Research

Nanotechnology for a Safe and Sustainable use of Water Resources

Nanotechnology for a Safe and Sustainable use of Water Resources. Our mission is to overcome some of the most challenging issues in the water environment, making responsible use of original applied research on environmental nanotechnologies. We develop and apply nanotechnology solutions for the safe and sustainable use of water resources.

Our Mission

Overcome some of the most challenging issues in the water environment, making responsible use of original applied research on environmental nanotechnologies.

Our Vision

Develop and apply nanotechnology solutions for the safe and sustainable use of water resources.

Research Lines

Get to know our two main research lines and discover the key technologies driving our work.

Water Monitoring: We develop portable, automatable devices for detecting water contaminants, using advanced materials like molecularly imprinted polymers and COFs. Our focus is on electrochemical and Raman-based sensing, with surfaces engineered to resist biofilm formation.

Econanosafety: We evaluate nanomaterials’ fate, transformation, toxicity and bioaccumulation in aquatic environments. A particular focus is paid to safe and sustainable-by-design approaches in nanomaterials and nano-enabled products.

Environmental Risk Assessment

We carry out risk assessments to evaluate the potential impact of contaminants and nanomaterials on aquatic ecosystems and human health

Raman-based sensors

We apply surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to develop label-free sensing platforms that offer rapid, non-destructive detection of contaminants with high specificity and sensitivity.

Microsystems for sample processing and advanced materials

We design and fabricate micro- and nanoscale devices using cleanroom-based techniques, enabling the development of miniaturized sensing platforms with high precision, integration, and reproducibility.

Ecotox-on-a-chip

We develop reliable, low-cost platforms for ecotoxicity testing that support research, industry, and regulatory decision-making.

Electrochemical-based sensors

We develop electrochemical sensors tailored for the detection of specific water contaminants, combining high sensitivity, selectivity, and low detection limits.

Portable and Autonomous Monitoring Systems

We develop integrated monitoring systems that are compact, robust, and capable of operating autonomously in real environments.