Mario Samperi

• PhD
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Italian National Research Council

The widespread electrification of various sectors is triggering a strong demand for new energy storage systems with low environmental impact and using abundant raw materials. Batteries employing elemental sodium could offer significant advantages, as the use of a naturally abundant element such as sodium is strategic to satisfy the increasing deman...

Solid metal halides are used as active cathode ingredients in the case of Na-NiCl 2 batteries that require a fused secondary electrolyte, sodium tetrachloraluminate (NaAlCl 4 ), to facilitate the movement of the Na ⁺ ion into the cathode. The sodium-nickel chloride (Na - NiCl 2 ) battery has been extensively investigated as a promising system for l...

The interaction of an equilibrium mixture of monomeric and aggregated cationic trans-5,15-bis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl)-10,15-bis-diphenylporphine (t-H2Pagg) chloride salt with human serum albumin (HSA) has been investigated through UV/Vis absorption, fluorescence emission, circular dichroism and resonant light scattering techniques. The spectroscop...

Investigation into the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generating abilities of photosensitizers outside of in-vitro/vivo conditions is a crucial element in the wider study of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in clinical settings. Zinc(II) phthalocyanine tetrasulfonic acid (ZnPcTS) is a water-soluble photosensitizer that can generate ROS as singlet oxygen (...

The mixing of [V10O28]⁶⁻ decavanadate anions with a dicationic gemini surfactant (gem) leads to the spontaneous self‐assembly of surfactant‐templated nanostructured arrays of decavanadate clusters. Calcination of the material under air yields highly crystalline, sponge‐like V2O5 (gem‐V2O5). In contrast, calcination of the amorphous tetrabutylammoni...

The mixing of [V10O28]6– decavanadate anions with a dicationic gemini surfactant ( gem ) leads to the spontaneous self‐assembly of surfactant‐templated nanostructured arrays of decavanadate clusters. Calcination of the material under air yields highly crystalline, sponge‐like V2O5 ( gem‐V2O5). In contrast, calcination of the amorphous tetrabutylamm...

Metal halides are the active cathode ingredients of Na-MeCl2 batteries, which require a fused secondary electrolyte, sodium tetrachloraluminate (NaAlCl4), to facilitate the movement of Na⁺ ions within the cathodic material. The sodium‑nickel chloride (Na - NiCl2) battery has been extensively investigated as a promising system for large-scale energy...

Thin films of a chiral diketopyrrolopyrrole derivative were imaged with spatially-defined Mueller Matrix Polarimetry, focussing on the Circular Dichroism signal, giving unique insight into the impact that deposition techniques and thermal annealing can have on chiral supramolecular structures in the solid state, where homogeneity was observed for s...

The micron-scale movement of biomolecules along supramolecular pathways, mastered by nature, is a remarkable system requiring strong yet reversible interactions between components under the action of a suitable stimulus. Responsive microscopic systems using a variety of stimuli have demonstrated impressive relative molecular motion. However, locati...

The variety of UV-curable monomers for 3D printing is limited by a requirement for rapid curing after each sweep depositing a layer. This study proposes to trigger supramolecular self-assembly during the process by a gemini imidazolium-based low-molecular-weight gelator, allowing printing of certain monomers. The as-printed hydrogel structures were...

The slow kinetics in the photocatalytic reduction of CO2, as well as the low quantum efficiencies achieved, directly related to the photocatalyst and reactor configuration applied, limit the widespread use of this technology. In light of this, the main objective of this work is to evaluate the continuous photocatalytic conversion of CO2 into methan...

Singlet oxygen (SO) is one of the reactive oxygen species that is effective in various uses, including performing chemical reactions, treating water impurities, and aiding in medicinal therapy. The generation of SO is often efficient in solution, although generation from the solid phase in nanomaterials is less reliable. Here, we report the prepara...

Formic acid (FA) is a promising CO and hydrogen energy carrier, and currently its generation is mainly centered on the hydrogenation of CO2. However, it can also be obtained by the hydrothermal conversion of CO with H2O at very high pressures (>100 bar) and temperatures (>200 °C), which requires days to complete. Herein, it is demonstrated that by...

We show a self-assembly process leading to fibres from a system that starts far from equilibrium because of fast solvent – anti-solvent mixing and analyse the activation energies associated with the aggregation. It is in some ways reminiscent of diverse natural fibrous materials that have kinetic behaviour dominated by a rate limiting induction per...

The generation of singlet oxygen (SO), primarily by using a combination of light and photosensitizers in the presence of a dissolved gas, finds applications in both chemistry and medicine. The efficiency of its formation can be enhanced by immobilization of the photosensitizers. In this work, we have explored the covalent functionalization in suspe...

The 2017 Faraday Discussion on Complex Molecular Surfaces and Interfaces brought together theoreticians and experimentalists from both physical and chemical backgrounds to discuss the relevant applied and fundamental research topics within the broader field of chemical surface analysis and characterization. Main discussion topics from the meeting i...

The copper(II) derivative of the dicationic trans-bis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl)diphenylporphyrin (t-CuPagg) forms large fractal aggregates in aqueous solution under moderate ionic strength conditions. A kinetic investigation of the aggregation process allows for a choice of experimental conditions to quickly obtain stable assemblies in solution. The...

The binding of a tetracationic porphyrin to a highly charged polymer like poly(sodium vinylsulfonate) has been investigated over a wide pH range and under various experimental conditions. We present evidence that, depending on the pH, the high electrostatic field exerted by the polymer stabilizes the diprotonated form of the free base porphyrin at...