Download università degli studi di padova richiesta di

UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVA
RICHIESTA DI FINANZIAMENTO PER PROGETTI
STRATEGICI
Prot. STPD08RCX5
Project Principal Investigator
PS Acronym
Strategic Program Title
Scientific Areas
List of the Research Units
MAGGINI Michele
HELIOS
Highly Efficient Light Interactions with Organized molecular
Systems
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03: Chemistry - 95%
11: Information engineering - 5%
POLIMENO Antonino - SCIENZE CHIMICHE
SAMBI Mauro - SCIENZE CHIMICHE
Executive summary:
HELIOS aims to study functional molecular structures that, upon aggregation, display enhanced
cooperative interactions via transfer of energy, information or both in the form of charge carriers,
photons, spins. It targets two areas of energy research in which functional molecules are capable of
making a significant impact:
(1) the modular design of molecular-based functional units for artificial photosynthesis;
(2) the control of supramolecular order and electronic match (band-gap tuning) between the electrondonor and electron-acceptor constituent chromophores of bulk-heterojunction “plastic” solar cells.
HELIOS lays the foundation for the development of technologically interesting light-triggered processes
in supramolecular environments, aiming to become a focus for the molecular point-of-view (the socalled bottom-up approach: from molecules to supramolecular structures) complementing local projects
centered on more macroscopic approaches.
Artificial photosynthesis, producing dioxygen and hydrogen through water splitting, will be investigated
through the integration of multiple chemical functions capable of light absorption, energy transfer,
electron transfer, redox catalysis. Molecular systems of interest, such as a novel tetraruthenate
polyoxotungstate complex capable of multi-turnover water oxidation at unprecedented rates > 0.1 sec(1), have been already conceived and tested by some of the proponents. Research activities on molecules
featuring energy and electron-transfer processes are active within the team participants as well.
HELIOS will consider phase-separated mixtures of (donor-acceptor, D-A) organic materials, the socalled bulk-heterojunctions, obtained from blends of conjugated polymers (D) and fullerenes (A), to be
applied to high-performance organic solar cells. Light-energy conversion efficiency will be increased
through the bandgap tuning of the fullerene component and the supramolecular organization of the
polymer/fullerene mixture.
HELIOS brings together 12 permanent staff researchers, 5 PhD students and 1 postdoctoral fellow from
the Department of Chemical Sciences, 2 PhD students from the Department of Information Engineering
(DEI) and 3 permanent staff senior researchers from the National Council of Research (ITM-CNR and
ISTM-CNR), on average 40 years old (excluding students and postdocs), with a solid research activity
documented by a total of 277 publications in the last five years, (average IF = 3.6). The participation to
HELIOS of two PhD students from the microelectronics group of DEI, with concomitant access to same
group facilities, complements the molecular approach to water splitting and organic solar cells with
competences that, in the mid-term, will be exploited for technological applications in working devices.
Three OUs have been identified on the basis of the available competences. OU1 will deal with chemical
synthesis and functionalization of organometallic catalysts, fullerenes/carbon nanotubes, peptide, sol-gel
materials; OU2 will develop and apply theoretical modeling tools and OU3 will characterize molecular
structures through STM, electrochemical STM, optical and EPR spectroscopies, electrochemistry and
microelectronics.
06/10/2009
The choice to run HELIOS without a large participation of other scientific Areas of this University is not
dictated by an abstract self-reliance, by the will to coalesce the different research lines of chemistry in
Padova, by coordinating the creative potential of 15 active representatives of the Chemistry research
community. The project is meant to establish a strongly integrated experimental/theoretical focus point
and to developing original know-how for designed supramolecular technologies.
HELIOS allows rationalizing the usage of a significant array of instrumental facilities, available within
the hosting Structures, and active research projects coordinated by the participants. HELIOS promoters
have established a network of multidisciplinary collaborations at local, national and international levels,
on themes strongly related to HELIOS roadmap, that contribute to assure continuity beyond the three
years term.
HELIOS aims to build a know-how basin. Provisionally, 3 PhD students and 6 postdoctoral fellows will
be specifically funded within the project. It is planned to reserve resources for the appointment of a
visiting professor and to establish links with local SMEs willing to employ advanced chemical knowhow to produce smart molecular structures for materials and devices.
To this purpose it is relevant to mention that requests have been made for additional equipment to carry
out Dip-Pen Nanolithography (that is a direct-write technique in which an AFM tip is used to deliver
molecules in the form of a molecular “ink” to a surface) and high precision Ink Jetting of functional
molecular fluids, including nanoparticle-based metallic and organic materials on any type of surface for
fabrication and testing of small-area prototype devices made of the molecules and molecular assemblies
produced within HELIOS.
06/10/2009