for renewable energy generation are our outmost most priority. Other research areas of our group include thin films, composite materials for solar cells and fuel cells, rare-earth doped metal oxide phosphors, etc. We are always open to develop new collaborations and collaborative research projects.

 

The current funded projects of the group include:

 

1. Infrastructure development for the research in advanced materials; CONACyT-Infra- 230530, 2014-2015.

 

2. Development of biosensors based on self-assembly of Au nanoparticles; DITCo2014-03, 2014.

 

3. Synthesis of Cu-Zn and Ag-Au bimetallic nanoparticle decorated mesoporous TiO₂ nanospheres for photocatalytic applications; VIEP/EXC/2014.

 

4. Fabrication of composite structures based on magnetic nanoparticles for biological applications; CB-2010/151767, 2012-2015.

 

5. Low-dimensional hybrid hierarchical nanoporous materials for environmental applications; (INDIA-MEXICO Bilateral Project, CONACyT-DST, # 00163646), 2012-2015.

RESEARCH PROJECTS:

 

• Fabricación de heteroestructuras semiconductoras de baja dimensionalidad para aplicaciones en dispositivos optoelectrónicos (CONACyT, Mexico, No. 1351-PA), March 1996-February 1998.

• Crecimiento y caracterización de nuevos nanocompositos funcionales y no-funcionales para aplicaciones optoelectrónicas y fabricación de detectores de gases tóxicos (CONACyT, Mexico, No. 28380-E), January 1999-December 2001.

• Preparation and characterization of Ge/ZnO nanocomposites (VIEP-SEP-CONACyT, Mexico, No. II13I01), 2001-2002.

• Synthesis and characterization of bimetallic nanoparticles of Pt- Ru for applications in electro-catalysis and fuel cells (BUAP-CONACyT-SEP: II-194-04/EXC/I), July 2004-February 2005.

• Syntesis, optical and electrical characterization of CdTe/ZnO and Ge/ZnO nanocomposites (BUAP-CONACyT: II-13I02), May 2003-January 2004.

• Síntesis y caracterización de nanopartículas bimetálicas de Pt-Ru para aplicaciones en electrocatálisis y celdas de combustible (VIEP-BUAP-CONACyT, Mexico. Grant No. 11/I/EXC/05), June 2005-March 2006.

• Novel metal oxide nanostructures for optoelectronic and radiation dosimetry applications (CONACyT-SEP, Mexico. Grant No. 46269-A), July 2005-June 2008.

• Investigating the effects of doping and trap states on the optical, electronic and structural properties of oxide nanostructures (UC-MEXUS-CONACyT, Grant No. CN-05-215), July 2005-December 2006.

• 3rd Topical Meeting on Nanostructured Materials and Nanotechnology (NANOTECH-2006) (Complimentary finance for Cientific Activities; CONACyT, Mexico, Grant No. 86). January 2006-September 2006.

• Synthesis of zinc oxide nanostructures of different morphologies through thermolysis (VIEP-BUAP, Grant No. 27/EXC/06-1), July 2006-June 2007.

• Studies of luminescent properties of doped zinc oxide (ZnO) and tin oxide (SnO₂) nanostructures (VIEP-BUAP/2007), July 2007-June 2008.

• Morphology controlled hydrothermal synthesis of tin oxide nanostructures (VIEP/EXC/93/2008-1), July 2008-December 2009.

• Synthesis of monodispersed magnetite nanoparticles protected by porous silica for biomedical applications (VIEP-BUAP/EXC/2011), January 2011-December 2011.

• Evaluation of composite magnetite@meso-silica nanoparticles for biological applications (VIEP-BUAP/EXC/2012), January 2012-December 2012.

• Fabrication of composite structures based on magnetic nanoparticles for biological applications (CONACyT, Mexico, No. CB-2010/151767), May 2012-April 2015.

• Low-dimensional hybrid hierarchical nanoporous materials for environmental applications (INDIA-MEXICO Bilateral Project, CONACyT-DST, # 00163646), Sept 2012-August 2015.

• Synthesis of Cu-Zn bimetallic nanoparticle-supported TiO₂ nanospheres for catalytic applications (VIEP-BUAP, VIEP/EXC/2013), January-December 2013.

• Synthesis of Cu-Zn and Ag-Au bimetallic nanoparticle decorated mesoporousTiO2 nanospheres for photocatalytic applications (VIEP-BUAP, VIEP/EXC/2014), January-December 2014.

• Acquiring infrastructure for the development of research in advanced materials at IFUAP (CONACyT, INFRA-2014/ 230530, May-December, 2014).

• Self-assembled gold nanoparticles for the fabrication of chemical and biological sensors (DITCo, BUAP, April-December, 2014).