Speaker
Description
Soft matter physics is a branch of condensed matter physics that investigates materials that are easily deformable and structured at length scales intermediate between the atomic and macroscopic. Representative examples include colloids, polymers, hydrogels, and biological systems. Within this broad field, this contribution focuses on three research directions: (i) the development of innovative strategies for plastic depolymerization, (ii) the advancement of micro spectroscopic techniques and iii) their application to mechanobiology.
i) Plastics are indispensable to modern society due to their cost-effectiveness and durability, yet their accumulation poses a major environmental threat. Current recycling is mainly mechanical, degrading material properties and limiting reuse. One research line (PI: S. Corezzi) focuses on sustainable chemical recycling, developing economically and environmentally sustainable procedures to depolymerize plastics into monomers for reprocessing into virgin-quality materials. These procedures also enable the valorization of industrial plastic waste into high-value nanocomposites, ensuring full material recovery within a circular economy framework.
ii) The advancement of light-based technologies is pivotal for the investigation of complex and microstructured materials. This topic encompasses the modelling of light–matter interactions (PI: M.Mattarelli), as well as the design and optimization of innovative experimental apparatuses (PI: F.Bonacci). Furthermore, it includes the development of innovative optical methods aimed at improving resolution, speed and the capability to probe materials at multiple spatial and temporal scales.
iii) The Brillouin-Raman micro spectroscopy (BRMS) integrates within a single optical platform Raman spectrometer and Brillouin interferometer, enabling simultaneous mechanical and chemical characterization at the microscale. This dual-modality approach provides comprehensive insights into material behaviour, bridging viscoelastic properties with molecular composition in a non-contact, label-free manner. Its versatility across a broad range of sample types, established BRMS as a powerful tool for fundamental investigations in soft matter physics (PI: M.Mattarelli) as well as in translational biomedical applications (PI: S. Caponi).