© Pierluigi Bilotto

Example of research activities in this section. Green Area: novel sustainable synthesis…

Example of research activities in this section. Green Area: novel sustainable synthesis methods such as bubble-assisted electrochemistry. Red Area: Tribochemical study of wear tracks. In the image are shown TEM revealing the crystallographic properties of the tribofilm, element composition during sputtering reveal by LEIS, and element composition of a tribofilm lamella revealed by TEM-EDS. Grey Area: macro- to- meso- to nanomechanics, where we aim to link tribological performance at the macroscale to atomistic understanding. Lateral and normal force maps acquired by AFM and imaging of a single flake are shown as example.

The vision of this section is to tailor materials and interfaces at the nanoscale to deliver sustainable and multifunctional solutions. Specifically, we are interested in understanding how properties at the nanoscale affect the macroscale, for instance in terms of tribological performances. Two-dimensional materials such as MXene are ideal model system to perform this multiscale investigation. We employ advance techniques to describe tribological mechanisms at the nanoscale (e.g., atomic force microscopy), mesoscale (e.g., surface forces apparatus) and macroscale (e.g., tribometer), and compare the results with colleagues working on simulations (atomic scale). In addition, advanced surface analytics (transmission electron microscopy, Raman, low energy ion scattering, X-ray investigations) are used to perform tribochemical studies. Finally, material design includes strategies to address sustainability challenges (e.g., sustainable synthesis of 2D materials) by exploring complex phenomena taking place at solid/liquid interfaces (e.g., bubble-assisted electrochemical synthesis).

The image shows examples of research activities in this field. Green Area: novel sustainable synthesis methods such as bubble-assisted electrochemistry. Red Area: Tribochemical study of wear tracks. In the image are shown TEM revealing the crystallographic properties of the tribofilm,  element composition during sputtering reveal by LEIS, and element composition of a tribofilm lamella revealed by TEM-EDS. Grey Area: macro- to- meso- to nanomechanics, where we aim to link tribological performance at the macroscale to atomistic understanding. Lateral and normal force maps acquired by AFM and imaging of a single flake are shown as example.