The goal of this platform is to tackle the increasing demand for portable, alternative energy sources in very important industrial areas such as automation and robotics, portable electronics and automotive. We envisage that IIT will be able to provide strategic technological solutions in both directions using nanostructured materials and devices, developing novel concepts and approaches for storing energy or harvesting it from the surrounding environment. Portability and environmental impact will be two of the major issues affecting the choice and development of future portable energy sources.
The main tasks for IIT are the development of new low-cost plastic materials for portable photovoltaic systems and nano-engineered interfaces for advanced energy harvesting and storage devices. The approach chosen is therefore that of developing organic and nanostructured materials, and to engineer surfaces and nanoparticles, integrating their multiple capabilities together, to improve the performances of a multiplicity of energy conversion devices.
