The Eurofel Support Laboratory is equipped with a femtosecond laser system and with advanced spectroscopic techniques which allow the research team to investigate the ultrafast dynamics in many materials. These techniques are particularly interesting in the study of the dynamics of perovskites and polymers which form the basis of recently emerging organic solar cell and O-LED technologies. By measuring the ultrafast charge transfer and propagation in the first picoseconds after excitation it is possible to understand the mechanisms that regulate the efficiency of these devices and provide important information for the design of new and more efficient materials.

Staff: D. Catone, P. O’Keeffe, A. Paladini, F. Toschi, S. Turchini 
 

The Eurofel Support Laboratory research team is performing studies on the com-bination of plasmonic structures (nano-particles) with excitonic underlying structures such as nanowires and organic aggregates. Research in this field can lead to the discovery of advanced materials with unique optical properties due to the strong coupling between the plasmonic and excitonic (plexitonic) structures. The Eurofel Support Laboratory research activity is also involved in the field of magneto-plasmonic nanostructures. These materials enhance the magneto-optical effects, which introduce additional degrees of freedom in the control of light at the nano-scale, allowing to design new ultra-responsive sensor devices.

Staff: D. Catone, S. Colonna, P. O’Keeffe, A. Paladini, F. Toschi, S. Turchini 

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) have attracted much attention as they can be used in different applications such as new permanent magnets with reduced content of rare earths, advanced thermoelectrics and, after appropriate functionalization, bio-medicine (for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, magnetic hyperthermia and biosensors). At ISM an established expertise is available in chemical synthesis of MNP with complex structures (H2020 FET-Proactive Project MAGENTA 2017-2021) such as oxides and high anisotropy alloys, magnetic bi-phase core / shell ( Ferro-, Ferri- and antiferromagnetic) or hollow NP. These systems exhibit controlled and reproducible magnetic properties because, through suitable synthetic strategies, a strict control is obtained on the chemical composition,  the structure, the size of the nanostructures, their size distribution and shape, i.e. on the most important  structural and/or micro-structural properties that determine the magnetic behavior (magnetic anisotropy, saturation and coercivity) to be exploited for the above applications.

Staff: Elisabetta Agostinelli, Aldo Capobianchi, Sara Laureti, Davide Peddis, Alberto Maria Testa, Gaspare Varvaro       

Permanent magnets have become increasingly important in different technological fields such as electric motors both for locomotion and for other uses. Driven by climate change, governments are encouraging the production of electric or hydrogen cars. In both case permanent magnets made of magnetic metal alloys with high energy product (BHmax) are required to build light motors and replace rare earth (RE) permanent magnets such as NdFeB or SmCo.  In our laboratory a method has been developed for the synthesis of chemically ordered alloys L10 (fig below) which show a high magnetic anisotropy and a high BHmax. We have already tested the principles of this method for the synthesis of other binary alloys such as FePt, CoPt, NiPt, etc. The focus of the research is now the study of low cost alloys (FeNi, FeCo, etc.) to obtain lighter and higher performance permanent magnets, without RE.  
Nanocomposites have the ability to combine different materials to exploit their different properties synergistically. Our laboratory has a consolidated experience in the synthesis of nanocomposites (NCs) based on magnetic nanoparticles linked to Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) or Graphene. These materials are useful in various fields such as chemical catalysis, water purification, etc. The new nano-architectures developed have three main components such as Ru / CNTs @ FePt. In these nanocomposites the Ru is the catalyst, the CNTs are used as a dispersing surface and the FePt NPs inside the CNTs provide the magnetic properties  (fig. right panel).

Staff: Elisabetta Agostinelli, Aldo Capobianchi, Sara Laureti, Alberto Maria Testa, Gaspare Varvaro (nM2-Lab  group)