RESEARCH
Temporary anion states and Dissociative Electron Attachment.
A complete picture of the electronic structure requires the knowledge of both the filled and the empty levels, equally important from the thoretical and the reactivity points of view. However, while ionization energy data supplied by Photoelectron Spectroscopy (PES) are easily available in the literature, the complementary electron affinity data are still sparse.
Aerobic biodegradation of materials in the soil.
The widespread and ever growing use of plastics as a convenient alternative to a variety of other materials is based on the successful formulation of a wide range of polymer materials with mechanical and physical properties tunable to the requirements of the specific application.
Paper degradation
Degradation processes in paper-based materials inevitably occur with rates and effects which depend on a variety of factors. These factors can be associated with the paper properties (e.g., pH, lignin content) or surroundings (e.g., temperature, humidity, microorganisms). Therefore, the modern approach to study paper degradation consists in focusing not only on paper properties and storage conditions, but also on their relationship. The PhD research activity carried out by Floriana Coppola, under the supervision of Prof. Alberto Modelli, has been devoted to study paper degradation from different points of view.
An innovative library condition survey
An innovative survey has been developed in collaboration with the Institute for Sustainable Heritage of the University College of London (UK), and with the Istituzione Biblioteca Classense (Ravenna, Italy). This survey, combing recent findings in the field of paper characterisation and degradation, is aimed at investigating the current and future conservation state of an historical Italian collection housed in the numerous halls (Aula Magna, right figure) of the Classense Library (Ravenna, Italy).