Bio-based polymers are attracting great interest due to their potential for several applications ... more Bio-based polymers are attracting great interest due to their potential for several applications in place of conventional polymers. In the field of electrochemical devices, the electrolyte is a fundamental element that determines their performance, and polymers represent good candidates for developing solid-state and gel-based electrolytes toward the development of full-solid-state devices. In this context, the fabrication and characterization of uncrosslinked and physically cross-linked collagen membranes are reported to test their potential as a polymeric matrix for the development of a gel electrolyte. The evaluation of the membrane’s stability in water and aqueous electrolyte and the mechanical characterization demonstrated that cross-linked samples showed a good compromise in terms of water absorption capability and resistance. The optical characteristics and the ionic conductivity of the cross-linked membrane, after overnight dipping in sulfuric acid solution, demonstrated the...
A novel and low-cost framework for food traceability, composed by commercial and proprietary sens... more A novel and low-cost framework for food traceability, composed by commercial and proprietary sensing devices, for the remote monitoring of air, water, soil parameters and herbicide contamination during the farming process, has been developed and verified in real crop environments. It offers an integrated approach to food traceability with embedded systems supervision, approaching the problem to testify the quality of the food product. Moreover, it fills the gap of missing low-cost systems for monitoring cropping environments and pesticides contamination, satisfying the wide interest of regulatory agencies and final customers for a sustainable farming. The novelty of the proposed monitoring framework lies in the realization and the adoption of a fully automated prototype for in situ glyphosate detection. This device consists of a custom-made and automated fluidic system which, leveraging on the Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) sensing technology, permits to detect unwanted glyphos...
With the main objective being to develop photochromic smart textiles, in this paper, we studied t... more With the main objective being to develop photochromic smart textiles, in this paper, we studied the photochromic behavior of WO3-x nanocrystals (NCs) cooperatively interacting with variable amounts of TiO2 NCs. We tested several blends of WO3-x:TiO2 NCs, admixed in different compositions (relative molar ratio of 4:0, 3:1, 2:2, 1:3, 0:4) and electrostatically interfacing because of opposite values of Z-potential, for photo-induced chromogenic textiles. We further monitored the photochromic sensitivity of NC-impregnated textiles after exposure to a few solvents (i.e., methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol) or when over-coated with different polymeric matrices such as natural cellulose or ionic conductive Nafion. The optimization of the compositions of the WO3-x:TiO2 blends embedded in polymeric matrices, allowed the nanostructured photochromic textiles to show rapid and tunable coloration (<5 min) and bleaching kinetics (~5 in at 75 °C or 6 h at room temperature) along with good recov...
Processing techniques for the fabrication of ITO-free substrates based on the standard PEN and th... more Processing techniques for the fabrication of ITO-free substrates based on the standard PEN and the biodegradable PLA for flexible OLED devices INTRODUCTION 43 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 50
E-textiles represent an emerging technology aiming toward the development of fabric with augmente... more E-textiles represent an emerging technology aiming toward the development of fabric with augmented functionalities, enabling the integration of displays, sensors, and other electronic components into textiles. Healthcare, protective clothing, fashion, and sports are a few examples application areas of e-textiles. Light-emitting textiles can have different applications: sensing, fashion, visual communication, light therapy, etc. Light emission can be integrated with textiles in different ways: fabricating light-emitting fibers and planar light-emitting textiles or employing side-emitting polymer optical fibers (POFs) coupled with light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Different kinds of technology have been investigated: alternating current electroluminescent devices (ACELs), inorganic and organic LEDs, and light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs). The different device working principles and architectures are discussed in this review, highlighting the most relevant aspects and the possible...
Motivated by the technological relevance of tungsten oxide nanostructures as valuable materials f... more Motivated by the technological relevance of tungsten oxide nanostructures as valuable materials for energy saving technology, electrochemical and electrochromic characteristics of greener processed nanostructured W18O49-based electrodes are discussed in this work. For the purpose, microwave-assisted water-dispersible W18O49 nanorods have been synthesized and processed into nanostructured electrodes. An airbrushing technique has been adopted as a cost-effective large-area scalable methodology to deposit the W18O49 nanorods onto conductive glass. This approach preserves the morphological and crystallographic habit of native nanorods and allows highly homogeneous transparent coating where good electronic coupling between nanowires is ensured by a mild thermal treatment (250 °C, 30 min). Morphological and structural characteristics of active material were investigated from the synthesis to the nanocrystal deposition process by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffrac...
Electromagnetism, with its scalar charges, is based on an Abelian gauge theory, whereas non-Abeli... more Electromagnetism, with its scalar charges, is based on an Abelian gauge theory, whereas non-Abelian gauge theories with vector charges describe strong and weak interactions, with a coupled spatial and charge (color) dynamics. New Abelian gauge fields have been synthesized artificially, allowing the study of extraordinary physical effects. The most well-known example is the Berry curvature, the cornerstone of topological physics. Synthetic non-Abelian gauge fields have been implemented only recently, but their action on the spatial dynamics of their emergent charges has not been studied experimentally so far. Here, by exploiting optically anisotropic 2D perovskite in the strong light–matter coupling regime, we experimentally synthesized a static non-Abelian gauge field, acting on an exciton-polariton quantum flow at room temperature. We observe experimentally the corresponding curved trajectories and spin precession. Our work could therefore open perspectives to study the non-Abelian...
In this paper, we report the fabrication and characterization of high-quality distributed Bragg r... more In this paper, we report the fabrication and characterization of high-quality distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) deposited by low-energetic thermal evaporation. This technique allows deposition of...
Top-emitting OLEDs (TOLEDs) represent a promising technology for the development of nextgeneratio... more Top-emitting OLEDs (TOLEDs) represent a promising technology for the development of nextgeneration flexible and rollable displays, thanks to their improved light outcoupling and their compatibility with opaque substrates. Metal thin films are the most used electrodes for the manufacturing of TOLEDs, but they show poor resistance to mechanical deformation, which compromises the long-term durability of flexible devices. This paper reports the exploitation of a dielectric mirror (DBR) based on seven pairs of TiO 2 and SiO 2 combined with a polymeric electrode as an alternative to the bottom metal electrode in flexible TOLEDs. The DBR showed a maximum reflectivity of 99.9% at about 550 nm, and a stop-band width of about 200 nm. The reflectivity remained unchanged after bending and treatment with water and solvents. Green TOLED devices were fabricated on top of DBRs, and demonstrated good stability in terms of electro-optical and colorimetric characteristics, according to varying viewing angles. These results demonstrate that the combination of the flexible DBR with the polymeric anode is an interesting strategy for improving the durability of flexible TOLEDs for display applications, implemented on different kinds of free-standing ultra-thin substrates.
Current developments and challenges in energy-efficient windows for building integration relate t... more Current developments and challenges in energy-efficient windows for building integration relate to the design and realization of high-performance, durable electrochromic devices and semitransparent...
Bio-based polymers are attracting great interest due to their potential for several applications ... more Bio-based polymers are attracting great interest due to their potential for several applications in place of conventional polymers. In the field of electrochemical devices, the electrolyte is a fundamental element that determines their performance, and polymers represent good candidates for developing solid-state and gel-based electrolytes toward the development of full-solid-state devices. In this context, the fabrication and characterization of uncrosslinked and physically cross-linked collagen membranes are reported to test their potential as a polymeric matrix for the development of a gel electrolyte. The evaluation of the membrane’s stability in water and aqueous electrolyte and the mechanical characterization demonstrated that cross-linked samples showed a good compromise in terms of water absorption capability and resistance. The optical characteristics and the ionic conductivity of the cross-linked membrane, after overnight dipping in sulfuric acid solution, demonstrated the...
A novel and low-cost framework for food traceability, composed by commercial and proprietary sens... more A novel and low-cost framework for food traceability, composed by commercial and proprietary sensing devices, for the remote monitoring of air, water, soil parameters and herbicide contamination during the farming process, has been developed and verified in real crop environments. It offers an integrated approach to food traceability with embedded systems supervision, approaching the problem to testify the quality of the food product. Moreover, it fills the gap of missing low-cost systems for monitoring cropping environments and pesticides contamination, satisfying the wide interest of regulatory agencies and final customers for a sustainable farming. The novelty of the proposed monitoring framework lies in the realization and the adoption of a fully automated prototype for in situ glyphosate detection. This device consists of a custom-made and automated fluidic system which, leveraging on the Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) sensing technology, permits to detect unwanted glyphos...
With the main objective being to develop photochromic smart textiles, in this paper, we studied t... more With the main objective being to develop photochromic smart textiles, in this paper, we studied the photochromic behavior of WO3-x nanocrystals (NCs) cooperatively interacting with variable amounts of TiO2 NCs. We tested several blends of WO3-x:TiO2 NCs, admixed in different compositions (relative molar ratio of 4:0, 3:1, 2:2, 1:3, 0:4) and electrostatically interfacing because of opposite values of Z-potential, for photo-induced chromogenic textiles. We further monitored the photochromic sensitivity of NC-impregnated textiles after exposure to a few solvents (i.e., methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol) or when over-coated with different polymeric matrices such as natural cellulose or ionic conductive Nafion. The optimization of the compositions of the WO3-x:TiO2 blends embedded in polymeric matrices, allowed the nanostructured photochromic textiles to show rapid and tunable coloration (<5 min) and bleaching kinetics (~5 in at 75 °C or 6 h at room temperature) along with good recov...
Processing techniques for the fabrication of ITO-free substrates based on the standard PEN and th... more Processing techniques for the fabrication of ITO-free substrates based on the standard PEN and the biodegradable PLA for flexible OLED devices INTRODUCTION 43 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 50
E-textiles represent an emerging technology aiming toward the development of fabric with augmente... more E-textiles represent an emerging technology aiming toward the development of fabric with augmented functionalities, enabling the integration of displays, sensors, and other electronic components into textiles. Healthcare, protective clothing, fashion, and sports are a few examples application areas of e-textiles. Light-emitting textiles can have different applications: sensing, fashion, visual communication, light therapy, etc. Light emission can be integrated with textiles in different ways: fabricating light-emitting fibers and planar light-emitting textiles or employing side-emitting polymer optical fibers (POFs) coupled with light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Different kinds of technology have been investigated: alternating current electroluminescent devices (ACELs), inorganic and organic LEDs, and light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs). The different device working principles and architectures are discussed in this review, highlighting the most relevant aspects and the possible...
Motivated by the technological relevance of tungsten oxide nanostructures as valuable materials f... more Motivated by the technological relevance of tungsten oxide nanostructures as valuable materials for energy saving technology, electrochemical and electrochromic characteristics of greener processed nanostructured W18O49-based electrodes are discussed in this work. For the purpose, microwave-assisted water-dispersible W18O49 nanorods have been synthesized and processed into nanostructured electrodes. An airbrushing technique has been adopted as a cost-effective large-area scalable methodology to deposit the W18O49 nanorods onto conductive glass. This approach preserves the morphological and crystallographic habit of native nanorods and allows highly homogeneous transparent coating where good electronic coupling between nanowires is ensured by a mild thermal treatment (250 °C, 30 min). Morphological and structural characteristics of active material were investigated from the synthesis to the nanocrystal deposition process by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffrac...
Electromagnetism, with its scalar charges, is based on an Abelian gauge theory, whereas non-Abeli... more Electromagnetism, with its scalar charges, is based on an Abelian gauge theory, whereas non-Abelian gauge theories with vector charges describe strong and weak interactions, with a coupled spatial and charge (color) dynamics. New Abelian gauge fields have been synthesized artificially, allowing the study of extraordinary physical effects. The most well-known example is the Berry curvature, the cornerstone of topological physics. Synthetic non-Abelian gauge fields have been implemented only recently, but their action on the spatial dynamics of their emergent charges has not been studied experimentally so far. Here, by exploiting optically anisotropic 2D perovskite in the strong light–matter coupling regime, we experimentally synthesized a static non-Abelian gauge field, acting on an exciton-polariton quantum flow at room temperature. We observe experimentally the corresponding curved trajectories and spin precession. Our work could therefore open perspectives to study the non-Abelian...
In this paper, we report the fabrication and characterization of high-quality distributed Bragg r... more In this paper, we report the fabrication and characterization of high-quality distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) deposited by low-energetic thermal evaporation. This technique allows deposition of...
Top-emitting OLEDs (TOLEDs) represent a promising technology for the development of nextgeneratio... more Top-emitting OLEDs (TOLEDs) represent a promising technology for the development of nextgeneration flexible and rollable displays, thanks to their improved light outcoupling and their compatibility with opaque substrates. Metal thin films are the most used electrodes for the manufacturing of TOLEDs, but they show poor resistance to mechanical deformation, which compromises the long-term durability of flexible devices. This paper reports the exploitation of a dielectric mirror (DBR) based on seven pairs of TiO 2 and SiO 2 combined with a polymeric electrode as an alternative to the bottom metal electrode in flexible TOLEDs. The DBR showed a maximum reflectivity of 99.9% at about 550 nm, and a stop-band width of about 200 nm. The reflectivity remained unchanged after bending and treatment with water and solvents. Green TOLED devices were fabricated on top of DBRs, and demonstrated good stability in terms of electro-optical and colorimetric characteristics, according to varying viewing angles. These results demonstrate that the combination of the flexible DBR with the polymeric anode is an interesting strategy for improving the durability of flexible TOLEDs for display applications, implemented on different kinds of free-standing ultra-thin substrates.
Current developments and challenges in energy-efficient windows for building integration relate t... more Current developments and challenges in energy-efficient windows for building integration relate to the design and realization of high-performance, durable electrochromic devices and semitransparent...
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