Solar-driven water splitting is a promising method for generating "solar hydrogen," a clean, renewable, and carbon-neutral energy source. By mimicking key principles from natural photosynthesis, such as compartmentalization, the use of diverse light-harvesting pigments, and efficient charge separation, artificial systems can be designed to replicate the process of water oxidation. This Thesis project involves the development of PSII-inspired artificial quantasomes (QS), composed of bis-cation...
In recent years, machine learning has become an important innovative tool for improving manufacturing processes. It can find patterns in data, give quick predictions, and help control processes more effectively. Traditional methods like analytical models and finite element method (FEM) simulations are reliable but have limits. Analytical models are often too simple, while FEM simulations are accurate but slow and expensive. Machine learning offers a faster option that can still give reliable ...
The transformation of industrial systems is reshaping the role of manual assembly lines. Increasing demand for product customisation, compressed production cycles, and the spread of high-mix, low-volume manufacturing are exposing the limits of rigid automation and emphasising the importance of flexible, human-centred strategies. Rather than being displaced, manual and hybrid assembly systems continue to represent viable and often preferable solutions, particularly for organisations facing vol...
Electrogenerated chemiluminescence, or electrochemiluminescence (ECL), represents one of the most powerful analytical techniques available nowadays for biomedical applications. This is due to several factors, including the nearly absent background signal, high sensitivity, large range of linearity and high spatial and temporal control. As ECL is an electron-hole recombination process, only phosphorescent or Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence (TADF) emitters can be used efficiently as th...
Particle–physics colliders rely on precise predictions of differential cross sections to test the Standard Model and to search for new physics.
Gravitational–wave interferometers require equally precise predictions of the waveforms emitted by coalescing compact objects to detect and characterize astrophysical events. In cosmology, correlation functions at the spacelike boundary of a nearly de
Sitter spacetime illuminate the physics of inflation and the large–scale structure of the Universe ...
This thesis explores the synthesis, characterization, and electrocatalytic applications of copper nanocrystals, with a particular focus on their role in the electrochemical reduction of CO2 into value-added products. Within a collaborative framework with Basell Poliolefine Italia S.r.l., the project addresses the urgent need for sustainable production of light hydrocarbons and olefins, key building blocks for the polymer industry, traditionally derived from fossil resources. In this context, ...
In recent years, nanophotonics has revolutionized the control of light by enabling the manipulation
of amplitude, phase, and polarization at subwavelength scales. Within this framework, dielectric
metasurfaces have emerged as ultracompact and versatile platforms for the generation of
structured light, allowing the creation of complex optical states carrying orbital angular momentum,
vectorial polarization textures, and topological singularities. This thesis investigates the design,
fabricatio...
Peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) and apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) are crop tree species with a
moderate economic relevance and widely cultivated in temperate regions due to the highly
appreciated fruits. Due to its characteristics, peach became a model crop, a relatively small genome
(about 256 Mb), diploidy (2n = 2x = 16) and low heterozygosity. Conversely apricot shows high
levels of heterozygosity and consistent structural variations, limiting a direct knowledge transfer
from pe...
Contemporary digital environments are increasingly shaped by algorithmic recommender systems that curate the content experienced by young people on social media platforms. Despite a wealth of research on digital literacy, existing frameworks tend to adopt either top-down, skill-based approaches tied to economic and civic imperatives or bottom-up perspectives grounded in lived cultural practices. This dissertation argues that current understanding of digital competencies inadequately accounts ...