Instrumentation

Synthesis

Two fully equipped laboratories for inorganic, molecular and colloidal synthesis

Schlenk lines

For the synthesis of highly air-sensitive inorganic and metalorganic compounds

Complete equipment for hydrothermal synthesis

For the preparation of inorganic materials under non-conventional conditions

Conventional Memmert UNE-400

For hydrothermal synthesis

Ball miller Retsch MM200

For the milling/grinding of samples and for mechanosynthesis, up to 60 Hz.

Centrifuge Hermle Z366

Universal table top centrifuge. Equipped with 6 x 50 ml and 6 x 10 ml vial holders. 200-15000 RPM speed range

UV lamps Helios Italquartz 125 W and 400 W

For UV-activated reactions (e.g. polymerization processes)

Sonicator Laborsonic P Sartorius Stedim ultrasonicator

For the homogeneization of miniemulsions. Maximum acustic power 400 W/cm², equipped with a 3 mm titanium tip

Custom made spin, dip and spray coaters

For the deposition of inorganic and hybrid films and coatings

Mini Ultrasonic spray coater

The lab is equipped with an ultrasonic spraying system (Mini Ultrasonic spray coater, Nadetech, Spain) that allows the fabrication of thin and uniform films for different applications. The spray gun can process both liquid and colloidal solutions creating micrometric drops on the surface. Furthermore, the deposition is performed in a dedicated climate chamber and, optionally, the sample can be heated up to 500 degrees by a precise titanium hotplate (Harry Gestigkeit GmbH, Germany).

Characterization

Perkin-Elmer Φ 5600ci XPS spectrometer

This technique, which is widely used for the surface characterization of powder, bluk samples and thin films, are powerful and versatile tools for qualitative and quantitative analysis because of their surface specificity and sensitivity to the chemical state of elements. The in-depth distribution of the species can be also investigated by controlled erosion (sputtering) of the material by an ionic beam (e.g. Ar⁺) and concomitant analysis of the photopeak intensities.

Custom made contact angle measurements instrument

High resolution camera, Peltier cell for temperature (-15-120°C) dependent measurements, LabView based software

UV-Vis Cary 5E spectrophotometer

Cary 5E with interface-diffuse reflectance accessory Cary 4/5- extension samples; Comp’t 4/5 for the optical characterization of the solutions and of the nanocomposite systems either in the form of thin films or bulk materials.

FT-IR Nicolet spectrometer (Thermo Optek - Nicolet) spectrophotometer

Equipped with accessories for ATR measurements (Smart iTR)

Thermo Scientific DXR MicroRaman

The available configuration and optics allow high-resolution depth profiling and characterization of surface areas with x-y area maps and x-z maps

Durometer

For gauging the hardness of materials

Viscometer Cannon-Fenske

For the analysis of the viscosity of transparent newtonian liquids

SEM Zeiss Supra V40

Equipped with secondary electrons, backscattered, variable pressure and EDX detectors

Bruker D8 Advance diffractometer

Equipped with film accessory (GI-XRD)