Institute of Condensed Matter Chemistry and Energy Technologies (ICMATE)

Research activities

1) Materials and processes for energetics
In this field polymeric and inorganic materials with special intrinsic or induced electrical properties and intermetallic hydrides inhibited for the electrochemical store and energy production (fuel cells) are studied. Other researches on gas dynamics and combustion for the non electrochemical energetic processes study are being developed.

2) Materials and processes for electrochemistry
Preparation and characterization of thin films of metals, semiconductors, oxides or poly-conjugated polymeric films for their use in photovoltaics, photonics, microelectronics and sensoristic fields.

3) Inorganic and metallic materials
Projects are being developed related to the preparation and characterization of microstructural or mechanical properties of traditional or innovative metallic and ceramic materials. In particular the study involves the shape memory alloys for manufacturing or biomedical applications, precious alloys or composites for the jewelry sector, high temperature ceramic materials for the use under extreme conditions (such as Space environment).

4) Surfaces and interphases
The activity will concern the chemical and compositional characterization and the estimation of surface thermodynamical data regarding to metallic, ceramic or oxides materials. The most interesting projects will involve the following fields: the kinetic and thermodynamic study of solubility of surface-active agents in liquid phase, the junction processes in metal-ceramic systems, the metallic alloys surface properties determination in presence of reactive and contaminant gases and the related modeling of gas-liquid transport. In this field, there will be also the investigation on innovative techniques applied to the tensiometry measurements and on mass spectrometric methodologies (SIMS, ISS, LAICP-MS) for surface chemical and compositional analysis.

5) Diagnostics
The projects are related to the development of analytical methodologies using the neutron activation for the study of various organic and inorganic materials (such as archeological, cultural, environmental, technological materials), the application of fluid dynamics in industrials applications, the use of electrical diagnosis in reactive systems, the study of turbulent reactive fluid dynamics (combustion) by laser technologies applied to the energetics and transport sectors.

There is a number of large equipments and/or specialist laboratories devoted to the synthesis and characterization of functional and structural materials. Service activity can satisfy the requirements of applied research and service from public institutions and private companies.