THIN-FILM HETROJUNCTION BY CARBON NANOTUBE DERIVATIVES WITH ENHANCED SOLUBILITY AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES

The combination of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), characterized by high electron mobility, with p-type semiconducting polymers could lead to an overall improvement in the exciton dissociation and carrier extraction efficiencies in practical devices.1However, one of the main concern in the use of SWNTs, relates to the their scarce solubility. Chemical modification has been widely employed to increase the solubility of SWNTs, but usual reaction conditions limit such syntheses to a small scale with low productivity. Here, we employ SWNTs which have been functionalized with aromatic and heteroaromatic moieties via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition and through diazotization reaction under batch…

High pentacene transistor performance by engeneering morphology of solution processed thin films

ß-amyloid(25-35) and its C-and/or N-blocked derivatives: copper-driven folding features and neurotoxicity

Nanocluster di metalli preparati mediante ablazione Laser in liquido

Inkjet printing arrays and their applications for drug screening

Organic films for the conservation of archaeological artefacts in bronze: evaluation of corrosion protection by surface analytical techniques

Negative differential resistence effects in self-assembled monolayers

Alcoxy-substituted conjugated polymers and oligomers for chemical and bio-sensing Langmuir-Schafer thin film transistors

Luminometric Sub-nanoliter Droplet-to-droplet Arrays (LUMDA-chip) for Drug Screening on Phase I Metabolism Enzymes

Here we show the fabrication of the Luminometric Sub-nanoliter Droplet-to-droplet Array (LUMDA chip) by inkjet printing. The chip is easy to be implemented and allows for amultiplexed multi-step biochemical assay in sub-nanoliter liquid spots. This concept is here applied to the integral membrane enzyme CYP3A4, i.e. themost relevant enzymatic target for phase I drug metabolism, and to some structurally-related inhibitors.

Bulk heterojunctions by boramers for plastic photovoltaics

Supramolecular Heteropolyoxopalladate {Pd15} Cluster Host Encapsulating a {Pd2} Dinuclear Guest: [PdII2-{H16-nPdII15O10(PO4)10}]n-

Ahigh-nuclearity polyoxopalladate compound, [PdII2⊂{H7PdII15O10(PO4)10}]9 {PdII17}, comprising a {Pd15} host occupied by a {Pd2} guest and the parent pristine “empty” [H7PdII15O10(PVO4)10]13 {Pd15} cluster have both been prepared and characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography, 31P NMR, CSI-MS, and XPS. The encapsulated {Pd2} has a short PdII PdII distance within the {Pd15} host. Solution studies indicate that the empty host and filled guest complex are in equilibrium with each other, and UV titrations revealed a binding constant of ca. 103 for the guest PdII ions, with a binding stoichiometry of almost 2.

(E)-2-cyano-3-(5'-piperidin-1-yl-2,2'-bithien-5-yl)acrylic acid: a new fluorescent probe for detecting prefibrillar oligomers

Film sottili di precursori del pentacene per applicazioni in transistori flessibili

Poly(naphthalenediimidequaterthiophene):Poly(hexyilthiophene) Heterojunctions. Efficient Polymer-to-Polymer Electron Transfer Interfaces

Organic thin films solar cells and plastic solar cells [1] have attracted the attention of the scientific community especially as regards the performance of new conjugated polymers including their interfaces [2-4]. In this work, poly(naphthalenediimidequaterthiophene) (PNDIT4) and poly(hexyilthiophene) (P3HT) have been employed, for the first time, for engineering planar and bulk heterojunctions by the synergetic use of two techniques: electropolymerization and layer by layer deposition. Electropolymerization has been used for obtaining PNDIT4 thin films on transparent ITO/PET electrodes, starting from the synthesized monomer. Inverse Langmuir-Schaefer technique has been employed for deposi…

Scientific studies for the restoration of “Madonna con Bambino e San Giovanni”, a venetian school panel painting of the end of sixteenth century of Museo Diocesano of Palermo.

Designing trehalose-conjugated peptides for the inhibition of Alzheimer’s Aβ oligomerization and neurotoxicity

Carnosine inhibits amyloid fibril formation of alpha crystallin under destabilizing conditions

Advanced Drug Screening platforms by Inkjet printing

In this work, we show a low-cost, speed, microarray-based drug screening platform that employs inkjet printing drug dispensing on an enzymatic-rich surface. Mixtures of a model substrate (Dglucose)/ inhibitor (D-glucal) couple have been inkjet printed on a target enzymatic monolayer (glucose oxidase) linked to a functionalized silicon oxide solid surface [1]. It has been possible to fabricate microarrays with quality factors as high as those of conventional pin printing spotting. By a simple horseradish-based colorimetric enzymatic assay, the detection of biological activity at the single spot has been proved. The figure shows a scheme of the platform: molecular inks of the enzymatic substr…

Size, stability and activity of ß amyloid intermediates of fibrillogenesis

Selecting speed-dependent pathways for a programmable nanoscale texture at wet interfaces

Instability-induced self-patterning during transfer of Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers

Engeneering 3D Nanoscale Order in Molecular thin films for organic photovoltaics

Size-controlled magnetic nanoparticles in surfactant-rich thin films: a combined EXAFS, SAXS, AFM and MFM study

Effetti di resistenza differenziale negativa in monostrati molecolari supportati da solidi

Point-Of-Care Plastic Biosensor Devices using a PEDOT-modified Electrochemical Glucose Sensing Platform

There is an emerging global epidemic of diabetes that can be related to rapid increases in overweight, including obesity and physical inactivity. According to World Healthcare Organization, diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, amputation and kidney failure, while total deaths from diabetes are projected to rise by more than 50% in the next 10 years. To prevent life threatening and debilitating complications associated with diabetes, researchers are continuously involved in developing glucose biosensors. Hence, it is essential to develop a biosensor that can determine glucose levels having fast-response, high sensitivity and selectivity. Depending upon the transduction technique, a numb…

Monolayer and multilayer field-effect transistors based on a high-mobility n-type polymer: effect of the polymeric texture on charge transport

INCORPORATION OF METAL-PORPHYRIN DERIVATIVES IN TITANIA NANOSTRUCTURED 3D NETWORKS: THIN FILM PROPERTIES AND APPLICATIONS

ELECTROCHROMIC PERFORMANCE OF A NOVEL POLY(NAPHTHALENEDIIMIDEQUATERTHIOPHENE)

Conjugated polymers (CP) display several interesting properties which enable them their application in different fields such as solar cells, light emitting diodes, field effect transistors, electrochromic devices to cite a few. One of the most interesting properties of this class of materials is their ability of switching from a conductive to an insulating state and vice versa by changing their redox state. The possibility to switch from an oxidized to a neutral or reduced state induces variations of the optical spectrum due to changes in the electron excitation energy configuration resulting in electrochromism. Nowadays, electrochromic conjugated polymers are stimulating the development of…

Hybrid polyoxometalate nanofibres

Nanoscale control in organic bulk heterojunctions of new set of materials for photovoltaic applications

Multiplexed Sub-Cellular Scale Microarrays from direct DNA Nanolithography

The multiplexed, high-throughput fabrication of microarrays is of vital importance for many applications in life sciences, including drug screening, medical diagnostics and cell biology. In single cell investigations, features smaller than 10 μm are needed for functional manipulation of sub-cellular structures. Several top-down methodologies like electron beam lithography and microcontact printing can be employed for indirect surface patterning at this scale, however those approaches often require clean rooms and multiplexing of several different biomolecules on the same surface is limited [1]. To overcome these obstacles, we combined Dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) and DNA-directed immobiliz…

Assembly of a polyoxometalate supported {V6} core and integration into a functional material for energy applications

Structural and photochemical properties of thin films of a zinc ethanediyl-bridged porphyrins dimer

Fabrication and Characterisation of Titania Photonic Nanostructures

In this work, we report about the preparation and morphological characterization of photonic nanopatterned titania films (~ 200 nm).

3D nanoscale ordered architectures in thin films for organic electronics

Order in molecular thin films is of fundamental importance to gain and exploit a series of properties in nanotechnology. In this contest, engineering 2D supramolecular and molecular superstructures is of particular interest. They offer great possibilities for several applications whose achievement also allows for new theoretical approaches and nanoscale laws [1]. A natural extension of 2D nanopatterning concerns the attainment of a 3D nanoscale control in molecular films [2]. This question is complex to challenge and it is of ultimate importance in emerging fields like organic and hybrid photovoltaics, organic thin film transistors and sensors as well as plastic electronics. For example, th…

Polyoxometalate – rich thin films with controlled structure and function for designer electronics

During the last two decades, polyoxometalates (POMs) have attracted growing attention due to their potential application as functional materials potentially enabling new device design and opening new areas of technology. POMs are metal-oxide clusters of early transition metals Mo, W, V, etc with a diverse range of structures and properties, such as reversible electrical capacitance,[1] programmable surface 0D, 2D or 3D structure[2] which could together be of potential application in ultra-high-density data storage,[3],5 catalysis[4] and also in medicine as antiviral drugs.[5] In the present work, we show that it is possible to assemble structured thin-films by the self-assembly/organization…

Inhibition of α-crystallin amyloid fibrils formation by carnosine

Dimensional control of self-structuring polyoxometalates at surfaces

Controlled 3D Interfacing of Three Components Thin Films for Photovoltaics

One of the main problems related to the low performance of the organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, concerns the low mobility of the materials forming the heterojunction. For this reason, there is competition between the sweep-out and recombination of the photogenerated carriers within the thin film bulk heterojunction (BHJ). To overcome this problem, it is usual to operate by reducing the thickness of the active layer, so that the recombination of charge carriers is inhibited. This choice, however, also translates into a lower absorption of light by the active film itself. Plasmonic structures allow to reduce the "physical" thickness of heterojunction, maintaining constant the "optical" thi…

Towards bioarrays of cellular-like compartments for monitoring few molecular binding events

The aim of this work is to artificially reproduce scalable cellular-like compartments on a chip, thus realizing specialized small volume systems to study the behaviour of interacting biomolecules by few binding events. In particular, we show an unprecedented solution-based protein-binding assay based on arrays of oil-confined water droplets containing protein targets, labelled ligands and other compounds.

Microscopic approach to investigate constitutive materials and technique of San Vito wooden pulpit of Museo Diocesano of Palermo

The aim of this research was to assess the techniques used to create and decorate the wooden pulpit of San Vito and to verify the state of preservation of the finishing materials of the artwork.

Mesoscopic self-assembling of polyoxamethalates nanoclusters at dielectric and conductive surfaces

CONTROLLED CHEMICAL FUNCTIONALIZATION OF CARBON NANOSTRUCTURES FOR ORGANIC PHOTOVOLTAICS AND FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS

Preface

Inkjet Printing Quasi-Miscible Droplets for Pseudo-Planar Organic Heterojunctions

Alkoxy substituted conjugated polymer Langmuir-Shaefer thin films transistors for chemical and bio-sensing

Copper(II) and zinc(II) interaction with abeta42: effects of metal binding on peptide's aggregation rate and morphology of the aggregates

The effect of Trehalose on the Alpha-Crystallin Aggregates

Copper(II) and zinc(II) interaction with AB42: effects of metal binding on peptide’s aggregation rate and morphology of the aggregates.

The European Young Chemist Award 2008

Symmetric Naphthalenediimidethiophene Systems for Electrochromic Devices

Preface

High-throughput screening at the picoliter scale by combining Dip Pen Lithography with Inkjet printing

Drug screening is a complex, expensive and time consuming field consisting of diseasebased target identification in conjunction with high-throughput screening of chemical and natural product libraries. Conventional drug screening technology is usually time and reagent consuming (micro-, nanoliter scale) and is based on complex liquid handling robotics. In this work, we show a low-cost and miniaturized drug screening methodology based on direct bio-printing methodologies like Inkjet Printing and Dip Pen Lithography. We show the possibility to precisely deliver femtoliter scale droplets of protein targets by Dip Pen Lithography by finely tuning deposition parameters. This allows obtaining mic…

Solution processes for plastic thin film transistors

Solution processed micro- and nano-arrays for multiplexed biosensing

Boramers for Photovoltaic Applications

Bioanalysis in Femtoliter Scale Printed Artificial Systems

Printing has fueled the development of a new class of artificial biosystems for the qualitative and quantitative determination of bioanalytes [1]. In particular, the multiscale organization (from nanometers to millimeters) and multiplexed molecular composition (DNA, proteins, lipids, polymers) of such platforms enable the determination of molecular interactions in conditions mimicking/redesigning those of the living systems. Since the development of microarrays platforms [2], the downsizing of the “analyzable” feature down to femtoliter (fL) scales has permitted to develop new researches in the field of molecular condensates/confinement. Herein, two relevant examples of fL-scale systems wil…

2006 European Young Chemists Award

Ink-Jet Printing for drug srreening on microarrays: from covalent approaches to in-liquid-droplets assays

Drug screening is the complex process of retrieving chemical compounds able to modulate the activity of biological targets which are of interest for certain diseases. Conventional miniaturized drug screening technologies are based on robotic dispensers coupled with microwell arrays. However these devices require time and reagent consuming (micro-, nanoliter scale) instrumental tools, liquid handling robotics and complex detectors. Here we show a low-cost and efficient drug screening methodology based on inkjet printing for delivering molecular systems in picoliter volumes coupled with easily-implemented detection tools for probing target-drug interaction. We firstly show up a screening plat…

Preface

CONSERVATIVE RESTORATION OF TWO WOODEN ARM RELIQUARIES (18TH CENTURY) FROM PALERMO’S CATHEDRAL

The scientific investigations preliminary to the restoration of two golden wooden reliquaries, from Palermo's Cathedral, are reported in this work.

Programmable surface-architectures derived from hybrid polyoxometalate-based clusters

The exploration of the self-organization of a range of the polyoxometalate-based molecular structures reveals a diverse range of surface patterns and morphologies on solid substrates of technological interest, including methylated and hydroxylated silicon surfaces (namely, SiCH3 and SiOH). By exploiting the interplay between the intrinsic molecular properties and the surface chemistry as well as dynamic spatiotemporal phenomena (e.g., dewetting), we show that these systems can yield 0D, 2D, and 3D architectures via solution deposition at the solid surface, including nanodots, discs, lamellas, porous networks, and layer-by-layer assemblies. In general, we observed that layer-by-layer growth …

Patterns of glucose oxidase by inkjet printing for biosensing applications,

Surface Characterization of Organic Films for the Conservation of Bronze Archaeological Artefacts

ELECTROPOLYMERIZATION OF NOVEL BENZOFULVENES FOR FLEXIBLE ELECTROCHROMIC DEVICES

SUPRASTRUTTURE DI SISTEMI MOLECOLARI ANISOTROPI: TEORIA ED ESPERIMENTI MEDIANTE MICROSCOPIA A FORZA ATOMICA

DYNAMIC SCANNING FORCE MICROSCOPY OF MOLECULAR SURFACES

Il Gruppo Giovani della Società Chimica Italiana

Piezoresistive semi-transparent flexible sensors by bithiophene fulleropyrrolidine thin films

Piezoresistive sensors are considered among the fundamental components of the future wearable electronic devices, given their potential applications in artificial skin, motion capture and personalized medicine.[1-5] Here, we present a cost-effective, viable fabrication approach to realize piezoresistive sensors using a novel polymeric biotiophene fulleropyrrolidine system (bis-C60Bi) synthesized on flexible ITO/PET supports by electrochemical chronoamperometry. By applying an anodic potential (1.5 V) to a solution containing the monomer, it is possible to obtain a homogeneous semi-transparent thin film on the ITO/PET surface (see Figure). AFM, XPS, UV-vis have been employed to characterize …

Solution processed pentacene thin films: new routes for building-up plastic field effect transistors

3D Order for Improved Organic Solar Cells Effiency

Scientific studies for the restauration of two wooden arm reliquaries from the Cathedral of Palermo

Dedicated to Saint Generosi and Saint Rosana, the reliquary arms, recalling the shape of a body part, are today located in the Relics Chapel in Palermo Cathedral. They are probably dated to the second half of the 18th century and are attributed to an unknown artist. The aims of this study were to investigate the decorative techniques, verify the state of conservation of the constitutive materials, measure the microclimate condition in the Relics Chapel, in order to set up a correct preventive conservation strategy. In this regard, an integrated scientific investigation was performed focusing on environmental monitoring (thermo-hygrometric parameters) by HOBO system, characterization of mate…

Spontaneous Interfacial Fragmentation of Inkjet Printed Oil Droplets and Their electrical characterization

This work presents the fabrication of femtoliter-scale oil droplets by inkjet printing based on a novel mechanism for the spontaneous fragmentation at the interface with an immiscible water phase and the electrical characterization of the resulting immersed “daughter” droplets. [1] In particular, picoliter-scale fluorinated oil droplets impact on surfactant laden water phase at moderately high Weber number (101), and are subjected to spreading and capillary instabilities at the water/air interface which ultimately lead to rupture in smaller sized droplets, according to reported models for macroscale droplets systems - [2] the emerging fragmentation results in “daughter” droplets having volu…

On the Achievement of High performance thin film transistors by employing 13,6-N-sulfinylacetamido pentacene and printed PEDOT:PSS electrodes

Eterogiunzioni bulk a base di polimeri di borani per celle fotovoltaiche flessibili

On the Effect of Downscaling in Inkjet Printed Life-Inspired Compartments

The fabrication of size-scalable liquid compartments is a topic of fundamental importance in synthetic biology, aiming to mimic the structures and the functions of cellular compartments. Here, inkjet printing is demonstrated as a customizable approach to fabricate aqueous compartments at different size regimes (from nanoliter to femtoliter scale) revealing the crucial role of size in governing the emerging of new properties. At first, inkjet printing is shown to produce homogenous aqueous compartments stabilized by oil-confinement with mild surfactants down to the hundreds of picoliter scale [1]. Raster Image Correlation Spectroscopy allows to monitor few intermolecular events by the involv…

Molecular Confinement in Femtoliter scale aqueous Compartments

Molecular confinement is known to lead to acceleration of molecular dynamics along with surface interaction. Nature employs confinement in molecularly crowded, heterogeneous and, specialized femtoliter (fL) compartments inside living cells for spontaneously achieving higher reaction efficiency and spatial-programming of composite, multi-step biochemical processes. We here show the facile production of aqueous fL droplets for studying molecular confinement on a biochip. We prepare fL aqueous droplets in oil drops on solid substrates by a “field-free”- no external electric fields and electrolytes - piezoelectric inkjet printing in which a novel actuating waveform is employed by picoliter size…

Effect of the heat treatment on α-crystallin : characterisation of amyloid fibrils formation and inhibitory effect of carnosine

Assembling 3D Ordered Architectures in Thin Films for Organic Solar Cells

Multifunctional hybrid Polyoxometalates for silicone gels with improved thermal and mechanical properties

Droplet-to-droplet microarray for drug screening in picoliter scale

3D-ORDERED NANOSCALE HETEROJUNCTIONS IN MOLECULAR THIN FILMS FOR ORGANIC PHOTOVOLTAICS

Instability induced ordered structures during the transfer of a Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer: an experimental and theoretical study

ELECTROSPRAY AS A NOVEL ELECTROCHEMICAL WAY FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF NANOSTRUCTURED MATERIALS

Self-assembling of fiber forming anysotropic molecules

Electrical, chemical and morphological characterization of tantalum nitride thin film resistors deposited at low temperature by reactive sputtering for plastic electronic applications

ORGANOTIN(IV)-PORPHINATE FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC BULK HETEROJUNCTIONS

Due to the versatility and variability of their molecular structures, optical spectra, electrical properties, and supramolecular organization potential, porphyrins related compounds have been widely studied in organic solar cells [1,2]. Indeed, these applications are a natural function for these compounds, and they have been extensively investigated in a variety of formats including single molecules, macromolecular and supramolecular structures. In this work, poly(hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and organotin(IV)-[meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl) porphinate] have been employed for engineering planar and bulk heterojunctions by layer by layer deposition. Improving the overall efficiencies of photovoltaic …

Designing trehalose-conjugated peptide inhibitors for the oligomerization and toxicity of Alzheimer’s Aβ 11th Naples

Interfacial fragmentation and electrical characterization of inkjet printed dil droplets

This work presents a novel mechanism for the spontaneous fragmentation of picoliter-scale oil droplets at the interface with an immiscible water phase, and the electrical characterization of the resulting immersed “daughter” droplets by an electrical impedance chip (see Figure). [1] In particular, picoliter-scale fluorinated oil droplets are produced by inkjet printing at velocity higher than 5 m/s. Upon impact on the surfactant laden water phase at moderately high Weber number , i.e. around 10, the oil droplet is subjected to spreading and capillary instabilities at the water/air interface. These ultimately lead to its rupture in smaller sized droplets, according to the reported models for…

High-throughput drug screening by Printing Biology

Printing biology is our way to define a novel field employing material printing techniques generally used in plastic electronics to solve important issues of biology by miniaturized and high-throughput platforms. In this field, we already showed the possibility to use Dip Pen Lithography to fabricate single-cell biochips [1]. Also,we employed non-contact patterning methods such as inkjet printing methods to fabricate microarrays for drug screening at solid-liquid interfaces [2] or in picoliter-scale liquid droplets [3] so enabling high-throughput screening of chemical libraries onto disease-based targets. In this regard, printing methods would greatly reduce times and costs of standard drug…

Protein Arrays for Sensing Applications: Relationship beetween Printing Conditions and Pattern Properties

Surface Chemistry Effects on the Early Growth Stages of Pentacene Films from a Soluble Precursor on Silicon-Based Materials

"Writing biochips": high-resolution droplet-to-droplet manufacturing of analytical platforms.

The development of high-resolution molecular printing allows the engineering of analytical platforms enabling applications at the interface between chemistry and biology, i.e. in biosensing, electronics, single-cell biology, and point-of-care diagnostics. Their successful implementation stems from the combination of large area printing at resolutions from sub-100 nm up to macroscale, whilst controlling the composition and the volume of the ink, and reconfiguring the deposition features in due course. Similarly to handwriting pens, the engineering of continuous writing systems tackles the issue of the tedious ink replenishment between different printing steps. To this aim, this review articl…

Advances in SPMs for solid supported monolayers investigation and modification

Polyoxometalates complex architectures in thin films by exploiting physical and chemical processes at surfaces

3D ORGANIZATION OF THIN FILMS FOR THREE COMPONENTS ACTIVE LAYER IN PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES

Polymer-fullerene or polymer-polymer based bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells can be fabricated by using low-cost manufacturing methods. However, because of the low mobility of organic materials, there is a competition between separation and recombination of the photogenerated carriers within the thin BHJ film. Thus, there is a need to develop strategies to increase light harvesting in the films without increasing the film thickness. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been receiving a lot of interest for exhibiting interesting optical, electrical, and magnetic properties. These novel properties can be exploited in nanotechnology by forming compact and ordered architectures of nanoparticles within …

Mesoscopic self-organisation of magnetic Cobalt-based nanofibers and nanoclusters in surfactant matrix

Preface

Physical Processes and Chemical Processes guiding polyoxomatalates self-structuring on surfaces

Synthesis, chemical characterization, computational studies and biological activity of organotin(IV) compounds interacting with enzymes involoved in epigenetic regulation. New and potential methodologies for studying molecular interactions

Our studies deal with the synthesis, the chemical characterization of organotin(IV) complexes of molecules, as caffeic acid, interacting with enzymes involved in epigenetic regulation.

Early Growth Stages of Pentacene Films from Solution Processes on Silicon-Based Dielectrics

Switching direction of anysotropic LB monolayers

CONTROLLING THE FUNCTIONALIZATION OF CARBON NANOTUBES AND GRAPHENE NANOPLATELETS

The functionalization of carbon nanostructures by diazonium chemistry is a versatile strategy to obtain soluble nanomaterials with degrees of functionalization among the highest ever reported.[1,2] Starting from these premises we have studied the functionalization of single, double and multi-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoplatelets by addition of aryl diazonium salts generated in situ by treatment of 4-substituted anilines with isopentylnitrite. Taking advantage of highly controlled flow synthesis [3-5] and following a thorough purification and characterization protocol (UV-vis, TGA, ATR-IR, AFM and other surface tools), we have investigated the key parameters to obtain both funct…

Poly(alkoxy-phenylenethienylene) Langmuir-Schäfer thin-film for advanced performance in electronic devices

The European Young Chemist Award 2010

The European Young Chemist Award 2012

Electrostatics regulate Epigallocatechin-Gallate effects on Bovine Serum Albumin aggregation

Protein aggregation processes are complex phenomena often involved in the etiology of several pathologies. It is now assessed that all proteins, in suitable conditions, may undergo supramolecular assembly. Aggregation pathways are known to be controlled by solution conditions which regulate protein-protein and protein-solvent interactions affecting binding mechanisms, morphology and inherent toxicity of the aggregate species. In this context, the presence of small molecules was indicated as a promising method to modulate protein-protein interactions reducing pathogenic aggregation. In the light of the idea that common mechanisms regulate anti-aggregogenic properties of small molecules, we h…

Capacitive effects in silicon-supported polyoxometalate-based nanocrystals

Influenza del Cu II sull’autoorganizzazione gerarchica di AB(25-35) e dei suoi derivati [C-amidati o N-acetilati]

On the achievement of high performance organic thin film transistors by solution processes

Microarray Funzionali attraverso metodologie da Inkjet Printing: dalla biosensoristica allo screening farmacologico

Dip Pen Lithography of oligonucleotides on flexible substrates for point-of-care malaria disease testing

The first step for prevention and treatment of diseases is the accurate diagnosis. However, proper diagnostic technologies are not available in developing countries due to the lack of reliable electrical power, refrigeration and trained personnel. For this reason, there is an urgent need of low cost, rapid assays not requiring any external support. By coupling such technologies to communication infrastructures, healthcare in areas without access to medical personnel would be possible. “Paper” like substrates are ideal for fabricating such devices since they are cheap, easy to degradate after use and compatible with most of existing printing technologies [1]. We had previously shown the poss…

Nano-structured molecular thin films for bio-sensing and plastic-electronics with improved efficiency/cost ratio

Carbon nanotube derivatives for electro-optical active bulk heterojunctions

PENTACENE THIN FILMS BY SOLUTION METHODS: NEW ROUTES FOR PLASTIC ELECTRONICS

PRINTING NANOBIOLOGY IN AQUEOUS SYSTEMS

Our studies in the field of printing nanobiology in aqueous solution are proposed to highlight the role of water in the processes of interaction between biomolecules in drug- screening devices fabricated by bioprinting technologies and to emphasize the influence of water evaporation on the diffusion of molecules in droplets of picoliter-scale.

Il 4° Euchems Chemistry Congress di Praga

SENSING OF AMYLOID AGGREGATION USING A NOVEL BIS-THIOPHENE FLUORESCENT DYE

Interface study of Langmuir-Schäfer conjugated polymer thin film transistors

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO THE CONSERVATION OF A WOODEN SCULPTURE REPRESENTING ST. VINCENT DE PAUL (18TH) IN THE DIOCESAN MUSEUM OF PALERMO

3D Nanoscopic Control of Ordered Molecular thin Films for Electronic Applications

ON THE 3D CONTROL OF THE FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURE OF MOLECULAR THIN FILMS

Apart from being a very challenging issue, three-dimensional order in molecular thin films is of critical importance to gain and exploit a series of key properties in emerging fields like organic/hybrid photovoltaics, organic thin film transistors, sensors and plastic electronics in general. For example, the development of nanostructured bi-continuous bulk heterojunctions (BHJs) is an important advancement leading to improved photovoltaic power conversion efficiency with respect to planar heterojunctions. Here we show an original low cost, easy-to-implement and multi-tasking bottom-up approaches to modulate the supramolecular morphology in three-dimensional (3D) systems together with their …

Drug Screening by Inkjet Printing Microarrays

ORGANOBORON POLYMERS FOR HIGH-EFFICIENCY FLEXIBLE SOLAR CELLS

Ordered Superstructures at Organic/Inorganic Interfaces by Equilibrium and Out-of-Equilibrium Processes