Future Developments

Nanocomposite (smart) materials: from nanoparticle synthesis to 2D/3D materials (films/scaffolds)

• Surface properties of nanocomposite materials will be extensively studied in order to finely tune their wettability, using different methods such as light-induced changes, micro/nano-structuring, in situ formation of nanoparticles. A particular emphasis will be given to biology oriented applications, environmental pollution, smart and self-cleaning materials.
• New and advanced forms of nanostructured materials will be explored, such as a solid inorganic porous matrix of nanoporous alumina, filled with a polymer and/or different functional macromolecules or nanoparticles fed into its pores. These materials can be used alternatively as scaffold for the growth of different types of cells or high efficiency detection substrates.
• Increase in the efficiency of the 3D scaffolding fabrication throughput, thus bringing stereolithography technique from the rapid-prototyping arena to actual production processes oriented to tissue engineering applications. A parallel high-tech improvement will be represented by a RESOLFT-like (REversible Saturable OpticaL Fluorescence Transitions) approach, so that the produced 2D patterned surfaces and 3D scaffolds will find applications in advanced tissue engineering for bone and/or cartilage repair as well as in brain-machine interfaces.
• Silicon-on-Diamond technology will be investigated for applications to prosthetic substitutes for human, lab-on-chip devices and human-machine interfaces. Laser micromachining techniques will be optimized for the fabrication of conductive through-SoD-vias, and 2D/3D direct laser writing of conductive graphitic channels in Diamond.
• Photocatalytic production of gold nanorods will be oriented to diagnostic and therapeutic applications following specific functionalization.
• Interactions of nanoparticle with biosystems requiring the evaluation of the potential cytotoxic effects and related implications to human health will be further studied.  
• Nanocomposites based on shape-memory nanoparticles and nanofibers will be realized considering: actuation and damping properties; biological and mechanical compatibility with living tissues; cell-matter interaction as a function of surface morphology; optimization of biocompatibility in materials design and processing.

Technologically advanced devices and instruments: accessing the nanoscale from artificial objects/tissue/organ size to single molecule/nanoparticle precision

• Low cost miniaturized super resolution microscope will be developed utilizing different combined modalities with the ambition of being a potential substitute of the electron microscope in biological applications. The aim is to produce the smallest “living supermicroscope”.
• New optical super-resolution approaches will be developed considering single- and multi-photon interaction (with Leica Microsystems, Nikon Instruments, Coherent Inc., JPK, Nanonics and Bruker). Super resolution microscopy will be coupled to atomic force microscopy to allow for in-vivo mechanical- functional correlation properties during different cell life cycles or by application of external stimuli. And the prototype of a compact harmonic phase-dispersion microscope will be realized.