This TL deals with the development of cutting-edge functional and sustainable nanomaterials, nanostructures, and interfaces, the key one challenge on device performances, aiming to integrate cross-disciplinary solutions in inter-related areas based on the material’s functionalities and physical properties, including 1D and 2D structures.
The primary aim is to develop smart materials and proper tailored interfaces for a wide range of applications:
1) Processing and Development of Materials for Energy, Optoelectronic, Electronic and Biomedical applications – ceramics for electronics, energy harvesting and storage and piezoelectric materials; multilayered MO films for magnetic sensors and MRAM; OLEDs and WOLEDs; wide and ultrawide bandgap semiconductors for solid-state light emitters; quantum technologies; memories; cutting-edge sensors; health applications; security and anti-counterfeiting; plasmonic interactions; nanoscale charge transport dynamics at devices interface
2) Engineering of Smart Nanoparticles and 2D Materials: passivated and plasmonic solar cell architectures; (opto)electronic and magnetic properties of low-dimensional semiconductors (e.g. Si-NP) by doping, charge transport, defects, confinement, surface functionalization; luminescent nanomaterials for photocatalysis, bioimaging, plants in vivo monitoring and anti-counterfeiting; CVD graphene for bioapplications and GFETS for sensing; 2D materials and topological insulators; microwave synthesis of nanostructures for sensors, photocatalysis, and electrochromic devices
3) Laser Processing and Surface modification: laser technology to produce and write at one step functional interfaces and surface engineering by promoting physical and chemical modifications on stacked layers (e.g. laser induced graphene (LIG) in eco-friendly substrates) for ITC (e.g. write sustainable PCB on biodegradable foils such as paper), bio, electrochemical and physical sensors; water splitting; energy production/storage and thermal management
4) Neuromorphic and quantum technologies: memresistive and topological materials, single photon emitters, quantum bit holders and optical bioprobes, using ab-initio modelling and optical measurements; AI- and ML-assisted materials; topological behaviour of ultracold atoms
5) Optical fibre nanoengineering: micromachining and functionalization of optical fibres using a NIR fs laser to produce sensors for multiparameter, based on Bragg gratings and FP interferometers; plasmonic sensors; modelling of topological insulators in photonic systems
6) Natural and bioinspired nanomaterials: rheological behaviour of bacterial cultures; auto parts and bionic prosthetics; natural materials for ICT; functional inks for rigid and flexible substrates. Functional materials produced based on cellulose and chitin twisted structures: cellulose nanocrystals, water interactions and out-of-equilibrium structural colourful structures.
