The research activity at the Nanocarbon Laboratory at the University of Parma mainly deals with the experimental study of novel carbon nanostructures, such as fullerenes, graphene related materials and activated carbon bio-chars. It comprises all the stages, from synthesis to characterization. The Nanocarbon Laboratory research is primarily focused on the synthesis and functionalization of carbon nanostructures for several applications, including:
- Synthesis of carbon based nanomaterials for energy storage applications.
- Synthesis of carbon based high temperature superconductors.
- Synthesis of additives for the improvement of mechanical properties of epoxy resins.
As far as the applications of carbon nanostructures on energy are concerned, the Nanocarbon Laboratory is also focused on the development of innovative technologies for energy transport, conversion and storage. Carbon nanomaterials, which here are synthesized and functionalized, then become components for prototypes of:
- Innovative Li-ion, Na-ion and Mg-ion batteries.
- Solid-state gas ad/absorbers, in particular for hydrogen-storage applications.
- High performance supercapacitors.
At the Nanocarbon Laboratory many different synthesis and characterization techinques are available:
- Chemical reactions and physical treatments: mechanochemistry via ultrasonication or via high-energy ball-milling, high-temperature thermal treatments under controlled atmosphere, solvothermal and hydrothermal synthesis, wet chemical synthesis under controlled atmosphere by means of glass lined reactor.
- Electrochemical characterization of electrode and electrolyte materials (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, DC conductivity, three electrode cyclic voltammetry), coin-cell (CR-2032) prototipation and characterization (galvanostatic charge and discharge curves, cyclic voltammetry).
- Squid magnetometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, 2D powder x-ray diffraction.