Technologies

Electrochromism is an optoelectronic characteristic of particular interest because it can be exploited in the creation of technologies such as smart windows (Smart Windows) to promote energy efficiency, automotive, sensor or visualization devices. Electrochromic materials change their optoelectronic characteristics, showing different colors depending on the applied electric field.

EXPO is a software for the determination of the atomic structure of various materials (organic, metallorganic, inorganic), available in the form of microcrystalline powders, in order to derive the structure-property relationships. EXPO requires the molecular formula of the material, the experimental X-ray diffraction data and, in some cases, the expected molecular geometry.

QUALX is a software for qualitative and semi-quantitative phase analysis of materials (organic, metallorganic, inorganic), available in the form of microcrystalline powders. It uses a database distributed together with the software. QUALX identifies the crystalline chemical phase, one or more of than one, present in a material and determines approximately the weight percentages of each phase present in a mixture.

The substitution of fossil derived monomers in thermosetting resins is a very important point to look at to face environmental impact issues related with the use of traditional resins. The research group set up a protocol for the preparation of thermosetting resins starting from vegetable oils with different composition to substitute the petroleum-based monomers. The materials obtained in this way have a bio-based carbon content higher than 80%.

The technology is intended to face the main problems of transmucosal dental implants, such as peri-implant mucositis, peri-implantitis and epithelial downgrowth. The strategy foresees the development of a surface able to favor soft tissues growth (gum sealing), limit at the implant collar these tissues, reduce bacterial adhesion and eventually have an antibacterial action.

Our team can develop low-cost ultra-flexible sensors integrated on plastic substrate for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and gas detection. These devices combine scalable fabrication technologies, implementing active materials such as nanostructured metal oxides or stack of nanostructures decorated with metal nanoparticles, thus enabling a high sensitivity (in the range of hundreds of ppb). These devices can be applied to numerous industrial and commercial sectors and they can be embedded in systems that are more sophisticated.

We present a technology for the multiscale isolation (analytical-laboratory-production) of Extracellular Vesicles (VE), which overcomes the limitations of the currently available methods. As opposed to traditional "affinity-based" systems that exploit antibodies, our technology represents a radical paradigm shift in the development of affinity probes for vesicles, i.e.

Geopolymers belong to the class of chemically bonded ceramics: they are synthesized at low temperatures and are eco-friendly, as besides the low consolidation temperature required by the process they can be produced from secondary raw materials and industrial waste of various kinds, thus reducing the energy demand and the environmental impact of the entire production cycle. Materials such as fly ash, steel mill slag, biomass ash, sludge and silt, extractive residues, mineral and ceramic powders, organic or inorganic waste fibers, plastics, etc.

Safe, efficient and specific nano-delivery systems are increasingly needed for precision and regenerative medicine and targeted therapies (e.g. anticancer and antimicrobial therapies), as well as for  the cosmetic and nutraceutical sectors’ applications. Despite the appreciable success of synthetic nanovectors, like for example liposomes, their clinical and market application is hampered by some limitations: • large scale production, • low cost production • intrinsic toxicity • limited cellular uptake • limited consumer acceptance.

X-ray imaging techniques can work in i) "full-field mode" in which the object to study (or part of it) is completely illuminated by the X-ray beam; ii) "scanning mode" in which an X-ray beam, focused through an opportune optics, illuminates in succession contiguous areas of the sample under examination, and the transmitted wave is measured by a detector placed at a proper distance from it. One of these X-ray scanning microscopes is available at the facility (X-ray MicroImaging, XMIL@b) of the Institute of Crystallography (CNR-Bari).