Federico Scaglione

The development of hybrid materials combining functional polymers with nanostructured metals has gained significant attention for environmental and sensing applications. In this study, we present a proof-of-concept demonstration of the first-ever binding of a nanosponge polymer (NS) to nanoporous gold (NPG). The polymer was functionalized with a biodegradable lipoic acid linker, allowing efficient attachment to gold surfaces via sulfide bonds. To achieve successful binding, reducing agents were required during NS synthesis to generate free thiol (−SH) groups. Two synthesis approaches were tested, and optimal binding was confirmed with a polymer-to-surface ratio of 1.1 × 10^–3 mg/mm², as validated by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and colorimetric analysis. Additionally, the functionalized NPG was tested for its ability to detect methylene blue, a model contaminant, showing a 19% higher response compared to unmodified gold. These findings establish a foundation for further development of hybrid materials aimed at the detection and potential removal of emerging pollutants from water.

With the development of electric vehicles, research on materials linked to the handling of batteries has gained significant attention. Among these, copper-aluminum joints have emerged as a key solution for battery terminals, due to the need of high electrical conductivity, suitable mechanical properties and good corrosion resistance. In this paper, the aim is to characterize above-mentioned laser-welded joints, and subsequently to study the influences of the main welding parameters, such as ring, core power and speed, on the selected response factors through experimental design. Obtained results demonstrate that the appropriate adjustment of setting parameters reduces electrical resistance, enhances mechanical strength and minimizes the formation of brittle intermetallic compounds, thus allowing for an improvement in both the quality and performance of the joint.

Dealloying technique has been used for centuries as an attractive method for producing porous surfaces by removing one or more undesirable elements from the surface. Since early 2000s, the technique has been further developed for understanding the dealloying mechanism and tailoring it to produce chemically homogeneous materials with nanoporous (np) morphology. Dealloying has found numerous applications such as sensors, catalysts, as well as in the biomedical field, which is fairly recent and has attracted great attention on this topic. This review investigates the dealloying technique for preparing nanoporous materials and nanoporous surfaces by using different modification routes on various types of Ti-based alloys for biomedical implant application. There has been significant growth in studying dealloying of crystalline, amorphous, shape memory, and composites-based Ti alloys. This review aims to summarise the findings from literature and discuss the scope of this technique and challenges involved for future aspects.

Cu-based nanomaterials have received considerable attention as promising and cost-effective substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) applications despite their relatively low enhancement factor (EF) compared to noble metals like gold and silver. In this study, a fast and affordable synthesis route is proposed to obtain a three-dimensional porous copper film (NPC) via an electrodeposition technique based on the dynamic hydrogen bubbling template (DHBT). Two sets of NPC film were synthesized, one without additives and the other with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The impacts of deposition time on the NPCs’ porous morphology, thickness, and SERS performance were systematically investigated. With the optimal deposition time, the nanopore sizes could be tailored from 26.8 to 73 μm without additives and from 12.8 to 24 µm in the presence of CTAB. The optimal additive-free NPC film demonstrated excellent SERS performance at 180 s of deposition, while the CTAB-modified film showed strong enhancement at 120 s towards methylene blue (MB), a highly toxic dye, achieving a detection limit of 10⁻⁶ M. Additionally, the samples with CTAB showed better efficiency than those without CTAB. The calculated EF of NPC was found to be 5.9 × 10³ without CTAB and 2.5 × 10³ with the CTAB, indicating the potential of NPC as a cost-effective candidate for high-performance SERS substrates. This comprehensive study provides insights into optimizing the structural morphology of the NPCs to maximize their SERS enhancement factor and improve their detection sensitivity toward MB, thus overcoming the limitations associated with conventional copper-based SERS substrates.

Mathematical modelling and software simulation nowadays are very effective tools for both understanding and predicting corrosion processes and the protection of metallic components. COMSOL Multiphysics 5.6 software provides validated mathematical models that can be used, for a given geometry, as a tool to predict and prevent corrosion of components. The corrosion of zinc-coated steel sheets has been studied in this work by comparing results of the simulations with laboratory tests carried out in a salt spray. Results of both the mathematical modelling and empirical tests give the possibility to estimate the stability of the protective zinc layer over time. The examination of the discrepancies between two analytical methods for the investigation of corrosion phenomena leads to possible modifications in the model in order to reach as much as possible coherence with experimental data. As a final result, a computational model of corrosion phenomena in an automotive component has been reached, allowing in the future to partially substitute laboratory tests, usually being highly time consuming and expensive.