I hold the Master degree in Chemistry at Universita’ della Calabria (Italy) in 2013.
My thesis work focused on synthesis and characterization of Cobalt coordination compounds with dppn ligand, with the aim to study the Co(II) ion reactivity towards dppn ligand and the magnetic behavior of new coordination compounds . The new compounds obtained have been characterized by single crystal X-ray diffractometry and by magnetic susceptibility measurements. Some of these coordination compounds exhibit interesting magnetic properties of Single Molecule Magnets (SMM).
In February 2014, I started a PhD program in SASSYPOL network at Juelich Forschungzentrum (Germany). My work will focus on the investigation of supramolecular polymer networks with self-healing properties.
Research
The aim of the work is to produce supramolecular polymer systems based on hydrogen bonding mechanism, which exhibit self-healing ability. These kinds of polymer systems are able to form transient networks that show the ability to release stresses through the opening of transient bonds and re-associate after a microscopic damage.
The system under investigation consists of a transiently branched multi-arm comb which makes use of hydrogen bonding for supramolecular association. This system is expected to be able to combine mechanical advantages of branched polymers, due to high stability and slow relaxation processes, with self-healing properties. The transient comb structure can therefore lose its identity by shearing and/or elevated temperature, and be processed easily. This happens through the disconnection of arms, that can re-assemble after processing and confer again branched properties to the polymer system.
Currently the work is focused on the investigation of the association constant of the complementary hydrogen bonding groups and the microscopic conformational changes driven by temperature, as well as on the influence of the transient bonds on the mechanical properties and macroscopic dynamic of the polymer system.
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