EDUCATION AND TRAINING
November 2021 - To Date
Ph.D. student in Nanoscience for Medicine and the Environment (37th Cycle)
Project member for the European project H2020-LC-BAT-2019-2020 - HyFlow: Development of a suitable hybrid storage system based on high power vanadium redox flow battery and supercapacitor – technology (ID 963550)
https://hyflow-h2020.eu/
Thesis: Electrochemistry of high power energy storage systems
Supervisor: Prof. Francesca Soavi
Research Activity: HyFlow aims at developing a Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS), capable of delivering high energy and high power with low environmental impact as well as low costs. HESS is based on a high-power vanadium redox flow battery (HP-VRFB) and a supercapacitor (SC) electrically hybridized featuring optimized power and energy requirements. The activity of the consortium focuses on the realization of a lab-scale model system (5 kW scale) and an industrial application-scale system (300 kW scale). In particular, UNIBO task aim at realizing high surface area carbons with high specific capacitance obtained from biomass wastes, to be exploited as the main electrode component of novel aqueous SC featuring cell voltage up to 1.7 V with cycling stability over > 5000 cycles.
February 2021 - November 2021
Research Contract for European project H2020 - MAGNIFY: “From nano to MAcro: a GrouNdbreakIng actuation technology For robotic sYstems” at the Laboratory of Electrochemistry of Materials for Energetics at the Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician” – University of Bologna
https://www.magnifyproject.eu/
Supervisor: Prof. Catia Arbizzani
Research activity: Study and development of nano-structured materials with nanofibrous morphology capable of reacting to an electrical stimulus. In particular, the engineering and production of polymer fibers using the electrospinning technique in order to obtain a core-shell conductive structure, containing molecular motors. Use of elastomeric polymer, carbon, metal and supramolecular materials. Development and optimization of electrical set-up and contacts for electrical and electrochemical measurements. Characterization of the materials in terms of chemical composition, morphology, and physical-mechanical properties with particular attention on the characterization of electrical properties and electrochemical behavior.
March - Dicember 2020
Graduate research at the Polymer Science and Biomaterials research group of the Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician” - University of Bologna
Thesis: “Preparation and optimization of silk fibroin electrospun scaffold for the regeneration of musculoskeletal tissue”
Supervisor: Prof.ssa Maria Letizia Focarete
Co-Supervisors: Prof.ssa Barbara Roda, Dott.ssa Anna Liguori, Dott. Francesco Grassi
Final mark: 110/110 cum laude
Research activity: Develop and optimization of nanostructured electrospun scaffolds based on silk fibroin and loaded with a biomolecule able to release hydrogen sulfide. The aim of the project was obtaining a device able to both support and induce the regeneration of damaged musculoskeletal tissues and actuate an anti-inflammatory action. The H2S-releasing tests were optimized and carried out in collaboration with the analytical group, while the biological tests were developed in collaboration with the RAMSES Laboratory.
The chemical-physical characterization was achieved by using: Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Infrared Spectroscopy with Fourier Transformation (FT-IR/ATR).
September - March 2018
Trainee at the Photochemistry group of the Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician” – University of Bologna
Thesis: “Functionalization of hyaluronic acid with rhodamine B and characterization.”
Supervisor: Prof.ssa Nelsi Zaccheroni
Co-supervisor: Dott. Damiano Genovese
Final mark: 108/110
Research activity: Functionalization of hyaluronic acid with a fluorophore, rhodamine B, in order to study the changes of the protein when placed in different environmental conditions (pH, temperature, solvents). The aim of the project was developed a system for in vivo uses for the recognition of pathological protein aggregates on the cell surface, based on the different morphology assumed by hyaluronic acid.
Characterization techniques used: Spectrophotometry, spectrofluorimetry, Z potential, Dinamic Light Scattering (DLS), Time Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC), Circular dichroism spectroscopy
June - July 2012
Training internship at the Istituto zooprofilattico sperimentale of Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna (IZLER) of Forlì
Activity: Laboratory diagnosis of infectious diseases of domestic and wild animals, microbiological analyzes on food of animal origin and not. In particular, sowing and trapping on cultural media, preparation of serological tests using the ELISA technique, preparation of all phases of the PCR reaction.
CONGRESS PARTICIPATIONS
Oral presentations
(1) “High-power electrochemical energy storage: from materials sustainability to system integration” Elisabetta Petri, Federico Poli, Alessandro Brilloni, Francesca Soavi. Presented at Giornate dell’Elettrochimica Italiana 2022 (GEI 22) from 11st September to 15th of September 2022, Orvieto, Italy.
(2) "Challenge for upscaling activated carbon production for supercapacitor applications from real lignin waste.” Elisabetta Petri, Federico Poli, Alessandro Brilloni, Andrea Fasolini, Francesco Basile, Francesca Soavi, Presented at the 7th Edition of International Symposium on Enhanced Electrochemical Capacitors (ISEECap) from 11st to 15th of July 2022, Bologna, Italy.
(3) "Nanostructured materials for soft-robotic applications.” Petri, E., Gotti, C, Groppi, J., Liguori A., C. Gualandi, C., Focarete, M. L., Silvi, S., Credi, A., Zucchelli, A., Soavi, F., Arbizzani, C. Presented at the Material Research Society (MRS) Fall meeting from 20th to 23rd of September 2021, Virtual.
(4) “Electrochemically responsive soft actuators” Petri, E., Gotti, C, Groppi, J., Liguori A., C. Gualandi, C., Focarete, M. L., Silvi, S., Credi, A., Zucchelli, A., Soavi, F., Arbizzani, C. Presented at the XXVII Congresso Nazionale della Società Chimica Italiana from 14th September to 23rd September 2021, Virtual.
(5) “Upscaling the production of activated carbon for supercapacitor electrodes from real lignin waste” Francesca Soavi, Elisabetta Petri, Federico Polia, Alessandro Brilloni, Andrea Fasolini, Francesco Basile. Presented at the 73rd Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE 2022) from 12nd to 16th of September 2022, Virtual.
Poster presentations
(6) “Application of Water in Salt electrolytes for low environmental impact supercapacitors” Alessandro Brilloni, Elisabetta Petri, Federico Poli, Francesca Soavi. Presented at the 7th Edition of International Symposium on Enhanced Electrochemical Capacitors (ISEECap) from 11st to 15th of July 2022, Bologna, Italy.
AWARDS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Best ISEECap22 Poster Presentation Award sponsored by Italian Interuniversity Consortium for Materials Science and Technology (Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali - INSTM): “Application of Water in Salt electrolytes for low environmental impact supercapacitors” Alessandro Brilloni, Elisabetta Petri, Federico Poli, Francesca Soavi.
