Materials for Energy and the Environment

• subjectSkills

  The Materials for Energy and Environment (Mat4En2) laboratory specializes in the development and characterization of low-impact materials for construction and water treatment applications, life cycle assessments (LCA) of industrial products and processes, and the development and testing of fuel cell components and ceramic materials. 

  The group has extensive experience in materials science and technology, with environmental applications such as the removal of pollutants (organic and inorganic) from water, the recovery of precious metals and rare earths from waste electrical and electronic components, sustainable building materials such as lime and hemp biobricks and raw earth materials, and graphene oxide-based materials, both for the production of low-temperature fuel cell components and as adsorbents/photocatalysts for water treatment. 

  The laboratory is equipped with a wide range of instruments for the synthesis and characterization of the studied materials. 

  It collaborates with Italian and European universities, research centers, and companies and actively participates in numerous international research and exchange projects. 

• subjectResearch activities

  The main research topics are: 

  • Environmental sustainability: life cycle assessment (LCA) of industrial products and processes; 
  • Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells: development, production and characterization of proton and electronic conductors for hydrogen-fed electrochemical cells; 
  • Characterization and modeling of electrochemical phenomena at the electrode-electrolyte interface in fuel cells; 
  • Clays and carbons: synthesis, functionalization and characterization for environmental applications and drug delivery;
  • Graphene-based self-assembling and structured materials for the recovery of metals from electronic wastes and for the treatment of hybrid wastewater by means of adsorption and photocatalysis;
  • Sustainable buildings: analysis and characterization of nature-based materials (raw earth, lime and hemp);
  • Archaeometry: characterization of ancient ceramics. 

   

• peopleTemporary Research Fellow

  MATTEO DI VIRGILIO

  ANDREA STEFANO BASSO PERESSUT

  ALESSANDRO SALVI

  EDOARDO SIMONETTI

  FEDERICO IORIO ESPOSITO

  MARIANNA GUAGLIANO

  NATALIA ELIA

• peoplePhD

  NICOLAS BERTOLDO

  ANNA DOTTI

  GLORIA ROMERO VEGA

  LUCA TESTINI

  MARIA GIUSEPPINA GENDUSO

  LETIZIA CECCARELLI

  MATTEO ANDREA DE LUCA

  GIANMARCO GOTTARDO

  PIETRO COCCO

  MATTEO CIGADA

  NARJIS ZAHRA

• peopleOther personnel

  DAVIDE MARA

  SIMIN FAROKHMEHR

  ALI AL RIDA AL MOUSAWI

• linkKeywords

  Applied Electrochemistry

  Biobased materials

  Carbon Nanomaterials

  Catalysis

  Circular Economy

  Clays

  Composites

  Drug Delivery

  Durability

  Electrochemical Processes

  Energy, Safety & Environment

  Fuel Cell

  Graphene and graphene related materials

  Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

  Materials Functionalization

  Metals Recycling 

  Sustainability