Research Area
Active Research fields
Mechanism of growth and breakdown of anodic oxide films on valve-metals and valve-metals alloys.
Characterization of corrosion layers and passive films by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and Photocurrent Spectroscopy (PCS).
Photoelectrochemical fabrication of hybrid inorganic/organic (conducting polymers) junctions
Electrochemical growth of nanostructure by template assisted method or by anodizing.
Preparation of proton conductors for low temperature fuel cells.
Research projects of the last 5 years
"Low Band Gap Materials and Structures for Solar Energy Conversion", U.S. Army USAITC-A contract N. USAITC-A W911NF-11-1-0386 (2011/2012)
"Sviluppo e caratterizzazione di componenti innovativi per fuel cell a basse temperature" Progetto TESEO – Tecnologie ad alta Efficienza per la Sostenibilità Energetica ed ambientale On-board (PON 2007-2013)
Physico-chemical characterization by in situ techniques (PCS, DA, EIS) of passive films and corrosion layers on 316L SS and related metals formed in different conditions, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Penzberg, Germany. 2014-2015
Collaborations
G. Thompson e Prof. P. Skeldon, Corrosion and Protection Centre - School of Materials, The University of Manchester (UK)
L. Anicai, Department of Environmental Protection and Technological Development Petromservice SA, str. Gral Budisteanu 11 bis, Bucharest (Romania);
K. Shimizu, University Chemical Laboratory, Keio University, 4-1-1 Hiyoshi, Yokohama 223 (Japan);
H. Habazaki, Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8628 (Japan)
P. Marcus, CNRS-ENSCP (UMR 7045), Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris.
Active research
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Set up for photoelectrochemical measurements
Potentiostats for electrochemical, corrosion and impedance measurements (PAR 2263).
Multipotentiostat (Bio-Logic VMP2).
Keithley Galvanostat 227
Voltage amplifier Krohn-Hite 7500.
H2-O2 and CH3OH -O2 fuel cell
High temperature ionic conductivity measurements facilities (furnace provided)
Ellipsometer
Glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy
Services delivered under the right of third parties
· corrosion test in standard conditions
· atmospheric corrosion test
· corrosion resistance test (polarization resistance measurements, impedance measurements, polarization curves)
· photoelectrochemical characterization of passive films
· morphological and elemental characterization by SEM and EDX
· X-ray diffraction
· Element corrosion engineering and consulting
Thin film thicknss estimate
cthin film compositional depth profiles