Reaserch activities in "Tor Vergata"
At UniTOV subjects of research in Materials Science, range from the superconductivity to the quantum theory of materials, to the study and characterization of nanostructures and innovative organic and inorganic materials for opto-electronics, solar cells, fuel cells, energy production, chemical sensors and biomedical applications as artificial tissue fabrication.
MORE about RESEARCH in MS at UniTOV
New synthesis and characterization techniques have allowed MS researchers at UniTOV to develop innovative materials for optoelectronic devices, for eco-friendly energy production (solar and fuel cells) and for cheaper and more efficient catalysis.
Strong effort is dedicated to the development of solar cells based on carbon nanotubes and on inorganic compounds of Selenium, Tellurium and Cadmium, that have shown very promising photo-conversion efficiencies. Low-dimensional 1D (i.e. Si nanowires) and new classes of 2D (such as Transition Metal Dichalcogenides) materials are deeply investigated both at experimental and theoretical level. Perovskites, polymers and dyes are investigated for the next generation of solar cells.
Carbon-based nanomaterials are deeply investigated for water purification, pressure sensors and biomedicine.
The study and the design of micro and nano devices based on macromolecules and polymers are also investigated for drug-delivery, medical imaging, sensing, diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
Fabrication and use of novel protein hydrogel scaffolds pave the way towards cardiac tissue regeneration.
The low temperature study of superconducting nanometric materials (Josephson junctions) is another fascinating field of research carried out at UniTOV, allowing to investigate quantum-transport phenomena and Cooper pairs (bosons) condensation processes for the charge transport in the superconducting state.
At UniTOV several MS researchers are involved in modelling and theoretical activities such as electron spectroscopies of strongly correlated systems, superconductivity, spin currents, quantum pumping, quantum transport in quantum-based molecular and nano-electronics devices. Simulations of growth of nanostructures at solid surfaces, based on advanced mathematical models are also carried out for describing experimental results. Modern theories based on quantum mechanics (DFT, TDDFT and Many-Body Perturbation Theory) , often joined to the use of powerful super-computers, are used to simulate and understand many of the macroscopic properties of materials and to predict novel effects.
Research activity on complex analysis and geometry, on the mathematical solution of differential equations describing the time evolution of the distribution function of a plasma of charged particles and on the study of quasi-integrable dynamical systems, of Markov additive and fractional processes, complete the expertise of the MS staff at UniTOV.
PIÙ info su LABS & FACILITIES presso UniTOV
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Our labs are equipped to grow materials through different synthesis processes like:
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- Atom by atom deposition (molecular beam epitaxy – MBE)
- Chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technique
- Sputtering technique
- Sol-gel chemistry
- Spin-coating deposition
- Dry-transfer printing method
- Optical (UV and laser) lithography
- Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Electrochemical Scanning Tunneling Microscope (ECSTM) able to study the arrangement of atoms in surfaces, interfaces and nanostructures Electron microscopies like scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate morphology at micro-scale and nano-scale of materials
- Electron spectroscopies : x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, low energy electron spectroscopy
- Optical spectroscopies (reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy (RAS), optical absorption and reflection, ellipsometry, photoluminescence spectroscopy, Raman and microRaman spectroscopy)
- Electrical and magnetic measurements (Current-Voltage measurements at room and low temperature, resistance measurements, Hall effect measurements, susceptibility measurements)
- Solar cells characterization to determine
- Solar cell power conversion efficiency and external quantum efficiency
More about INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS in MS at UNITOV
Materials Science researchers at the University of Rome -Tor Vergata (UniTOV) are involved in well-established international collaborations on a variety of experimental and theoretical topics spanning from fundamental research to technology development for applications in several social, medical and industrial fields. These collaborations have several important relapses:- Young people training in the field of material science, including nanoscience and nanotechnology. Often the collaborations involve the formation of master degree students, PhD students and post-docs, who have the opportunity to be supervised by researchers of recognized international experience in fields other than those studied in their laboratories and to have contact with the world of industry. This enables them to acquire knowledge and experience that are useful not only for their studies but will make them attractive in the labor market both in research and in high-tech companies.
- The result of the positive interference between groups often manifests through joint publications of scientific results in the most prestigious journals in the field and their dissemination in international conferences, thus maintaining and increasing the scientific relevance of the involved researchers in the field of materials science and its applications.
- These partnerships allow to expand the range of opportunities for funding applications at National and International Institutions and/or industries. At the same time, funded projects are themselves recognition of the fruitful exchanges among different country groups and of the excellent ideas to work on.
To get information on the latest research in the field we suggest you to see the following web pages
or to look directly at the web pages of the degree courses and departments in Materials Science
- University of Turin
- University of Eastern Piedmont
- University of Milan Bicocca
- University of Padua
- University of Genoa
- University of Naples Federico II
- University of Bari
- University of Cosenza
- University of Cagliari