High performance sensors and sensor systems for monitoring air quality and the environment
Area Skills
The need to have data to support European directives, international treaties and programs on atmospheric and environmental pollution together with the need to reduce the investment and operating costs of observation sites also located in localities remoand difficult to access, have made studies aimed at developing efficient and low energy consumption monitoring devices indispensable. These characteristics are often achieved by making use of nenotechnologies.
In this context, the Area's innovative research activities are grouped into:
- development and application of nanotechnologies for the controlled fabrication of nanostructured materials for high sensitivity sensors (eg, electrospinning, dipping, self-assembling, electrochemical growth and immobilization) and in situ functionalization systems;
- selection of materials and development procedures according to the principles of sustainability;
- design and manufacture of chemical and biological sensors, developed on both conventional and flexible substrates;
- design and development of sensors in platforms and networks inspired by natural sensory systems (bioinspired) for the monitoring of complex environmental matrices and definition of qualitative indices;
- design and development of electronic interfaces for sensors
These activities are distributed in three laboratories:
- Sensors Laboratory: Characterization and Measurements (contact person A. Bearzotti);
- Prototyping and electronics laboratory for sensors (contact person E. Zampetti;
- Multifunctional Nanomaterials design and development laboratory (contact person A. Macagnano).
Area contact person: Antonella Macagnano
Design and development of nanostructured sensors and multiparameter sensor devices for real time and in-situ monitoring of toxic gaseous and particulate air pollutants.
The progress achieved thanks to the developments in nanotechnology and microelectronics have made it possible to study and develop sensors with high performances in terms of sensitivity, response times and selectivity for monitoring air quality (gases such as nitrogen and sulfur oxides, ozone , Volatile and semi-volatile compound GHGs, dust), soil and water (mercury, pesticides, PAHs, POPs microorganisms etc.).
The main activities of this topic are included in international (ie European Cooperation in Science and Technology MP1206, MP1205, TD1105, Horizon 2020, ESA, UNEP, etc.) and national activities.
Research area capacity
Currently (February 2021), the Research Area on Advanced Sensors is made up of 3 Researchers (III level, ti), 1 AdR and 1 CTER. They are also an integral part of the Area as type B associates, 2 full professors of the University of Tor Vergata in Rome (from the departments of Electronic Engineering and Chemical Sciences and Technologies respectively), 1 Researcher of the University of Studi della Tuscia, Viterbo (Department for Innovation in Biological, Agri-food and Forestry Systems) and N.1 Senior Researcher INAF - Institute of Space Astrophysics and Planetology, Rome.
LABORATORIES AND INSTRUMENTS
Sensor characterization and measurement laboratory
In this laboratory, electrical measurements are carried out aimed at characterizing the behavior of sensor devices towards various types of environments. The various resistive sensor devices are housed in special chambers of ...
Electronics and Prototyping Laboratory
The laboratory was spatially designed according to the current concept of design and prototyping of polluting monitoring systems. In fact it is divided into three sections plus one dedicated to the research / commercial activity for the development of Quartz sensors ...
Multifunctional Nanomaterials Design and Development Laboratory
The activities and instruments of the laboratory (≈60 m²) are mainly dedicated to the development and characterization of nanostructured matrices with different architectures and for multiple functions. The materials, of bioinspired origin, are developed with a ...
