Raffaele Giuseppe Agostino

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• Doctor of Philosophy
• Professor (Full) at University of Calabria

Owing to its high brightness, synchrotron light allows for investigating with extreme precision the physical properties of matter. The irradiation with high-dose X-ray beams may also lead to modification of the latter, thus allowing for material processing. Here we investigate the color change of topaz irradiated with synchrotron light, shedding li...

This study evaluates and compares physical, chemical, and dual activation methods for preparing activated carbons from spent coffee grounds to optimize their porosity for hydrogen storage. Activation processes, including both one-step and two-step chemical and physical methods, were investigated, incorporating a novel dual activation process that c...

Cement composites containing different carbon nanomaterials, namely graphene technical grade, graphene super grade, and graphene oxide, up to 1.0% by weight of cement, were prepared. Ultrasonic, chemical, and thermochemical treatments were applied to improve the stability of the dispersions containing the graphene-based nanomaterials. Their exfolia...

Three different computed tomography (CT) reconstruction algorithms: Filtered Back Projection (FBP), Unified Tomographic Reconstruction (UTR) and customized Simultaneous Algebraic Reconstruction Technique (cSART), have been systematically compared and evaluated using experimental data from CT scans of ten fresh mastectomy samples collected at the Im...

In this study, sustainable nanoporous carbon materials that are efficient, renewable, cost-effective and adaptable were developed. These microporous feature carbon adsorbents were synthesized utilizing a straightforward and efficient method. Plum stones are residual fruit materials that offer a financially feasible and sustainable carbon source wit...

The enormous depletion of fossil fuel reserves has been attributed to the rapid expansion in the usage of fossil fuels, which currently serve as the dominant energy source on a worldwide scale. Thus, environmental pollution and energy crisis are anticipated to occur as a result of the significant emission of greenhouse gases specifically carbon dio...

X-ray computed microtomography ({\mu}-CT) is a non-destructive technique that can generate high-resolution 3D images of the internal anatomy of medical and biological samples. These images enable clinicians to examine internal anatomy and gain insights into the disease or anatomical morphology. However, extracting relevant information from 3D image...

Malignant diseases are characterized by a critical trait known as invasiveness, where tumor cells tend to spread from the primary tissue layer into surrounding healthy tissues and distant organs. Presently, histopathology offers essential insights for diagnosing, classifying, predicting outcomes, and guiding patient-specific treatments. However, hi...

An archaeometric study was carried out on thirteen of the thirty ancient Roman coins found in the “Grotta delle Ninfe” in Cerchiara di Calabria, Calabria, Italy. The coins are exhibited at the Brettii and Enotri Museum in Cosenza, Calabria. Due to their exposure to sulfur-rich water sources near the excavation site, these coins have deteriorated. T...

The production of activated carbons (ACs) starting from economic precursors using eco-sustainable synthesis processes appears to be a particularly interesting research field. A possible application can be represented by the use of waste materials to produce ACs through synthesis processes with a low environmental impact for hydrogen (H2) storage. I...

In holometabolous insects, extensive reorganisation of tissues and cells occurs at the pupal stage. The remodelling of the external exoskeleton and internal organs that intervenes during metamorphosis has been traditionally studied in many insect species based on histological or ultrastructural methods. This study demonstrates the use of synchrotro...

We report on a characterization study of polymer optical fibers based on X-ray computed microtomography and X-ray small-angle scattering.

The puzzling question about the floating of the topological surface state on top of a thick Pb layer has now possibly been answered. A photoemission study of the interface made by Pb on Bi2Se3 for different temperatures and adsorbate coverage conditions, allowed us to demonstrate that the evidence reported in the literature can be related to the su...

Road pavement characteristics can be improved by modifying bitumens through addition of fine particles. To avoid environmental issues, attention is recently being paid to bio-materials. In this study, a 50/70 bitumen was modified through the addition of char obtained from the pyrolysis of waste tires. Char addition causes an increase in transition...

The high loss due to the presence of strong phonon resonances makes silica fibers unfit for applications in the mid-infrared spectral range. This has led to the development of specialty optical fibers, based on novel materials and manufacturing techniques. In some cases, the characterization of these new fibers by means of standard techniques may b...

Thirteen of a group of thirty Roman coins, found in the so-called “Grotta delle Ninfe” near Cerchiara di Calabria (Calabria, Italy) and preserved in the Brettii and Enotri Museum showcase in Cosenza (Calabria, Italy) have been under archaeometric investigation. The coins have followed a degradation process due to the sulphurous water source near th...

Improving the mechanical properties of bitumen is an important goal for road pavements design. For this reason, new compounds are now being sought for testing as bitumen modifiers. In this work, the authors studied the effect that two different chars have on two 50/70 bitumens with different chemical and physical characteristics. A complete morphol...

We report on successful refractive index profiling of commercially available step-index and in-house made graded-index multimode specialty optical fibers by means of X-ray computed microtomography. Our results demonstrate that the latter is an advantageous technique for characterizing large core optical fibers, which allows for retrieving informati...

The puzzling question about the floating of the topological surface state on top of a thick Pb layer, has now possibly been answered. A study of the interface made by Pb on Bi2Se3 for different temperature and adsorbate coverage condition, allowed us to demonstrate that the evidence reported in the literature can be related to the surface diffusion...

Activated carbons exhibit a high grade of porosity, which together with structural stability, regenerability and cyclability makes them capable of achieving excellent hydrogen adsorption capacity. A further advantage comes from the ease of production and the use of recyclable and biocompatible materials. A simple way to produce activated carbons fr...

Vacancies in atomically thin molybdenum disulfide play an essential role in controlling its optical and electronic properties, which are crucial for applications in sensorics, catalysis or electronics. For this reason, defect engineering employing thiol-terminated molecules is used to heal and/or functionalise defective nanosheets. In this work, CV...

The results of this study will help in guiding the future design of low-cost and highly performing functionalized mesoporous silica using cationic surfactants as directing agents. Indeed, by properly tuning surface interactions and the textural characteristics, the overall efficiency of H2 capture processes could be improved. Among different synthe...

1. Introduction Zeolite templated carbons (ZTCs) are carbon-based materials with a well-defined microporous morphology that can be prepared by different processes, like Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) or Wet Impregnation (to cite the most known procedures). In CVD technique, a gaseous carbon-source (e.g. ethylene) is bought into contact with a zeol...

The synthesis and design of two-dimensional supramolecular assemblies with specific functionalities is one of the principal goals of the emerging field of molecule-based electronics, which is relevant for many technological applications. Although a large number of molecular assemblies have been already investigated, engineering uniform and highly o...

Topological insulators in which the Fermi level is in the bulk gap and intersects only a topological surface state (the Dirac cone) are of special interest in the current research. In the last decades, a fine-tuning of the chemical composition of topological insulators has been carefully explored in order to control the Fermi level position with re...

We propose and demonstrate that absorption contrast X-ray computed microtomography is a valuable tool for the characterization of the optical properties of soft glass fibers.

The synthesis and design of two-dimensional supramolecular assemblies with specific functionalities is one of the principal goals of the emerging field of molecule-based electronics, which is relevant for many technological applications. Although a large number of molecular assemblies have been already investigated, engineering uniform and highly o...

Various aspects as pore size, surface area, functionalization and pore volume of materials have to be considered when are envisaged increased hydrogen storage performances [1, 2]. Different materials were synthetized by using the post-grafting method in alkaline conditions, through a modified Stöber process. Starting the simple silica, it was used...

In order to be tested for their gas storage properties, mesoporous silica particles were synthesized by sol-gel method, starting from tetraethyl orthosilicate silica precursor. Besides, the following precursors have been added in different molar ratios: triethoxyvinylsilan, diethoxy(methyl)vinylsilane or methyltriethoxysilane. Ammonia was used as c...

A novel good performing and selective polymeric sorbent has been synthesized by chemical modification of eco-friendly and inexpensive polysulfone through introduction of quaternary ammonium pendant groups (qPSU). The self-standing film conjugated outstanding thermo-mechanical resistance with high selectivity of adsorption for CO2 over methane, fast...

The fonts on the technological processes used in the art of the ancient goldsmith are largely fragmentary and a continuous activity must be developed to describe those processes. Amongst them, the archaeometric studies recently are taken advantage of the innovative non-destructive techniques. Some of those allows to study the whole body of a findin...

Activated Carbons (ACs) are a type of materials showing a microporous structures, which means pores width < 2 nm [1], that together with their structural stability, regenerability and high cyclability make them able to obtain excellent hydrogen (H2) adsorption capacity. A further advantage comes from the ease of production and the use of recyclable...

Discarded cigarette butts are a major waste disposal and environmental pollution hazard due to mainly containing cellulose acetate which is non-biodegradable. Unless causing litter, they contain contaminants such as toxic heavy metals, which can leach into waterways, potentially causing harm to both humans and wildlife [1]. The present experimenta...

In spite of their ubiquitous applications, the characterization of glass fibers by means of all-optical techniques is still facing some limitations. Recently, X-ray absorption has been proposed as a method for visualizing the inner structure of both standard and microstructure optical fibers. Here, we exploit X-ray absorption as nondestructive tech...

Zeolite-Template-Carbon is a new class of porous ordered carbon-based materials synthetized using 3-D zeolites as a template, then for these features have been investigated CO2 capture. This work presents the synthesis and characterization of ZTC on beta-type zeolite with a tuning-surface properties procedure resulting from different post-synthesis...

Hydrogen, as energy vector, could play a significant role in the transition to clean low carbon and sustainable energy systems. Solid-state hydrogen storage is one of the main challenges for hydrogen storage in different applications, and it is pushed forward because of safety consideration and high volumetric capacity. One of the materials propos...

An energy storage system based on a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer system, which could be managed by a nanoGrid for Home Applications (nGfHA), is able to convert the surplus of electric energy produced by renewable sources into hydrogen, which can be stored in pressurized tanks. The PEM electrolyzer system must be able to operate at va...

A trimethylammonium-functionalized polyepichlorohydrin membrane (TPp) was synthesized using inexpensive, eco-friendly raw materials and easy synthetic steps and evaluated as CO 2 sorbent. The polymeric membrane exhibited satisfactory sorbent performance in terms of stability, rapid adsorption, high selectivity and working capacity. The peak capture...

In spite of their ubiquitous applications, the characterization of glass fibers by means of all-optical techniques is still facing some limitations. Recently, X-ray absorption has been proposed as a method for visualizing the inner structure of both standard and microstructure optical fibers. Here, we exploit X-ray absorption as nondestructive tech...

Compound eyes in insects are primary visual receptors of surrounding environments. They show considerable design variations, from the apposition vision of most day-active species to the superposition vision of nocturnal insects, that sacrifice resolution to increase sensitivity and are able to overcome the challenges of vision during lightless hour...

The transition away from fossil fuel and ultimately to a carbon-neutral energy sector requires new storage materials for hydrogen and methane as well as new solutions for carbon capture and storage. Among the investigated adsorbents, activated carbons are considered especially promising because they have a high specific surface area, are lightweigh...

Atoms ionization by the simultaneous absorption of multiple photons has found applications in fiber optics, where it leads to unique nonlinear phenomena. To date, studies of the ionization regime have been limited to gas-filled hollow-core fibers. Here, we investigate multiphoton ionization of standard optical fibers, where intense laser pulses ion...

Atoms ionization by the simultaneous absorption of multiple photons has found applications in fiber optics, where it leads to unique nonlinear phenomena. To date, studies of the ionization regime have been limited to gas-filled hollow-core fibers. Here, we investigate multiphoton ionization of standard optical fibers, where intense laser pulses ion...

By exploiting the absorption contrast provided by the doping of silica, we demonstrate that X-ray microtomography is capable of retrieving the 3D spatial profile of standard multimode glass optical fibers.

Global warming and environmental concerns have triggered global efforts to reduce anthropogenic carbon emission. Against this background, mesoporous silica materials have experienced a great expansion in the latest years due to their interesting carbon capture properties. Despite the very vast literature currently available in synthetic strategies...

The article reports the preparation of novel composites with hierarchical porosity and their evaluation as CO2 adsorbents. An activator solution and metakaolin were used as starting mix. Activated carbon, characterized by a surface area of 528 m²/g and a bimodal porosity centered at 4.2 Å and 10 Å, was added to the starting mix to produce hybrid co...

The growing energy demand and the need to decrease the environmental effects from the use of fossil fuels have led to the study of new clean fuels and smart solutions. In particular, attention is paid to alternative energy sources such as hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4) who show lower atmospheric emission and higher availability then conventional p...

The principal aim within of European Green Deal is the climate-neutrality by 2050, or to have an economy with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. In this scenario, the impact that hydrogen technologies will have in the definitive ecological transition of the energy, transport and industrial systems is enormous and represents the keystone for sustain...

Meeting the increasing global demand for energy while simultaneously facing the climate change due to anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) has become the great paradox of the 21st century [1]. If we really want to meet both these criteria, the development of CO2 capture, use, and storage technology has become imperative for sustainable energy infrast...

The development of porous materials for efficient Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) processes plays a fundamental role in climate change mitigation. Due to their interesting and tunable porous structure, Zeolite-Template Carbon (ZTC) materials have been investigated as a new class of ordered carbon-based materials synthetized using 3-D zeolites as a...

A spectro-microscopic view of the intimate features of the nanomaterials is allowed by means of electron beams. This is achieved with the use of transmission electron microscopes (TEM) equipped with spectrometers such as electron or optical analyzers. The monoenergetic electron beam used in TEM is a minute and intense probe penetrating thin samples...

Increased in environmental pollution by fossil fuel correlated to the need of carrying out a rapid transition to a green economy, has attracted great attention around alternative source of energies such as hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4). One of the main problems in this field is the possibility to store both gases effectively and in safe condition...

The target for European decarburization encourages the use of renewable energy sources and H2 is considered the link in the global energy system transformation. So, research studies are numerous, but only few facilities can test materials and components for H2 storage. This work offers a brief review of H2 storage methods and presents the prelimina...

The present study reports a systematic analysis of morphology and hydrogen sorption capacity of mesoporous organic-inorganic silica prepared by varying the silica synthesis parameters. Cationic surfactants of different chain lengths and different proportions of functionalised precursors were introduced in the synthesis mixture. Improved hydrogen st...

Acknowledgment of reviewers

This work presents the results of the study of a fragment of architectural terracruda sculpture from the Buddhist archaeological site of Tepe Narenj (Kabul, Afghanistan, fifth-ninth centuries CE) through X-ray micro-computed tomographic analysis. This technique offers great potential for the study of artworks that, due to their nature, condition, o...

Carbon-based nanostructures are considered promising materials for gas storage thanks to robust structure, tunable porosity, lightweight, high thermal/chemical stability and easy production. This study reports the development of activated carbon fibers prepared from commercial Kevlar® through an innovative pyrolysis method, consisting of carbonizat...

The European Spallation Source is being built in Lund, Sweden and it’s planned to be the brightest pulsed spallation source for thermal and cold neutrons (<1 eV). Neutrons will be produced by a 2 GeV accelerated proton beam hitting a tungsten target wheel, then they are moderated by liquid hydrogen and water based moderator system and delivered to...

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) in conjunction with an increasing use of renewables provides a clean pathway to sustainable development and climate change mitigation. In selecting a low temperature CCS adsorbent, parameters such as selectivity, regeneration energy, and economicity play a crucial role. Poly(L‐lactide) (PLA) is one of the most promi...

Porphyrins are a versatile class of molecules, which have attracted attention over the years due to their electronic, optical and biological properties. Self-assembled monolayers of porphyrins were widely studied on metal surfaces in order to understand the supramolecular organization of these molecules, which is a crucial step towards the developm...

Pinecones, a common biomass waste, has an interesting composition in terms of cellulose and lignine content that makes them excellent precursors in various activated carbon production processes. The synthesized, nanostructured, activated carbon materials show textural properties, a high specific surface area, and a large volume of micropores, which...

H2 adsorption properties of ordered mesoporous silica prepared with different ratios of functionalized precursors have been studied. Silica particles were synthesized by sol-gel method, with tetradecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (C14) or dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (C12) as structure directing agents, and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and methyltr...

The goal is to investigate the feasibility to use a local biomass (Posidonia Oceanica and Wood chips), as a raw precursor, to the production of activated carbons (AC) with a high surface area and remarkable hydrogen (H2) adsorption properties. Biomasses (particle size of 0.3–0.4 mm) were pyrolyzed at 600 °C with a heating rate of 5 °C/min under an...

The challenging decarburization European target, requiring significant cuts in greenhouse emissions, strongly pushes towards the use of renewable energy sources. In this scenario Hydrogen, as a clean energy carrier, plays a basic role. Hydrogen has highest energy density per unit mass of any fuel, but being the lightest and lower density element, i...

The ability of Nile Red to self-assemble into supramolecular packings on Au(111) was studied using Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy and modeled through theoretical semi-empirical calculations. At both sub-monolayer and monolayer coverages, two distinct molecular packings, i.e. the four-leaf clover and the dense-chains, were observed, both weakly inte...

The functionalization improving the interaction between adsorbent and adsorbate is the breakthrough for synthesizing an optimum hydrogen storage material. Subsequently the functionalized silica materials are prepared, their properties are verified, and the most adequate materials are chosen for the envisaged application. By reason of the fact that...

In order to be tested for their hydrogen storage properties, mesoporous silica particles were synthesized by sol-gel method, starting from tetraethyl orthosilicate silica precursor. Besides, the following organically precursors have been added in different molar ratios: triethoxyvinylsilan, diethoxy(methyl)vinylsilane and methyltriethoxysilane. Amm...

The hydrogen adsorption properties of prepared functionalized mesoporous silica with different compositions have been studied. The different adsorption properties can be adducted to the different interaction between the sorbent and the adsorbant species, and that can be related to the structural, morphological and chemical properties of the samples...

Nowadays the application of multi-material parts has become a standard in several sectors, such as in transportation where the use of dissimilar material contributes to reduce the weight of structural components, as well as to decrease fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The scientific literature proposes various methods for combining dissimilar ma...

The aim of our study was to tailor the synthesis parameters in order to obtain suitable material for hydrogen storage. Mesoporous silica particles were synthesized by using the sol-gel method, in acidic condition, from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) precursors, by varying the molar ratio of the silica precursors. Nitric a...

The hydrogen adsorption properties of prepared functionalized mesoporous silica with different compositions have been studied. The different adsorption properties can be adducted to the different interaction between the sorbent and the adsorbant species, and that can be related to the structural, morphological and chemical properties of the samples...

A NaX nanozeolite-geopolymer monolith, with hierarchical porosity, has been produced by a one-pot hydrothermal synthesis using metakaolin as alluminosilicate source and a sodium silicate solution as activator. Its final composition, reported in terms of oxides, is 1.3–Na2O–3.0SiO2–1Al2O3–12H2O. Its microstructural and chemical features and CO2 adso...

The H2 adsorption properties of prepared functionalized porous silica with different compositions have been studied. Mesoporous silica particles were synthesized by using the sol-gel method, with tetradecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (C14) or dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (C12) as structure directing agents from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and met...

The Europen Community guidelines for a low carbon emission economy foresee a challenging target: a reduction of 80% in greenhouse gasses with respect to the target of 1990 within 2050. This can be achieved through the synergy of different technologies, as renewable energy production, clean fuels for automotive, etc. In this scenario H2 plays a basi...

The Southern Europe Thomson Backscattering Source for Applied Research (STAR) is a compact hard Xray source designed by INFN, for advanced applied materials-science research. It is funded by Progetto MaTeRiA, a partnership between the University of Calabria and CNISM (Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze fisiche della Materia). The...

In situ functionalized, with different organically groups, mesoporous matrices were generated, starting from silica tetra-alcoxide and functionalized tri- or di-alkoxides, (triethoxyvinylsilan, diethoxy(methyl)vinylsilane and methyltriethoxysilane) mixtures, via sol-gel synthesis. Mesoporous silica matrices have been prepared with the purpose of ta...

By means of angle‐resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements, the electronic band structure of the three‐dimensional PbBi4Te7 and PbBi6Te10 topological insulators is compared. The measurements clearly reveal coexisting topological and multiple Rashba‐like split states close to the Fermi level for both systems. The observed topological states...

A NaX nanozeolite-geopolymer monolith, with hierarchical porosity, has been produced by a one-pot hydrothermal synthesis using metakaolin as alluminosilicate source and a sodium silicate solution as activator. Its final composition, reported in terms of oxides, is 1.3–Na2O–3.0SiO2–1Al2O3–12H2O. Its microstructural and chemical features and CO2 adso...