Person:
Gutiérrez Sánchez, Pablo

First Name

Pablo

Last Name

Gutiérrez Sánchez

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/85717

Affiliation

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Faculty / Institute

Ciencias Químicas

Department

Ingeniería Química y de Materiales

Identifiers

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 12

Extraction of neonicotinoid pesticides from aquatic environmental matrices with sustainable terpenoids and eutectic solvents
(Separation and Purification Technology, 2022) Gutiérrez Sánchez, Pablo; Navarro, Pablo; Álvarez Torrellas, Silvia; García, Juan; Larriba Martínez, Marcos
The potential environmental impact and adverse effects of the occurrence of pesticides in the aquatic environment have raised great social and political concern, leading to their control by means of several regulations, such as the European Directive 98/83/EC. In this regard, the three neonicotinoid pesticides analyzed in this work (acetamiprid, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam) have been included in the surface water European Watch Lists under the Water Framework Directive. This research proposes the use of terpenoid-based solvents for the extraction of the three emerging contaminants previously mentioned. An initial screening of the extraction solvents was carried out through the COSMO-RS methodology, selecting the most favourable pure terpenes, eutectic terpenoid-based and conventional solvents. Furthermore, relevant issues were experimentally analyzed, such as extraction in more realistic multicomponent mixtures together with key parametric studies covering operating temperature and matrix influence. Carvacrol, a pure terpenoid not applied before as an extraction solvent of pesticides, has been revealed as an effective and sustainable substitute for conventional solvents for the first time to the best of our knowledge. Specifically, carvacrol exhibited overall extraction yields of around 97.5 % from a river water matrix at a volumetric S/F ratio of 0.1 and 303.2 K. High extraction yields from river water matrices regardless of temperature pointed to the potential of this solvent for a wide range of industrial application.
Checking different video game mechanics to assess cognitive abilities in groups with and without emotional problems
(Journal of Intelligence, 2023) Román, Francisco J.; Gutiérrez Sánchez, Pablo; Ramos Cejudo, Juan; González Calero, Pedro Antonio; Gómez Martín, Pedro Pablo; Larroy García, Cristina; Martín Brufau, Ramón; López Cavada, Carlos; Quiroga Estévez, María Ángeles
This study assesses cognitive abilities through video games for entertainment (Blek, Edge, and Unpossible) that were programmed from scratch to record players’ behavior and the levels achieved in a sample without emotional problems and in one with emotional problems. The non-emotional-problem sample was recruited from three universities and two bachelor’s degree programs. The emotional-problem sample was recruited from two outpatient centers. The participants in the emotional-problem sample completed reduced versions of the ability tests and video games, as required by their emotional problems. Three subtests of the Differential Aptitude Test that assessed abstract reasoning, visuospatial reasoning, and perceptual speed were selected as ability tests. All participants were required to complete a mental health questionnaire (PROMIS) and a brief questionnaire on their gaming habits and previous experience with the video games used. The results that were obtained showed good convergent validity of the video games as measures of cognitive abilities, and they showed that the behavior of players in the sample without emotional problems while playing predicted the level achieved in the Blek and Unpossible game fragments, but this was only true for Unpossible in the emotional-problem sample; finally, shorter versions of the Blek and Edge game fragments can be used because they maintain their good psychometric properties
Efficient removal of antibiotic ciprofloxacin by catalytic wet air oxidation using sewage sludge-based catalysts: degradation mechanism by DFT studies
(Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2023) Gutiérrez Sánchez, Pablo; Álvarez Torrellas, Silvia; Larriba Martínez, Marcos; Gil, María Victoria; Garrido Zoido, Juan Manuel; García Rodríguez, Juan
In this work, the sewage sludge-derived activated carbon (SAC) loaded with iron nanoparticles (FeSAC) showed a highly effective catalytic activity in the degradation of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin by the CWAO reaction. The properties of FeSAC catalyst were studied by using N2 adsorption-desorption measurements at 77 K, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The CWAO reaction was evaluated at different temperatures (120–140 ºC), total pressure (10–30 bar) and catalyst doses (0.1–0.7 g/L) in a batch reactor. In this regard, temperature and catalyst dosage showed a significant impact on the removal of the tested antibiotic. By using a catalyst dose of 0.7 g/L, ciprofloxacin degradation and CO2 selectivity were higher than 99 % and 60 %, respectively, and were achieved within two hours at 140 °C and 20 bar. The loss of the active phase (Fe) of the catalyst in the reaction medium was measured, obtaining negligible values (less than 24 ppb). This catalyst showed high stability under the tested reaction conditions. In addition, a potential equation was proposed to correctly describe the evolution of ciprofloxacin degradation. The calculated activation energy of the CWAO process was 53.8 kJ/mol. Additionally, Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were performed to illustrate the degradation mechanism of ciprofloxacin, where the electronic energies indicated the compounds that are most difficult to degrade by CWAO. Finally, a proof of concept using an environmentally-relevant matrix was carried out, verifying the technical feasibility of the synthesized catalyst for its application with more complex matrices, consecutive reaction cycles and at a low treatment cost
Tratamiento de efluentes acuosos con contaminantes emergentes presentes en las Listas de Observación de la Unión Europea
(2024) Gutiérrez Sánchez, Pablo; García Rodríguez, Juan; Álvarez Torrellas, Silvia
El agua constituye un recurso esencial para la vida, por lo que su escasez, contaminación y mala gestión suponen un gran impacto sobre la salud humana, el desarrollo económico y el medio ambiente. Para afrontar esta problemática, es preciso la elaboración de un marco regulatorio a nivel global, nacional y local, que promueva, no solo una gestión equitativa y sostenible, sino el desarrollo de tecnologías innovadoras que garanticen la disponibilidad de agua de calidad para las generaciones presentes y futuras. En este contexto, aquellas sustancias químicas, cuya información es escasa y que no tienen un control medioambiental habitual, pero que presentan un potencial impacto sobre la salud humana o el medio ambiente, conocidas como contaminantes emergentes, están generando una gran repercusión social y política. De esta forma, la Unión Europea ha intensificado sus esfuerzos en las últimas décadas para desarrollar un marco normativo dirigido a la protección de los recursos hídricos frente a este tipo de compuestos, surgiendo las denominadas Listas de Observación...
Influence of transition metal-based activating agent on the properties and catalytic activity of sewage sludge-derived catalysts. Insights on mechanism, DFT calculation and degradation pathways
(Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2023) Gutiérrez Sánchez, Pablo; Álvarez Torrellas, Silvia; Larriba Martínez, Marcos; Gil, María Victoria; Garrido Zoido, Juan Manuel; García Rodríguez, Juan
Research studies combining the detailed physicochemical properties' analysis, the catalytic activity in different real aqueous matrices, the proposal of degradation mechanisms and the stability of the intermediates/by-products by means of the Density-functional theory (DFT) are scarce. Therefore, this work gives a step forward in the field of circular economy and the removal of emerging pollutants such as the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, covering all the previously aspects mentioned, using four iron and nickel-based catalysts from two different sewage sludge. Experimental results revealed a significant influence of both the source of the sewage sludge and the activating agent used (iron chloride, nickel chloride and a mixture of both) on the physicochemical properties of the materials and, hence, on their catalytic activity. FTIR studies and chemical composition evidenced that the use of this biomass precursor leads to the generation of a wide variety of functional groups and heteroatoms in the synthesized catalyst structure. Moreover, they showed a combination of Type I-IV isotherms with H3-H4 type hysteresis loops, being mainly mesoporous materials and exhibiting a moderate microporosity except when nickel chloride was used solely as activating agent. The carbonaceous materials reached ciprofloxacin adsorption capacities in the range of 40.4–73.9 mg/g. The use of nickel chloride showed the lowest adsorption contribution and catalytic activity. The bimetallic catalyst (synthesized from a mixture of iron and nickel chloride) showed slightly higher catalytic activity than that found for the iron catalyst, but the metal leaching was also considerably higher. Consequently, the use of iron chloride solely as activating agent seems to be the better alternative, achieving a maximum ciprofloxacin removal around 99.7 % and an iron leaching concentration into the reaction medium of 0.48–0.61 mg/L. The main degradation pathways of ciprofloxacin were proposed according to the detection of LC-MS intermediates and DFT calculation, indicating the most likely areas of attack of reactive species on atoms with a high Fukui index (f0)
Project number: 208
Practicando Ingeniería Química: Prácticas colaborativas de bajo coste para grupos numerosos
() Larriba Martínez, Marcos; Ovejero Escudero, Gabriel; García Rodríguez, Juan; Delgado Dobladez, José Antonio; Águeda Maté, Vicente Ismael; Álvarez Torrellas, Silvia; Martín Martínez, María; Carbajo Olleros, Jaime; García Sánchez, Laura; Guerrero Moreno, Elisa; Aranda López, Daniel; Serra Pérez, Estrella; Pascual Muñoz, Gonzalo; Rodríguez Llorente, Diego; Cañada Barcala, Andrés; Sanz Santos, Eva; Gutiérrez Sánchez, Pablo; Calero Berrocal, Rubén; Sánchez Quiñones, Carlos Alberto Augusto; Cañas Jiménez, Javier; Huber Benito, Diego; Portillo Sánchez, Eva; Martín Gutiérrez, Diego; Suárez Rodríguez, Pablo; Sánchez Fernández, Ignacio
Elaboración de un catálogo de prácticas de laboratorio de bajo coste para trabajar los fundamentos de ingeniería química con grupos numerosos, usando metodologías activas de aprendizaje para incrementar la motivación de los estudiantes.
Extraction of pharmaceuticals from hospital wastewater with eutectic solvents and terpenoids: computational, experimental, and simulation studies
(Chemical Engineering Journal, 2022) Rodríguez Llorente, Diego; Hernández, Elisa; Gutiérrez Sánchez, Pablo; Navarro, Pablo; Águeda Maté, V. Ismael; Álvarez Torrellas, Silvia; García Rodríguez, Juan; Larriba Martínez, Marcos
The presence of pharmaceuticals in wastewater, mainly in hospital wastewater, is a serious environmental concern, as they are not removed by conventional processes in wastewater treatment plants and are discharged into the natural environment. This work proposes extracting drugs from hospital wastewater using natural, renewable, and non-toxic solvents such as terpenes and eutectic solvents. First, molecular simulation has been used with the COSMO-RS method performing a massive screening of 43 terpenes, 11 eutectic solvents, and 5 conventional solvents with 31 common pharmaceuticals. The most promising solvents in the screening have been chosen to extract 11 pharmaceuticals simultaneously. Experimental tests with ultrapure water and real hospital wastewater matrices showed a strong influence of pH and matrix on extraction. Under the optimal conditions, global pharmaceutical extraction yields with carvacrol of 94.16 % and the eutectic solvent thymol+dodecanoic acid of 96.86 % were obtained. The regeneration and reuse of both solvents were studied in 5 consecutive stages, showing the carvacrol's high stability and regenerability. Using carvacrol, countercurrent extraction tests showed a fast mass transfer of pharmaceuticals and high extraction yields using low solvent-to-feed (S/F) ratios. The predictions obtained with COSMO-RS were similar to the experimental results, confirming the reliability of this method for selecting alternative solvents for the extraction of pharmaceuticals. Finally, the drug removal process was simulated in a countercurrent extraction. The complete removal of pharmaceuticals from hospital wastewater could be achieved using carvacrol with an S/F of 2.00 at pH 4.00 in an extractor with six equilibrium stages.
Aplicación de los videojuegos a la medida de la inteligencia
(2020) Guo, Mingxiao; Gutiérrez Sánchez, Pablo; Ortega Álvarez, Alejandro; Gómez Martín, Pedro Pablo; González Calero, Pedro Antonio
Diversos proyectos de investigación recientes han demostrado un marcado grado de correlación entre el factor g (o factor de inteligencia general) y el rendimiento global en los videojuegos. Los experimentos llevados a cabo en ellos incluyeron no sólo juegos “mentales” clásicos (o brain games), sino también diferentes títulos comerciales ya existentes. Esos juegos “cerrados” no permiten la extracción automática de datos de comportamiento en el juego. Como resultado, los investigadores a menudo recurrieron a métodos manuales externos para registrar las medidas de rendimiento e interacción con el juego. El objetivo de este trabajo es ayudar a mejorar el proceso de recopilación de datos utilizado en dichos estudios mediante (1) la reimplementación de un pequeño subconjunto que consta de tres de los juegos empleados en estos estudios anteriores (2) desarrollar un sistema de telemetría para automatizar y mejorar la recopilación de eventos y variables de usuario en el juego y (3) implementar una plataforma web para realizar un experimento en línea con el fin de reunir dichos datos. En tres semanas, un total de 53 participantes completaron los tres juegos disponibles en el sistema. A pesar del tamaño modesto del conjunto de datos, pudimos mostrar un factor de inteligencia latente subyacente a través de un análisis factorial exploratorio. Además, intentamos predecir el resultado final de un jugador en un juego dado a partir de registros de partidas truncadas (hasta cierto punto en el tiempo) a través de redes neuronales y bosques aleatorios. Este análisis posterior podría permitir a futuros estudios acortar sus tiempos de experimentación, aumentando así la viabilidad de la evaluación de inteligencia basada en juegos.
Si l@s estudiantes universitari@s no eligen ingenierías que las ingenierías vayan al colegio.
(2022) Águeda Maté, Vicente Ismael; Ovejero Escudero, Gabriel; Delgado Dobladez, José Antonio; García Rodríguez, Juan; Álvarez Torrellas, Silvia; Larriba Martínez, Marcos; Serra Pérez, Estrella; Uguina Zamorano, María de los Ángeles; Curto Maldonado, Andrés; Pascual Muñoz, Gonzalo; García Dávila, Oscar; Rodríguez Llorente, Diego; Corral Pumarega, Jose Luis; Hernández Abreu, Ana Belén; García López, Inmaculada; Sánchez Quiñones, Carlos Alberto Augusto; Cañas Jiménez, Javier; Cañada Barcala, Andrés; Sanz Santos, Eva; Gutiérrez Sánchez, Pablo; Sanz Santos, Alberto; Sánchez Morales, Laura Laila
La pandemia provocada por el virus SARS-CoV-2 ha puesto de manifiesto la imperiosa necesidad de construir una sociedad basada en el conocimiento. Otros grandes retos sociales como son revertir el cambio climático y la conservación y/o recuperación del entorno natural hacen énfasis en la necesidad de un desarrollo sostenible e igualitario. En este sentido es necesario concienciar a las nuevas generaciones del papel primordial que deben jugar las ingenieras e ingenieros en el desarrollo futuro como motores de ese cambio necesario. Sin embargo, el número de estudiantes de ingenierías disminuye paulatinamente, siendo además profesiones copadas mayoritariamente por hombres. En el presente proyecto se plantea ir a colegios e institutos de la Comunidad de Madrid a realizar actividades que pongan de manifiesto lo que la ingeniería puede hacer por la sociedad, presentado por los y las estudiantes de ingeniería química de la UCM que servirán de referentes tanto femeninos como masculinos para las generaciones venideras.
Extraction of antibiotics identified in the EU Watch List 2020 from hospital wastewater using hydrophobic eutectic solvents and terpenoids
(Separation and Purification Technology, 2022) Gutiérrez Sánchez, Pablo; Rodríguez Llorente, Diego; Navarro, Pablo; Águeda Maté, Vicente Ismael; Álvarez Torrellas, Silvia; García, Juan; Larriba Martínez, Marcos
The increasing consumption of pharmaceuticals, along with the ineffectiveness of conventional wastewater treatment, has resulted in an increased presence of these pollutants in both drinking water supplies and aquatic environments. The potential adverse health effects and environmental impact of these chemicals are drawing the attention of several bodies around the world. For instance, some antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole have been included in the most recent European Surface Water Watch List under the EU Water Framework Directive (Decision 2020/1161). The present work proposes the use of terpenoids and eutectic solvents, as effective and green solvents with low toxicity, for multicomponent liquid-liquid extraction of ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole from ultrapure water and hospital wastewater. The COSMO-RS method was used for a predictive initial solvent screening. Thymol, carvacrol, eutectic solvents (thymol + fatty acids), and conventional solvents (methyl isobutyl ketone and ethyl acetate) were selected to be used in the experiments. The influence of the volume S/F ratio, aqueous matrix, and pH was analysed. Conventional solvents show significantly lower overall extraction yields than those observed for eutectic solvents and terpenoids at any pH and matrix. Carvacrol presented the most favourable conditions, reaching overall extraction yields above 98.0% (98.9% for trimethoprim, 99.5% for ciprofloxacin, and 97.0% for sulfamethoxazole) with hospital wastewater at pH 5.0 and S/F ratio of 1.00. Carvacrol showed a feasible operating in a continuous extraction column at room temperature, providing effective reuse and regeneration processes in this study.The increasing consumption of pharmaceuticals, along with the ineffectiveness of conventional wastewater treatment, has resulted in an increased presence of these pollutants in both drinking water supplies and aquatic environments. The potential adverse health effects and environmental impact of these chemicals are drawing the attention of several bodies around the world. For instance, some antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole have been included in the most recent European Surface Water Watch List under the EU Water Framework Directive (Decision 2020/1161). The present work proposes the use of terpenoids and eutectic solvents, as effective and green solvents with low toxicity, for multicomponent liquid-liquid extraction of ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole from ultrapure water and hospital wastewater. The COSMO-RS method was used for a predictive initial solvent screening. Thymol, carvacrol, eutectic solvents (thymol + fatty acids), and conventional solvents (methyl isobutyl ketone and ethyl acetate) were selected to be used in the experiments. The influence of the volume S/F ratio, aqueous matrix, and pH was analysed. Conventional solvents show significantly lower overall extraction yields than those observed for eutectic solvents and terpenoids at any pH and matrix. Carvacrol presented the most favourable conditions, reaching overall extraction yields above 98.0% (98.9% for trimethoprim, 99.5% for ciprofloxacin, and 97.0% for sulfamethoxazole) with hospital wastewater at pH 5.0 and S/F ratio of 1.00. Carvacrol showed a feasible operating in a continuous extraction column at room temperature, providing effective reuse and regeneration processes in this study.