Materials in the nanoscale range exhibit fascinating properties compared to their bulk counterparts, i.e., light absorption and scattering, high surface-to-volume ratio, surface reactivity, and peculiar electrical and magnetic properties. Among these, functionalized noble metal (AuNPs, AgNPs, PdNPs), metal oxide (TiO2NPs, Fe2O3NPs), polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs), and relative hybrid organic/inorganic nanocomposites depict a suitable platform for developing multi-functional responsive systems with applications in nanomedicine [1,2], biotechnology [3,4], sensing [5], and optoelectronics [6]. The synthetic versatility allows their functionalization with neutral or charged, hydrophilic or hydrophobic, organic or organometallic mono- and bi-functional thiols, using both single or mixed ligands. According to the ligand type, nanoparticles can be manipulated to have single, isolated nanoparticles or to induce their self-assembly into complex 2D or 3D networks with collective and synergic properties. In this seminar, how key properties of nanoparticles can be tailored by altering their physical geometries (spherical and anisotropic shapes) or modulating surface functionality using wet chemical approaches will be presented. The study of the structure-function relationships using conventional and advanced morphostructural characterization techniques elucidates the role of stabilizing agents in shaping the final nanomaterial application.
References
[1] S. Cerra et al. Mater. Sci. Eng. C 2020, 117, 111337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2020.111337.
[2] T.A. Salamone et al. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 2023, 649, 264–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2023.06.078.
[3] L. Chronopoulou et al., Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 2020, 146, 790–797. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.10.047.
[4] M. Mercurio et al. ACS Appl. Nano Mater. 2024, 7, 21124−21140. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.4c04409.
[5] S. Cerra et al., Colloids Surf. B 2021, 203, 111727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2021.111727.
[6] S. Cerra et al. Inorg. Chim. Acta 2025, 579, 122553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ica.2025.122553.
Dr. Sara Cerra completed her PhD in Chemical Sciences in 2022 at Sapienza University of Rome (Italy) under the supervision of Prof. I. Fratoddi. Currently, she is a post-doctoral fellow in the same research group. Her research activities focus on the bottom-up synthesis and characterization of noble metal, metal oxide, polymeric nanoparticles, and nanohybrids functionalized with hydrophilic, hydrophobic ligands and organometallic acetylide complexes, with the aim to exploit the structure-properties correlations and physicochemical properties of nanomaterials. She is also involved in applicative studies in the fields of optoelectronics, sensing, nanomedicine, and biotechnology in collaboration with national and international research groups.
Materials in the nanoscale range exhibit fascinating properties compared to their bulk counterparts, i.e., light absorption and scattering, high surface-to-volume ratio, surface reactivity, and peculiar electrical and magnetic properties. Among these, functionalized noble metal (AuNPs, AgNPs, PdNPs), metal oxide (TiO2NPs, Fe2O3NPs), polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs), and relative hybrid organic/inorganic nanocomposites depict a suitable platform for developing multi-functional responsive systems with applications in nanomedicine [1,2], biotechnology [3,4], sensing [5], and optoelectronics [6]. The synthetic versatility allows their functionalization with neutral or charged, hydrophilic or hydrophobic, organic or organometallic mono- and bi-functional thiols, using both single or mixed ligands. According to the ligand type, nanoparticles can be manipulated to have single, isolated nanoparticles or to induce their self-assembly into complex 2D or 3D networks with collective and synergic properties. In this seminar, how key properties of nanoparticles can be tailored by altering their physical geometries (spherical and anisotropic shapes) or modulating surface functionality using wet chemical approaches will be presented. The study of the structure-function relationships using conventional and advanced morphostructural characterization techniques elucidates the role of stabilizing agents in shaping the final nanomaterial application.
References
[1] S. Cerra et al. Mater. Sci. Eng. C 2020, 117, 111337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2020.111337.
[2] T.A. Salamone et al. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 2023, 649, 264–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2023.06.078.
[3] L. Chronopoulou et al., Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 2020, 146, 790–797. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.10.047.
[4] M. Mercurio et al. ACS Appl. Nano Mater. 2024, 7, 21124−21140. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.4c04409.
[5] S. Cerra et al., Colloids Surf. B 2021, 203, 111727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2021.111727.
[6] S. Cerra et al. Inorg. Chim. Acta 2025, 579, 122553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ica.2025.122553.
Dr. Sara Cerra completed her PhD in Chemical Sciences in 2022 at Sapienza University of Rome (Italy) under the supervision of Prof. I. Fratoddi. Currently, she is a post-doctoral fellow in the same research group. Her research activities focus on the bottom-up synthesis and characterization of noble metal, metal oxide, polymeric nanoparticles, and nanohybrids functionalized with hydrophilic, hydrophobic ligands and organometallic acetylide complexes, with the aim to exploit the structure-properties correlations and physicochemical properties of nanomaterials. She is also involved in applicative studies in the fields of optoelectronics, sensing, nanomedicine, and biotechnology in collaboration with national and international research groups.
