RESEARCH ACTIVITY
Research activity deals with the definition of synthesis strategies to prepare nanomaterials with tailored physico-chemical features. Porous, magnetic, ceramic or metal-ceramic nanomaterials are mostly obtained by the sol-gel technique, controlled co-precipitation, hydrothermal synthesis and by the thermal treatment of cation exchanged zeolites under oxidizing-inert-reducing atmosphere. The nanomaterials are subsequently characterized by means of several techniques, including thermal analysis, room temperature and high temperature X-ray powder diffraction, SEM and TEM microscopy, UV-visible-FTIR spectroscopy, N2 adsorption/desorption, TPR-TPO-TPD techniques. Finally, the prepared nanomaterials are used in catalysis, fuel cells, biological separations and water remediation.
Main research topics
- Sol-gel synthesis of catalysts →M-SiO2, M-ZrO2, M-TiO2 (M= Co, Ni, Cu, Ru, Mo, Mn..).
- Preparation of thin film for gas sensors (CoOx-SiO2; P2O5-SiO2).
- Preparation of metal (Fe, Ni, Fe-Co) ceramic nanocomposites for DNA separation, and toxic organic/inorganic compounds removal.
- Synthesis and structural characterization of glass and glass-ceramics with high technological applications.
- Synthesis of Alumino-silicate nanotubes (Imogolite-like nanotubes).