SPEAKERS
SPEAKERS
SPEAKERS
- Dr. Sebastiano Bellani (BeDimensional S.p.A., Genova)
- Dr. Maria Josè Lo Faro (Università degli Studi di Catania)
- Dr. Salvatore Lombardo (IMM-CNR Catania)
- Prof. Salvatore Savasta (Università degli Studi di Messina)
- Dr. Donatella Spadaro (IPCF-CNR Messina)
Sebastiano Bellani
BeDimensional S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
Solution-processed two-dimensional materials for next-generation photovoltaics.
In the ever-increasing energy demand scenario, the development of novel photovoltaic (PV) technologies is one of the key solutions to fulfil the energy request. In this context, graphene and related two-dimensional (2D) materials (GRMs) are emerging as promising candidates to drive innovation in PV technologies.[1] The mechanical, thermal, and optoelectronic properties of GRMs can be exploited in different active components of solar cells to design next-generation devices,[1],[2] including photoelectrochemical systems.[3] These components include front (transparent) and back conductive electrodes, charge transporting layers, and interconnecting/recombination layers, as well as photoactive layers. The production and processing of GRMs in the liquid phase, coupled with the ability to “on-demand” tune their optoelectronic properties exploiting wet-chemical functionalization, enable their effective integration in advanced PV devices through scalable, reliable, and inexpensive printing/coating processes.[1] In this talk, I’ll present the progresses in the use of BeDimensional’s solution-processed 2D materials in emerging PV technologies (e.g., perovskite solar cells) and photoelectrochemical devices.
References
[1] S. Bellani, et al., Chem. Soc. Rev., 50, 11870-11965 (2021)
[2] S. Pescetelli, et al., Nat. Energy, 7, 597–607 (2022).
[3] G. Bianca et al., Adv. Mater. Interfaces, 10, 2201635 (2023)
[4] M. Angel Molina-Garcia, et al., J. Phys. Mater. (2023)
Sebastiano Bellani is a senior researcher and R&D division coordinator of BeDimensional S.p.A, a company commercializing graphene and other two-dimensional materials. He received his Ph.D. from Politecnico di Milano, while working at Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia. Here, he investigated solid/liquid interfaces in organic semiconductor water-gated organic field-effect transistors, hybrid organic-inorganic photoelectrochemical cells, and biopolymer-based devices for optical cellular stimulation. He participated in the European Commission’s Future and Emerging Technology Graphene Flagship, where he was deputy leader of (perovskite) Solar Farm spearhead project. He is currently involved in many other EU and national research projects. His current studies focus on the chemical-physical, spectroscopic and (photo)electrochemical characterization of solution-processed nanomaterials, including two-dimensional ones, for functional inks and energy-related applications, including photovoltaics, (photo)electrocatalysis, in particular electrolyzers, and energy storage systems, such as next-generation Gen3-5 batteries and supercapacitors.
Maria Josè Lo Faro
Università di Catania, Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Ettore Majorana”
Light managing in fractal arrays of silicon nanowires for innovative applications.
The recent rise of semiconductor nanowires opens new opportunities due to the unique one-dimensional structure with remarkable electrical and optical properties. Particularly, as one of the most earth-abundant materials, silicon nanowires (Si NWs) represent one of the most promising resources to be employed in modern nanodevices although their fabrication is still challenging. We demonstrated the fabrication of a dense array of vertically aligned Si NWs with tunable aspect ratio by a low-cost, maskless approach compatible with the current Si technology. The synthesis of Si NWs was properly engineered for the realization of 2D random fractal systems by using fractal gold layer above the percolation threshold. We demonstrated the control over the optical properties of the system through the optimization of different fractal geometries [1]. Strong in-plane multiple scattering and efficient light trapping related to the fractal structure were observed with perspective for photonics and photovoltaics [2]. Moreover, NW achieved by this technique exhibited a very bright room temperature luminescence under both optical and elecrical pumpimg, tunable with NW size in agreement with the occurrence of quantum confinement effects. An innovative label free optical Si NW biosensor was realized by exploiting the PL quenching upon the selective capture of target proteins or genome. A low cost selective sensor for the C-reactive protein (CRP), the major biomarker for heart-failure pathology, has been realized showing high sensitivity of a few fM across a broad concentration range for non-invasive analysis in saliva [3]. By changing the functionalization protocol, we realized a label- and PCR-free NW optical sensor for the selective detection of a few copies of Hepatitis B virus without amplification [4], as also for the SARS-CoV-2 and its variant screening down to a few copies [5], and exosomes detection with LOD of about 10^5 sEVs/mL [6], demonstrating their potential as optical biosensors for primary health care diagnosis.
References
[1] Light Sci. Appl. 5, 4, 2016
[2] Nat Photonics 11, 170, 2017
[3] ACS Photonics 5, 2, 2018
[4] ACS Sensors 3, 9 2018
[5] Nano Select 4, 2, 2023
[6] International Journal of Nanomedicine, 16, 2021
Maria Josè Lo Faro graduated with honors in Physics of Condensed Matter at the Catania University in 2013, consolidating her experience in the field of nanostructures for integrated silicon photonics during her Ph.D. at the Catania University in a joint collaboration with the Institute for Chemical and Physical Processes of the Council of National Research (IPCF- CNR) in Messina. She was a visiting researcher at the Kastler-Brossel Lab (ENS-Paris) in S. Gigan’s group in 2016. She had two Postdoc at IPCF- CNR in Messina (2017), and at the Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems (IMM-CNR) in Catania (2018). Since 2019, she collaborated as a research fellow at Physics Dept. “E. Majorana” of the Catania University, where she is currently a tenure track researcher (RTD B) working on functional materials for photonics.
Salvatore Antonino Lombardo
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)
Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi (IMM), Zona Industriale, Ottava Strada, 5, 95121 Catania, ITALY
salvatore.lombardo@cnr.it
Nanotechnologies for silicon electronic devices.
We show some examples of applications of nanostructures in the area of silicon based microelectronics and photovoltaics, rendered possible thanks to a tight control and understanding of the materials and of the semiconductor device physics ruling the context.
This work has been funded by the European Union (NextGeneration EU Programme) through the IPHOQS Infrastructure “Integrated Infrastructure Initiative in Photonic and Quantum Sciences” (IR0000016, CUPB53C22001750006)
and the Research Infrastructure “Beyond-Nano” co-funded by Regione Sicilia (D.D.G. 2929/5S) and by Italian Ministry of University and Research (Decree 2510/2019)
Salvatore A. LOMBARDO received a “laurea” (cum laude) and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Catania in 1989 and in 1994, respectively. He joined the Italian National Research Council (CNR) in 1994 and from 2007 he is Research Director. He has spent various periods as visiting scientist at Cornell University, IBM Research, and STMicroelectronics. He works in the field of semiconductor devices and electronic materials, and he is now responsible of the laboratory on photonics of the Beyond Nano facility at CNR-IMM, and of the CNR participation to the second IPCEI EU project on microelectronics. He is author of 11 US patents and of about 300 scientific papers with about 7000 citations.
Salvatore Savasta
Università degli Studi di Messina, Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra (MIFT), Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31 – 98166 Messina, Italy
Light-matter interaction in the ultrastrong coupling regime.
Ultrastrong coupling between light and matter has, in the past decade, transitioned from theoretical ideas to experimental realizations. It is a new regime of light–matter interaction, which goes beyond weak and strong coupling to make the coupling strength comparable to the transition frequencies in the system. The achievement of weak and strong coupling has led to increased control of quantum systems and to applications such as lasers, quantum sensing, and quantum information processing. I review the theory of quantum systems with ultrastrong coupling. I also overview the multitude of experimental setups, including polaritons in low-dimensional semiconductors, superconducting quantum circuits, and organic molecules, that have now achieved ultrastrong coupling. Finally, I will describe a very recent experimental demonstration of the strong coupling between a single photon and a photon pair in a circuit-QED system operating in the ultrastrong coupling regime.
Salvatore Savasta has been full professor of theoretical condensed matter physics at the University of Messina since January 2021 and for several years a visiting researcher at the Theoretical Quantum Physics Laboratory of Riken in Japan. His research activity, carried out in the context of several international collaborations, is mainly focused on quantum optics and new quantum technologies. He is co-author of over 150 scientific publications in international journals, including Nature Physics and Physical Review Letters. He is currently a member of ASN (national commission for the qualification as professor) for Theoretical condensed matter physics. (https://linktr.ee/insighbart)
Donatella Spadaro
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)
Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici (IPCF), Viale F. Stagno D’Alcontres 37, 98158 Messina, Italy
Advanced Photovoltaics: Exploring the Potential of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells in Renewable Energy Technology.
Dye-sensitized solar cells are a cutting-edge renewable energy technology with great potential. As advanced photovoltaic devices, DSSCs are known for their cost-effective production, semi-transparent design, and light absorption depending on the structure of the dye. Recent efforts have focused on expanding DSSC applications to create modules and panels for integrated solar solutions. DSSCs also have a wide range of uses, including space exploration, IoT devices, and more. To promote a more sustainable future, it is essential to optimize DSSCs for both indoor and outdoor use, utilizing eco-friendly materials and clean energy sources.
This presentation will showcase significant progress in DSSCs, from individual cell advancements to larger-scale applications. We will share initial results from ongoing projects, highlighting our dedication to pushing the boundaries of DSSCs. Our focus will be on the diverse applications of DSSCs, including integration into portable devices, buildings, and sensors, as well as on the development of innovative materials, processes, and technologies to produce hydrogen. These advancements aim to improve the reliability, efficiency, flexibility, and resilience of the national energy system in accordance with the lines of action of the European community (The National Recovery and Resilience Plan, PNRR).
Donatella Spadaro is graduated in Chemistry from the University of Messina where she obtained a PhD in Chemistry and Materials Engineering. She worked as industrial researcher at ANM research srl, with the task of synthesis and characterization of nano-structured materials applied in the biotechnology sector. Afterwards, she joined the NanosoftLab at IPCF-CNR in Messina and IMM-CNR in Catania as post-doc research fellow. Since February 2022 she is permanent researcher at IPCF-CNR in Messina. She has joined the Gruppo SOLARE, and her research activity is focused on the field of third-generation photovoltaics, photochemistry, photophysics, energy and electron transfer processes, solar energy conversion, and nanoparticles. She has been working on manufacturing and characterization of dye-sensitized solar cells and development of new nanostructured materials for DSSC applications. She is involved in several projects in which she deals with the synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of nanostructured materials for environmental applications and cultural heritage.
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