Structured and/or composite materials for advanced applications (UO4)

The objectives of the operational unit include:

• Design and innovative synthesis in conventional and non-conventional media (electrosynthesis, microwave-assisted synthesis, decomposition of metal clusters, ionic liquids, etc.) and characterization of nanomaterials for industrial applications in diagnostics, medicine, energy and the environment, organic electronics, photocatalysis, ceramics, functionalized polymeric materials, and related fields.

• Design, innovative synthesis (electrodeposition, foams, coatings and/or surface finishing) and characterization of composite and/or structured materials for industrial applications such as thin films, conductors, functionalized membranes, polymeric or ceramic coatings for metallic surfaces, polymer-, ceramic- or metal-matrix composites, and similar materials.

• Production of syngas and raw materials using innovative techniques starting from recycled materials, including the design of the related production chain and their transformation into finished components.

• Study of composite materials for structural applications with chemically engineered matrices and reinforcements for the automotive and naval sectors, with the aim of improving mechanical strength, physical properties (electrical, magnetic and thermal inertia), and chemical properties (resistance to chemical degradation and phase transformations).

The main sectors for technology transfer are:

• Chemical and process industry

• Transport systems (automotive, motorcycling, railway, aerospace, and naval sectors)

• Automatic machinery, robotics, and the packaging industry

• Biomedical and diagnostic sectors

• Photolithography and protective coatings

• Polymers, composites, ceramics, and nanostructured materials

• Foundry, metal forming, and heat treatment processes

• Energy and environmental sectors