Marinella Striccoli

• Senior Researcher at Italian National Research Council

Low‐cost, millimeter‐thick chitosan‐based sponges are engineered with zinc oxide (ZnO) using atomic layer deposition (ALD) to create a multifunctional nanocomposite for the potential application in water remediation and self‐regeneration via solid‐state photocatalysis. Initially, non‐porous chitosan films served as control samples to study the ZnO...

Optoelectronic devices combining single-layer graphene (SLG) and colloidal semiconducting nanocrystal (NC) heterojunctions have recently gained significant attention as efficient hybrid photodetectors. While most research has concentrated on systems using heavy metal-based semiconductor NCs, there is a need for further exploration of environmentall...

In this work, we investigated the thermal degradation of high molecular weight polymethylmethacrylate (HMW‐PMMA) nanocomposites reinforced with titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles (NPs) in two morphologies, namely nanodots (NDs) and nanorods (NRs). Thermogravimetric (TG) measurements were studied by using a weight loss kinetic model based on th...

In recent years, the progress toward lighting miniaturization is focused on luminescent nanomaterials. Among them, fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) are receiving increasing attention thanks to their astonishing optical properties complemented by their intrinsic biocompatibility and low toxicity. The CDs can be easily dispersed in water, organic solven...

Hybrid nanocomposites based on graphene derivatives decorated with inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted the interest of the scientific community for advanced technology applications, due to the synergistic combination of the superior properties of graphene with the unique size- and shape-dependent functionalities of the inorganic matter, at...

Vitamin D, an essential micronutrient crucial for skeletal integrity and various non-skeletal physiological functions, exhibits limited bioavailability and stability in vivo. This study is focused on the development of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-grafted phospholipid micellar nanostructures co-encapsulating vitamin D3 and conjugated with alendronic a...

Over the last decade, the attractive properties of CsPbBr3 nanoparticles (NPs) have driven ever-increasing progress in the development of synthetic procedures to obtain high-quality NPs at high concentrations. Understanding how the properties of NPs are influenced by the composition of the reaction mixture in combination with the specific synthetic...

A facile and cost-effective in situ colloidal procedure has been optimized for the synthesis of a novel colloidal hybrid nanocomposite based on 1-aminopyrene (AP) functionalized reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets, decorated with oleylamine (OLEAM)-coated Au nanoparticles (NPs). The effect of relevant experimental parameters, such as the OLEAM:Au p...

Carbon dots are carbon-based nanoparticles renowned for their intense light-emitting capabilities covering the whole visible light range. Achieving carbon dots emitting in the red region with high efficiency is extremely relevant due to their huge potential in biological applications and in optoelectronics. Currently, photoluminescence in such an e...

Metasurfaces can be realized by organizing subwavelength elements (e.g., plasmonic nanoparticles) on a reflective surface covered with a dielectric layer. Such an array of resonators, acting collectively, can completely absorb the resulting resonant wavelength. Unfortunately, despite the excellent optical properties of metasurfaces, they lack the t...

In this work, a comprehensive investigation of the photoinduced processes and mechanisms linked to the luminescence of a novel nonperchlorinated Thiele hydrocarbon (TTH) is presented. Despite the comparable diradical character of TTH (y0 = 0.32-0.44) and the unsubstituted Thiele hydrocarbon (TH) (y0 = 0.30), the polyhalogenated species is inert and...

This work presents an investigation on the optical and structural properties of two series of nanocomposites based on the incorporation of spherical- (NDs) or rod-shaped (NRs) semiconductive crystalline titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) into an insulating amorphous polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) matrix. The UV–visible absorbance and reflec...

Electronic coherence signatures can be directly identified in the time–frequency maps measured in two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES). Here, we demonstrate the theory and discuss the advantages of this approach via the detailed application to the fast-femtosecond beatings of a wide variety of electronic coherences in ensemble dimers of q...

Inflammasome activation plays a crucial role in the progression to more severe stages of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), representing a promising therapeutic target. MCC950 is a small molecule acting as a potent and specific inhibitor of the canonical and non-canonical activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, but its short plasmatic half-li...

Electronic coherence signatures can be directly identified in the time-frequency maps measured in 2 dimensional spectroscopy (2DES). We demonstrate the theory and discuss the advantages of this approach by a detailed application to the fast femtosecond beatings of a wide variety of electronic coherences in dimers of size-dispersed (8%) 3nm quantum...

The advantages of the directly measured time-frequency maps are discussed as a useful representation of the coherent output in a 2 dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES). We demonstrate the theory by a detailed application to the fast femtosecond beatings of a wide variety of electronic coherences in dimers of size-dispersed (9%) 3nm quantum do...

Carbon Dots (CDs) are fluorescent carbon-based nanoparticles that have attracted increasing attention in recent years as environment-friendly and cost-effective fluorophores. An application that can benefit from CDs in a relatively short-term perspective is the fabrication of color-converting materials in phosphor-converted white LEDs (WLEDs). In t...

Room temperature ligand-assisted reprecipitation syntheses of CsPbBr3 nanoparticles (NPs) in open air condition and non-polar solvent are recently emerging as viable strategies for large-scale production of highly emissive NPs. These...

A novel hybrid nanocomposite formed of carboxylated Nano Graphene Oxide (c-NGO), highly densely decorated by monodisperse citrate-coated Au nanoparticles (c-NGO/Au NPs), is synthesized and thoroughly characterized for photothermal applications. A systematic investigation of the role played by the synthetic parameters on the Au NPs decoration of the...

In this work, the synthesis and characterization of two new trityl radicals bearing two p‐brominated positions, i. e. the 2,2′‐((perchlorophenyl)methylene)bis(1,3,5‐tribromobenzene) radical and the 6,6′‐((perchlorophenyl)methylene)bis(3‐bromo‐1,2,4,5‐tetrafluorobenzene) radical, are presented. Slightly modifying the strategy typically used for the...

A wide variety of photoinduced electronic coherences are shown to be robust with respect to dephasing in ensembles of quasi‐homodimers assembled with sub‐nm ligands from colloidal 3 nm CdSe quantum dots (QDs) with controlled 9% size dispersion, both in solution and in solid‐state. Coherence periods ranging from 40 to 300 fs are consistently charact...

The AC electrical conductivity and dielectric properties of an original nanocomposite based on the incorporation of carbon dots (C-dots) in poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) at several filler loadings were studied in the frequency range from 100 to 100 kHz, in the temperature range from 200 to 380 K. We provide experimental evidence that, at low fr...

Carbon dots (CDs) are a family of fluorescent nanoparticles displaying a wide range of interesting properties, which make them attractive for potential applications in different fields like bioimaging, photocatalysis, and many others. However, despite many years of dedicated studies, wide variations exist in the literature concerning the reported p...

Plasmonic nanostructures, featuring near infrared (NIR)-absorption, are rising as efficient nanosystems for in vitro photothermal (PT) studies and in vivo PT treatment of cancer diseases. Among the different materials, new plasmonic nanostructures based on Cu2−xS nanocrystals (NCs) are emerging as valuable alternatives to Au nanorods, nanostars and...

Carbon dots (CDs) are novel fluorescent nanoparticles that combine intense emission of visible light with eco-friendly and inexpensive carbon-based composition. In this work, CDs are synthesized trough a glycothermal treatment of resorcinol (1,3-hydroxybenzene) in air atmosphere. The presence of catalysts (NaOH and H2SO4) increases the reaction rat...

A wide variety of photoinduced electronic coherences are shown to be robust with respect to dephasing in ensembles of quasi-homodimers assembled with sub-nm ligands from colloidal 3 nm CdSe quantum dots (QDs) with controlled 9% size dispersion, both in solution and in solid-state. Coherence periods ranging from 40 to 300 fs are consistently charact...

CsPbBr3 nanocrystals (NCs) passivated by conventional lipophilic capping ligands suffer from colloidal and optical instability under ambient conditions, commonly due to the surface rearrangements induced by the polar solvents used for the NC purification steps. To avoid onerous postsynthetic approaches, ascertained as the only viable stability-impr...

Using plasmonic interactions to engineer optical properties at the nanoscale is an important challenge of current photonics. Here we establish a general strategy to enhance the orange emission of carbon dots by coupling them to gold nanoparticles through a polymeric spacer in solution. We exploit the overlap between the surface plasmon resonance of...

Hybrid graphene and quantum dots (QDs) photodetectors merge the excellent conductivity and ambipolar electric field sensitivity of graphene, with the unique properties of QDs. The photoresponsivity of these devices depends strongly on the charge transfer at the graphene/QDs interface. Here 1‐pyrene butyric acid (PBA)‐coated PbS QDs with single laye...

The design of large-scale colloidal quantum dots (QDs) assemblies and the investigation of their interaction with their close environment are of great interest for improving QD-based optoelectronic devices' performances. Understanding the interaction mechanisms taking place when only a few QDs are assembled at a short interparticle distance is rele...

The design of large-scale colloidal quantum dots (QDs) assemblies and the investigation of their interaction with their close environment are of great interest for improving QD-based optoelectronic devices' performances. Understanding the interaction mechanisms taking place when only a few QDs are assembled at a short interparticle distance is rele...

Mesoporous silica nanostructures (MSNs) attract high interest due to their unique and tunable physical chemical features, including high specific surface area and large pore volume, that hold a great potential in a variety of fields, i.e., adsorption, catalysis, and biomedicine. An essential feature for biomedical application of MSNs is limiting MS...

Stable cesium lead bromide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) showing near-unity photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), narrow emission profile, and tunable fluorescence peak in the green region can be considered the ideal class of nanomaterials for optoelectronic applications. However, a general route for ensuring the desired features to the perovskit...

Novel hybrid nanocomposites formed of 1-Pyrene Carboxylic Acid (PCA) functionalized Reduced Graphene Oxide (RGO) sheets, surface decorated with UV-Vis-NIR light-harvester PbS nanocrystals (NCs), are prepared by means of an in situ colloidal chemistry approach, using oleic acid (OLEA) as a surfactant. PCA molecules anchored onto the RGO sheets featu...

Plasma Treated Water Solutions (PTWS) recently emerged as a novel tool for the generation of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species (ROS and RNS) in liquids. The presence of ROS with a strong oxidative power, like hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), has been proposed as the main effector for the cancer-killing properties of PTWS. A protective role has been pos...

Efficient FRET systems are developed combining colloidal CdSe quantum dots (QDs) donors and BODIPY acceptors. To promote effective energy transfer in FRET architectures, the distance between the organic fluorophore and the QDs needs to be optimized by a careful system engineering. In this context, BODIPY dyes bearing amino‐terminated functionalitie...

Metal halide perovskites nanocrystals (NCs) represent an emerging class of materials that find increasing application in optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices, thanks to their intriguing optical properties, including high absorption coefficient, high fluorescence quantum yield (PL QY) and fast charge carrier separation. However, their opening to...

Cu2−xS nanocrystals (NCs) have been recently exploited in several fields, ranging from energy conversion to biomedical applications, due to their intriguing geometry and phase-dependent semiconductor and near-infrared plasmonic properties. Although advances have been made in their synthesis by hot-injection at the present stage of research, the une...

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) can be used for the delivery of the anticancer drug Sorafenib, which possesses multikinase inhibitor activity, to specific locations in the body through the application of an external magnetic field. In order to increase the biocompatible and protect the drug, solid lipid NPs (SLN) have been used...

This study presents the use of biodegradable poly (D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA)-based NPs as nanovectors for the delivery of biocompatible luminescent Carbon Dots (C-Dots) and the antiretroviral drug Danuvir (DRV).

Colloidal semiconductor quatum dots (QDs) are promosing material for the fabrication of optoelectronic photonic and sensing application. This study presents the fabrication and characterization of naostructures composed of a low number of quatum dots.

Carbon dots (CDs) have been progressively attracting interest as novel environmentally friendly and cost-effective luminescent nanoparticles, for implementation in light-emitting devices, solar cells, photocatalytic devices and biosensors. Here, starting from a cost-effective bottom-up synthetic approach, based on a suitable amphiphilic molecule as...

We report the synthesis of mesoporous TiO2 nanostructures based on the decomposition of TiOSO4 in aqueous alkaline solution at room temperature, followed by mild thermal treatment (110 °C) in an oven and suitable to yield up to 40 g of product per batch. The duration of the thermal treatment was found to be crucial to control crystalline phase comp...

An investigation of the thermal, electrical and dielectric properties of original nanocomposite materials based on the incorporation of carbon dots, synthesized in organic solvents, in a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is presented. Thermal analysis was performed using differential scanning calorimetry. Electrical and dielectric measurements were...

Efforts are made to perform an early and accurate detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by simultaneous exploiting multiple clinically non‐invasive imaging modalities. Original nanostructures derived from the combination of different inorganic domains can be used as efficient contrast agents in multimodal imaging. Superparamagnetic iron oxide...

The continue interest in all-inorganic cesium lead-bromide perovskite nanocrystals (CsPbBr3 NCs) mainly concerns their optical properties, in particular their high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs). Three-precursor synthetic methods, in which the...

A novel hybrid nanocomposite, formed of Reduced Graphene Oxide (RGO) flakes surface functionalized with 1-pyrene carboxylic acid (PCA) and decorated by Au nanoparticles (NPs), has been synthesized for the electrochemical detection of the miRNA-221 cancer biomarker. The hybrid material has been prepared by a facile approach, relaying on the in situ...

Fabrication of heterostructures by merging two or more materials in a single object. The domains at the nanoscale represent a viable strategy to purposely address materials’ properties for applications in several fields such as catalysis, biomedicine, and energy conversion. In this case, solution-phase seeded growth and the hot-injection method are...

Signatures of long-lived quantum coherence in light-harvesting complexes invoked a hypothesis that the protein-scaffold vibrations assist energy transfer by bridging energy gaps. To address this hypothesis experimentally in a model system, we compare the coupling strength of donor-acceptor quantum dots (QDs), linked by different organic linkers. Th...

Currently, intensive research efforts focus on the fabrication of meso-structures of assembled colloidal quantum dots (QDs) with original optical and electronic properties. Such collective features originate from the QDs coupling, depending on the number of connected units and their distance. However, the development of general methodologies to ass...

Accurate temperature measurements with a high spatial resolution for application in the biomedical fields demand novel nanosized thermometers with new advanced properties. Here, a water dispersible ratiometric temperature sensor is fabricated by encapsulating in silica nanoparticles, organic capped PbS@CdS@CdS “giant” quantum dots (GQDs), character...

All‐inorganic lead‐halide perovskite nanocrystals continue to attract the attention of the scientific community due to their optical potentialities. In this work, we demonstrate that synthetic approaches based on the modulation of ligand‐to‐metal ratio in hot‐injection methods can provide direct access to a variety of colloidal nanocrystal morpholo...

One of the most recent developments at the forefront of nanotechnology is the attempt to exploit quantum phenomena in nanometer scale materials, exploring novel applications of quantum effects. An effective exploitation of quantum phenomena must necessarily pass through a deep understanding of how to generate, manipulate and characterize coherent s...

This study aims at rationalizing the effects of lead/surfactants ratio on the structural evolution of cesium lead-bromide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs), ascertaining how their shape and surface composition can be modulated...

A novel NIR absorbing nanoformulation is fabricated by efficiently encapsulating plasmonic Cu2-xS nanocrystals (NCs) within the core of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-mimetic solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN). Cu2-xS NCs are ideal candidates as photothermal or imaging agents for in vivo cancer treatment thanks to their plasmonic properties, low toxici...

The adsorption at cell surfaces and cell internalization of two drug delivery lipid based nanovectors has been investigated by means of Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) operating at low beam voltage on two different colon carcinoma cell lines, CaCo-2 and CoLo-205, that were compared with the M14 melanoma cell line, as a referenc...

The low photostability of conventional organic dyes and the toxicity of cadmium-based luminescent quantum dots have prompted the development of novel probes for in vitro and in vivo labelling. Here, a new fluorescent lanthanide probe based on silica nanoparticles is fabricated and investigated for optically traceable in vitro translocator protein (...

The investigation of thermal and dielectric properties of carbon dots dispersed in PMMA has been conducted in freestanding thin solid films. Thermal properties were studied using differential scanning calorimetry. Impedance spectroscopy, in the frequency range 100 Hz to 100 kHz and temperatures between 200 and 390 K, was used for the electrical cha...

A facile in situ colloidal approach is reported to synthesize a novel hybrid nanocomposite formed of 3,4-dimethylbenzenethiol (DMBT)-capped Au NPs, decorating flakes of 1-pyrene-carboxylic acid (PCA) functionalized Reduced Graphene Oxide (RGO). In the nanocomposite, the Au NPs and RGO sheets are anchored by means of the aromatic PCA linker and the...

The surface chemistry of colloidal cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr3) nanocrystals is decisive in determining the stability and the final morphology of this class of materials, characterized by ionic structure and a high defect tolerance factor. Here, the high sensitivity of purified colloidal nanocubes of CsPbBr3 to diverse environmental condition (sol...

In article number 1804557, Danny Porath, Yossi Paltiel, and co‐workers demonstrate imprinting of ferromagnetism on super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) following asymmetric self‐assembled adsorption of polyalanine chiral molecules. The adsorbed chiral molecules stabilize the magnetization direction of SPIONs at room temperature with...

A novel hybrid nanocomposite formed by RGO flakes, surface functionalized by 1-pyrene carboxylic acid (PCA), densely and uniformly in situ decorated by Au NPs, that are concomitantly coordinated by the PCA carboxylic group, and by an aromatic thiol used as reducing agent in the synthesis, both ensuring, at the same time, a stable non-covalent NPs a...

Colloidal nanocrystals (NCs) of cesium lead halide perovskites (CsPbX3, X = Cl, Br or I) are emerging as an exciting class of optoelectronic materials, but the retention of their colloidal and structural integrity during isolation, purification and handling still represents a critical issue. The impelling questions concerning their intrinsic chemic...

The rapid growth in demand for data and the emerging applications of Big Data require the increase of memory capacity. Magnetic memory devices are among the leading technologies for meeting this demand; however, they rely on the use of ferromagnets that creates size reduction limitations and poses complex materials requirements. Usually magnetic me...

In this work, organic capped CdSe and (CdSe)ZnS core shell colloidal nanocrystals (NCs), prepared by means of thermolysis of organometallic precursors and with high control on size and size dispersion, were dispersed into a transparent and thermoplastic cyclic olefin copolymer, namely TOPAS, by using toluene as common solvent. The obtained nanocomp...

The optical and the dielectric properties of an original nanocomposite based on the incorporation of carbon dots (C‐dots) in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) at several filler loading were studied. The optical characterization demonstrated the preservation of the excitation dependent intense emission of the C‐dots in the polymer, ascribed to the pr...

Although the harnessing of multiple and hot excitons is a prerequisite for many of the groundbreaking applications of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), the characterization of their dynamics through conventional spectroscopic techniques is cumbersome. Here, we show how a careful analysis of 2DES maps acquired in different configurations (BOXCARS an...

The modification of a UV–vis light curable hybrid methacrylic–siloxane resin with organic coated TiO2 nanorods (NRs) has been carried out, in order to fabricate a functional coating for protection of stone artefacts of artistic and cultural relevance. The nanocomposite, formulated without using any harmful and high volatile monomer components, has...

Special Issue "Nanocomposites of Polymers and Inorganic Particles" Guest Editors: Dr. Marinella Striccoli; Dr. Roberto Comparelli; Dr. Annamaria Panniello This Special Issue will focus on preparative approaches, functionalization strategies of nanoparticles and polymers, integration of nanocomposites in devices, additive manufacturing materials...

Carbon dots (C-dots) are emerging as new emitting nanomaterials for optoelectronics, bioimaging and biosensing, thanks to their high quantum yield (QY), biocompatibility, low toxicity and cost effective sources. Although the origin of their photoluminescence (PL) mechanism (i.e. their strong blue-green emission and excitation dependent fluorescence...

Here, silica coated PbS quantum dots (QDs) with photoluminesce emission properties in the near-infrared (NIR) region are proposed as potential effective single particle optical nanoprobes for future in vivo imaging of tumors. The dispersibility in aqueous medium of hydrophobic PbS QDs was accomplished by growing a silica shell on their surface by e...

Surface chemistry of all-inorganic nanomaterials enables three-dimensional patterning

We report on the preparation of luminescent collectors based on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) thin films doped with a red-emitting 2-amino-7-acceptor-9-silafluorene, where the amino group is –N(CH 3) 2 and the acceptor is –CH]C(CN) 2. The results obtained from photophysical investigations of the dye in different solvents and in PMMA are very enc...

An optically transparent and UV-light active anode, characterized by high (photo)conductivity, charge mobility and exciton lifetime, based on graphene, grown by CVD, decorated with colloidal TiO2 nanocrystals (NCs), has been fabricated, by a direct and facile solution-based procedure. TiO2 NCs anchor onto graphene by means of π–π stacking interacti...