Environmental sustainability has become an increasingly relevant issue in the current global landscape. For this reason, attention to the circularity of production processes, recycling and recovery of biomass and industrial waste is becoming increasingly important. The goal is to reduce the environmental impact and promote the sustainability of production processes, encouraging the use of renewable materials and resources. In this context, research is developing innovative technologies for the treatment and reuse of waste, the valorization of biomass and the development of increasingly sustainable production processes.
The reduction of CO2 emissions is one of the main objectives for addressing climate change and achieving the mitigation objectives established by international agreements. Technology plays a vital role in this process, and the search for sustainable technologies for CO2 emission reduction and low-carbon economy is of great importance. This research activity focuses on the development of sustainable technologies and processes for the capture and valorisation of CO2 in fuels or chemical compounds with high added value. The main technologies under research include: the capture of CO2 with micro and mesoporous materials, the electrocatalytic CO2 conversion to chemicals (e.g. syngas, ethylene, oxo-products) and fuels (e.g. methane, alcohols) for directly exploiting renewable electric energy sources, the low temperature water electrolysis for H2 production, the photocatalytic CO2 conversion and water splitting for directly exploiting sunlight to produce fuels, the thermo-catalytic conversion of CO2 into methane, methanol, dimethyl ether, liquid hydrocarbons like gasoline, jet-fuel (SAF) and marine bunker in integrated processes (Fischer-Tropsch or methanol-to-hydrocarbons), olefins and aromatics (for the polymer industry), and the biological conversion for producing bio-plastics or methane. The research activities lie in the development of novel heterogeneous catalytic or biocatalytic systems and process optimization. Furthermore, modelling at different scales (from the atomistic level by DFT to the macroscale with multiphysics softwares like COMSOL). Process simulations , and sustainability analysis through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), represents important elements that complement the experimental research activities to bring these technologies from a TRL2/3 or TRL4/5 scale (depending on the technology) up to 7.
Environmental protection and the development of sustainable technologies have become increasingly important issues globally. In this context, there are numerous new technologies that allow for a reduction in polluting emissions and lower energy consumption during production. Among these, catalytic technologies represent an important opportunity.
The research focuses on the development of innovative catalysts for the treatment of gaseous and liquid phase pollutants, with the aim of minimizing the environmental impact. Photocatalysis and electrocatalysis processes are also studied for the abatement of pollutants and advanced oxidative treatments for water purification. This research field is significantly contributing to the promotion of environmental and energy sustainability.
In the field of energy production and storage, electrochemical systems play an increasingly important role in the electric transition of means of transport and renewable energies. In this context, fuel cells and electrochemical batteries have a significant industrial development. Research focuses on:
- development of catalysts with low or zero content of noble metals and study of the electrochemical reactions at the basis of fuel cells both with hydrogen and with other gaseous or liquid compounds (alcohols), for application in electric vehicles, especially large ones (trucks, trains, planes, ships), in stationary energy storage and for grid balancing;
- development of processes for the synthesis of materials for innovative electrochemical cells, reducing the use of critical materials, studying pre-industrial production methods, optimizing and reducing consumption in the creation of cells designed to be recycled. The chemical processes underlying the production of battery materials are part of both experimental and modeling activity. Furthermore, a very important role is covered by the study of the interfaces between electrode and electrolyte for a better understanding of the electrochemical and thermodynamic factors of electrochemical cells.
Modelling and computer simulation have become an essential tool for research in chemical engineering. This involves the investigation of transport and reaction phenomena at very different scales, from the scale of the atom to that of the process unit. This creates the need for multiscale simulation workflows, able to explore reality at all levels via the use of codes for the accurate solution of the transport equations augmented by machine learning tools.
The design of chemical processes and their optimization are often performed with the aid of computer simulations. Machine learning algorithms are proving very successful in predictive capabilities and can be used in synergy with classical modeling.
The monitoring system of a process often makes a large amount of information available, and it is increasingly appropriate to resort to PCA-PLS methods for in-line and off-line monitoring of a process, or to statistical process controllers to identify out of specification (control charts).
The mass of data made available by the process monitoring system can be used for the purposes of its operability, safety and security, for example by developing soft sensors or twin models of the process or of the human-process interface, or by developing algorithms to identify process anomalies deriving from physical or cyber disturbances.
The pharmaceutical and food industry is investing heavily in the development of new methods, which combine mathematical modeling with a small number of experiments, for process development and optimization, as well as analytical tools for non-invasive monitoring of the product of drying. Even the problem of pharmaceutical formulation is tackled with unconventional methods which involve the combination of theoretical modeling studies on a molecular scale and experimental campaigns. The PhD also addresses the challenge of the design of multifunctional and teranositic nanoparticles, the search for new antimicrobial substances by developing films containing nanoparticles and/or essential oils for applications in the medical (wound dressing) and food (bioactive packaging) fields, the functionalization of carriers with active ingredients in order to obtain pharmaceutical devices with controlled drug release (also using supercritical fluid technology).
Identified by the European institutions as a strategic sector for the transition towards a circular and sustainable industry (Textiles strategy (europa.eu), the textile sector offers numerous ideas for research: development of more efficient and sustainable dyeing and finishing processes, treatments for the reduction of the emission of microplastics into the environment, the application of heat transfer principles in the development of high-performance sportswear.
The multi-hazard analysis of complex socio-technical systems studies the factors that influence the safety, security and resilience of systems involving interactions between technological and social components (human and organizational), process and energy plants, critical infrastructures or supply chains (of raw materials and products). The development of methods and tools to assess and manage the risks deriving from events of natural or anthropic origin is foreseen, taking into account the interdependencies and feedbacks between the different elements of the system, considered dynamically.