Activity
The group studies the relationships between molecular/supramolecular structure and macroscopic physical properties in liquid crystalline and polymeric materials, both from a fundamental and technological perspective. Investigated materials include: thermotropic liquid crystals, metallorganic liquid crystals, liquid crystal polymers, dye-doped liquid crystals, polymer dispersed liquid crystals, polymer-based hybrid nanocomposites, block copolymers, lyotropic liquid crystals of biological interest. The research activity is focused on the development and characterization of innovative materials for applications in the field of photonics, integrated optics, sensors, nano-patterning and nano-lithography, biomedicine. It is carried out in collaboration with partner groups from several foreign institutions and takes advantage of the large international facilities for the study of the structure of matter, in particular the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, and the Elettra Synchrotron in Trieste, Italy.
