Ricerc@Sapienza

Photo-anisotropic properties of a particular command layer for Liquid Crystals (LCs), based on azo-benzene material, are exploited to control the photo-thermal response of a single layer of homogeneously and uniformly distributed Au nanoparticles, immobilised on a glass substrate. Experiments demonstrate that the intrinsic anisotropy of materials can influence the photo-thermal response of plasmonic systems. Indeed, the resonant absorption of radiation by plasmonic subunits is followed by a noticeable increase of their temperature.

We introduce a continuum model for a fibre reinforced material in which the reference orientation of the fibre may evolve with time, under the influence of external stimuli. The model is formulated in the framework of large strain hyperelasticity and the kinematics of the continuum is described by both a position vector and by a remodelling tensor which, in the present context, is an orthogonal tensor representing the fibre reorientation process.

The magnetic shielding effectiveness of a planar metallic screen of infinite extent against a circular loop field source is analytically evaluated in a new closed-form formula under the thin sheet and small-loop approximations. The results obtained with the proposed formulation are compared with the exact ones derived numerically and with those obtained through classical approximate formulations.

Here we discuss the incorporation of Cr(III) as dopant in the spinel lattice of the NiCo2O4cubic phase and its beneficial effect on the electro-catalytic activity of this material in aprotic Li-O2cells. To this aim, we synthesized highly porous carbon-free self-standing electrodes constituted by nanostructured undoped and Cr-doped NiCo2O4grown on open nickel mesh. These materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) act as vectors for devastating pathogens and parasites. Zika virus, an Aedes mosquito-borne flavivirus, is becoming a worldwide public health concern following its suspected association with over 4000 recent cases of microcephaly in the infants of some women who were pregnant when they contracted the disease. There are no specific treatments for Zika virus, thus the eco-friendly and effective control of mosquito vectors is crucial.

Recently, it has been highlighted an overlooked connection between the biting activity of Anopheles mosquitoes and the spread of cancer. The excellent physico-chemical properties of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) make them a suitable candidate for biomedical applications. We focused on the toxicity of GQDs against Plasmodium falciparum and its vector Anopheles stephensi, and their impact on predation of non-target mosquito predators. Biophysical methods, including UV–vis, photoluminescence, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, XRD analysis and TEM, confirmed the effective GQD nanosynthesis.

The control of dengue vectors with effective tools is crucial. Here, we fabricated silver nanoparticles (AgNP) using a cheap method relying to a mangrove extract (Sonneratia alba) as a reducing and stabilizing agent. AgNP were characterized by UV–vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. LC50of S. alba extract against Aedes aegypti ranged from 192.03 ppm (larva I) to 353.36 ppm (pupa). LC50of AgNP ranged from 3.15 (I) to 13.61 ppm (pupa).

Nowadays, the interactions of metal nanoparticles with microorganisms and parasites of public health importance receive increasing attention due to their functional versatility and multipurpose effectiveness. In this research, green biosynthesis of antiviral silver nanomaterials was achieved allowing the reduction of Ag+ions by the aqueous leaf extract of mangrove Rhizophora lamarckii.

Nowadays, silver nanoparticles receive increasing attention in nanomedicine, due to their characteristics which allow numerous biological applications. In this study, a biofabrication protocol was formulated to synthesize silver nanoparticles using a mangrove extract of Aegiceras corniculatum. The bio-physical characterization of mangrove-fabricated silver nanoparticles were carried out using UV–vis spectrophotometry, FTIR spectroscopy, XRD analysis and HRTEM.

The resurgence of interest on natural substances and their progressive affirmation in the market open doors for novel marketed products, with intrinsic original approaches. Evident examples are in the food supplements sector as well as in mix of synthetic drugs and natural substances, as novel drugs. A decisive key role will be played by technology and the capacity of throw novel opportunities out of the normal landscape. As in other fields, most of the future technology developments rely on nanotechnology.