Invited Speaker
Dr. Michele Ferrari
Institute of Condensed Matter and Technologies for Energy (CNR-ICMATE), ItalySpeech Title: Superhydrophobic Materials in Marine Environment and Underwater Robotic Applications
Abstract: Biofouling is the term used to describe the accumulation and growth of a diverse array of organisms, including bacteria, algae, fungi, and larger organisms, on surfaces in the ocean. The naval industry faces significant issues with surface deterioration, as higher roughness levels result in greater fuel consumption and ultimately, increased material corrosion. Such constraints can be surpassed by superhydrophobic surfaces (SHS) as these surfaces possess both low surface energy and a specific surface morphology (micro-nano roughness), resulting in surfaces that are significantly less wettable with water contact angles (CA) greater than 150° and hysteresis lower than 5°. Protection and reducing friction in marine environments and underwater applications are crucial because interactions with water are typically best avoided. Underwater robots can effectively take advantage of these highly water-repellent coatings. The goal of incorporating smart materials in research is to enhance various characteristics, focusing on the longevity of the surface exposed to the surroundings and the effectiveness of movement. Mixed organic-inorganic materials have been created to have self-cleaning properties, and their durability against aging was studied based on the characteristics of the coating. Surface analysis and field-based investigations were carried out to evaluate how effectively metals are protected from fouling and deterioration in underwater environments.
Keywords: Superhydrophobicity, wettability, fouling, corrosion.
Biography: Dr. Michele Ferrari is Senior Researcher at CNR-ICMATE (Institute of Condensed Matter and Technologies for Energy) in Genova, Italy. After the studies of Chemistry in the field of protection in cultural heritage (University of Genoa), he joined as a postdoc the group of Dr. Reinhard Miller in 1994-96 at Max Planck Inst. for Colloids and Interfaces in Berlin. He has been visiting researcher (2001) at MPI-KG (Golm-Germany), MPI-PR(Mainz-Germany) (2006), UNISA(Adelaide-Australia) (2009), INFLPR (Magurele-Romania) (2013-2014) and UB Pharmacy (Barcelona-Spain) (2018-present).
Coauthor of more than 100 contributions in international peer reviewed journals, books, encyclopedias and conference proceedings and more than 120 international conference contributions with H index 38 (Google Scholar) with more than 4700 citations.
His scientific interests include:
Surface wettability in liquid-air and liquid- liquid systems;
Development of superamphiphobic coatings;
AFM and 3D-prolifometry surface analysis;
Physical chemistry of adsorption of surfactants at liquid and solid interfaces;
Development of experimental tensiometric techniques.