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Achieving performance adequate to standards in line with sustainable development requires the synthesis, development and characterization of materials/catalysts of interest for industrial processes, environmental, energy and biomedical applications, capable of providing solutions for specific physical/chemical processes, to avoid/reduce the use of critical raw materials and optimize existing technologies.
The research activity concerns the design, synthesis, preparation and characterization of innovative catalytic systems and advanced materials, with chemical-physical and morphological properties ad hoc modulated according to the specific application. The main areas of application include heterogeneous catalysis, low-carbon technologies, environmental control, electronics, gas and odor sensors and the biomedical area. The goal is to improve catalytic performance, mechanical properties, the ability to capture CO2, H2S and other gases. Other relevant aspects are the reduction of the cost, for example with the replacement of precious metals and using waste materials, the reduction of intrinsic toxicity, the lengthening of the life cycle (especially in extreme working conditions and in the presence of micro-pollutants and/or poisons).
Particular importance is given to studies for the development of multifunctional materials obtained by conferring one or more functionalities by chemical reaction and/or preparation of composites (hybrid compounds) with the goal of obtaining, for example, biomaterials and/or photo-active materials in UV-Vis radiation. In many cases, the development of materials starts from the design of chemical formulation up to the production of an object in a structured form, which therefore involves engineering with a multi-scale approach. The development of materials and advanced catalytic systems is supported by chemical-physical, morphological, structural and functional characterization of the specific developed system. The activities are also directed to the study of wear phenomena of thermally and mechanically stressed materials.