Surface Chemistry of Materials

Specific mission

Surf-CheM focuses on the synthesis and characterization of (nano)materials, either porous or non-porous, to be used in (photo)catalysis; gas adsorption; concentration and detection of biomolecules. Surf-CheM is interested into innovative nanomaterials and their physicochemical properties, as studied by means of different techniques, including IR, Raman, UV-Vis and XPS. Such materials include catalysts for water splitting/oxidation reactions; materials for H2 production and storage; materials for CO2 capture and storage and detection of nucleic acids and proteins contained in complex matrices.   

Main research topics

  • • Mn and Co-based catalysts for water oxidation reaction (WOR)
    • Porous materials for storage of H2, CH4 and CO2 capture and storage.
    • Alumino-silicate nanotubes doped with transition metals and/or functionalized with organic moieties.
    • Magnetic nano- and microparticles for environmental remediation and diagnostic.

Main partnerships

  • Prof. Francesco Michelangelo Turrini, Prof. Bice Fubini, Prof. Gianmario Martra, Prof. Dario Ghigo, Prof. Claudio Baiocchi, Prof. Mario Chiesa, Prof. Rossella Arletti and Prof. Maela Manzoli at University of Turin (Italy)
  • Prof. Ilenia Rossetti at University of Milan (Italy)
  • Prof. Fabrizio Cavani at University of Bologna (Italy)
  • Prof. Gianguido Ramis at University of Genova (Italy)
  • Prof. Carlos Otero Areán at University of the Balearic Islands (Spain)
  • Dr Christian Fernandez at Caen CNRS (France)
  • Dr Pascale Massiani and Dr Stanislaw Dzwigaj at Universitè Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC, Paris)
  • Dr Vittorio Morandi at Bologna CNR (Italy)
  • Prof. Michele Pansini and Dr Serena Esposito at University of Cassino (Italy)
  • Dr Antoine Thill, CEA (France)
  • Prof. Nicolás Arancibia- Miranda University of Santiago (Chile)
  • Prof. I Tamblyn, University of Ontario Institute of Technology Oshawa (Canada)
  • Dr Franca Mannu from NUREX (Italy)
  • Dr Roberto De Stefanis from Thales Alenia Spazio (Turin, Italy)
  • Eng. Giorgio Speranza from Eco-zinder (Trezzo sull’Adda, MI)
  • Società ALFED (Milan, Italy)
  • Dr Francesco Di Renzo from ENSCM (Montpellier, France)
  • Dr Paola Tiberto and Dr Gabriele Barrera - INRIM, Nanoscience and Materials Division, Torino, Italy
  • Prof. Paolo Antonio Netti - Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Health Care@CRIB Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Napoli, Italy

Projects and publications

Reference laboratories