Nanoscale Materials Laboratory
Welcome to the Nanoscale Materials LabThe Nanoscale Materials Laboratory, established on the basis of an agreement by the Department of Physics of the University of Trieste (Department of Excellence 2023-2027) and Elettra, hosts researchers and students carrying out experiments in the fields of Surfaces, 2D Materials and Atomic Clusters Physics, in close collaboration with scientists from Elettra. Besides the other instruments the nmLab host the size-selected nanocluster source ENAC (Exact Number of Atoms in each Cluster). The nmLAB is associated to the National Quantum Science and Technology Institute funded within the PNRR. Since 2000 more than 80 students have carried out experimental work in the lab in preparation of their Master's degree thesis in Physics, as well as in the framework of the PhD in Nanotechnology and Physics. The Lab hosts also the Training Activity of the course Laboratory of Nanomaterials Physics for the undergraduate students in Physics of UniTS. |
Research Highlights | Publications
Oxygen on the top of the smallest mountain Due to the corrugation of graphene and the electronic structure of matter on the sub-nanometer scale, oxygen only adsorbs on top of very small size-selected Pt clusters 
The smallest Silver oxideSurprisingly bulk-like structural motifs appear in Silver-oxides already in the sub-nanoscale regime. Thanks to the new size-selected cluster source developed in the Lab we measured at the SuperESCA beamline the unusual process of Ag oxidation at T=20 K. 
Unusual reversibility of molecular break-upPentacene molecules adsorbed on Ir(111) can undergo a reversible deydrogenation process that can be engineered to produce polyacenes, via on-surface synthesis. 
It's a matter of transparency to van der Waals forcesThe van der Waals interactions between light adsorbates with polar (Carbon Monoxide) and non-polar (Argon) character and a metal surface are partially screened by graphene which shows a translucency parameter equal to 0.507. 
Epitaxial graphene boosts photocatalysis in titania nanoparticlesThe choice of an interfacial layer of epitaxial graphene to support titania nanoparticles has been revealed as a key ingredient to dramatically increase their capability to split water and produce hydrogen. 
The role of carbon monomers and dimers in graphene growthWe show that the growth kinetics are controlled by a complex interplay between the diffusion of the carbon precursors on the growing graphene islands and their desorption. 
Molecular twisting, lifting and curlingCoronene molecules undergo major conformational changes during surface-assisted dissociation on Ir(111): they tilt upward, then they undergo a rotation and they settle to form a dome-shaped nanographene.
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Nanoscale Materials Lab News
5 September-5 October
"PhD students grow....not just 2D materials"
It was truly another wonderful training experience for Andrea Berti at Aarhus University growing new 2D materials with enthusiasm and passion. Many thanks to Marco Bianchi for his constant all-round support and to Philip Hofmann for the hospitality he always extends to all students of our Lab. And thanks to our university for the ravel funding it provides to our PhD students !
Andrea: was it really so cold in Denmark?
1 September-1 October
"Size Selected Nanoclusters: not just in Trieste"
A wonderful month of September for Deborah Perco at the J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry in Prag as a research guest of the group led by prof. Stefan Vajda. To learn how to produce nanoclusters in a different way than we do, under the expert and precious guidance of Federico Loi (whom we all know very well!).
24 July
"Best Poster Award for Deborah"
What a great new result! ! Deborah has won yet another award for the best poster at the NANOcat Summer School, which took place in Prague from July 22 to 24! Today, the whole lab is celebrating
1 July-30 July
"Wonderful Training in Graz"
Could there have been a better training period ? I'm sure not !
15 days for Deborah and then 15 for Andrea at Karl-Franzens University. Thank you Franz Presel: for your kind welcome, for your generosity and for all the knowledge you were able to transfer in an excellent way.
Nanoscale Materials Lab News Archive
