Pedro Alves da Silva Autreto

3D Porous Graphene by Low-Temperature Plasma Welding for Bone Implants

3D scaffolds of graphene, possessing ultra-low density, macroporous microstructure, and high yield strength and stiffness can be developed by a novel plasma welding process. The bonding between adjacent graphene sheets is investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. The high degree of biocompatibility along with high porosity and good mechanical properties makes graphene an ideal material for use as body implants.

Bacteria as Bio-Template for 3D Carbon Nanotube Architectures

It is one of the most important needs to develop renewable, scalable and multifunctional methods for the fabrication of 3D carbon architectures. Even though a lot of methods have been developed to create porous and mechanically stable 3D scaffolds, the fabrication and control over the synthesis of such architectures still remain a challenge. Here, we used Magnetospirillum magneticum (AMB-1) bacteria as a bio-template to fabricate light-weight 3D solid structure of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with interconnected porosity. The resulting porous scaffold showed good mechanical stability and large surface area because of the excellent pore interconnection and high porosity. Steered molecular dynamics simulations were used to quantify the interactions between nanotubes and AMB-1 via the cell surface protein MSP-1 and flagellin. The 3D CNTs-AMB1 nanocomposite scaffold is further demonstrated as a potential substrate for electrodes in supercapacitor applications.

Structural transformations of carbon and boron nitride nanoscrolls at high impact collisions

The behavior of nanostructures under high strain-rate conditions has been the object of theoretical and experimental investigations in recent years. For instance, it has been shown that carbon and boron nitride nanotubes can be unzipped into nanoribbons at high-velocity impacts. However, the response of many nanostructures to high strain-rate conditions is still unknown. In this work, we have investigated the mechanical behavior of carbon (CNS) and boron nitride nanoscrolls (BNS) colliding against solid targets at high velocities, using fully atomistic reactive (ReaxFF) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. CNS (BNS) are graphene (boron nitride) membranes rolled up into papyrus-like structures. Their open-ended topology leads to unique properties not found in their close-ended analogs, such as nanotubes. Our results show that collision products are mainly determined by impact velocities and by two orientation angles, which define the position of the scroll (i) axis and (ii) open edge relative to the target. Our MD results showed that for appropriate velocities and orientations, large-scale deformations and nanoscroll fractures could occur. We also observed unscrolling (scrolls going back to quasi-planar membranes), scroll unzipping into nanoribbons, and significant reconstruction due to breaking and/or formation of new chemical bonds. For particular edge orientations and velocities, conversion from open to close-ended topology is also possible, due to the fusion of nanoscroll walls.

On hardening silver nanocubes by high-velocity impacts: a fully atomistic molecular dynamics investigation

Gradient nanograins (GNG) creation in metals has been a promising approach to obtain ultra-strong materials. Recently, R. Thevamaran et al. (Science 354:312 in 2016) proposed a single-step method based on high-velocity impacts of silver nanocubes (SNC) to produce almost perfect GNG. However, after certain time, these grains spontaneously coalesce, which compromises the induced hardening and other mechanical properties. To better understand these processes, a detailed investigation at the atomic scale of the deformation/hardening mechanisms are needed, which is one of the objectives of the present work. We carried out fully atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of silver nanocubes at high impact velocity values using realistic structural models. Our MD results suggest that besides the GNG mechanisms, the observed SNC hardening could be also the result of the existence of polycrystalline arrangements formed by HCP domains encapsulated by FCC ones in the smashed SNC. This can be a new way to design ultra-strong materials, even in the absence of GNG domains.

Elastic Deformation Patterns of Microsatellite DNA Sequences

In DNA sequences, regions where 3-5 nucleotide repeats themselves is often found in the non-coding areas. These sequences are called microsatellites (MS). Recent studies attribute the presence of MS to diverse diseases. Using Molecular Dynamics simulations, we studied how specific MS affect the DNA mechanical properties. Our results show that the presence of MS tend to make the DNA ‘softer’ to mechanical elongation. Further studies are needed to clarify the biological implications of this behavior.