Title: Disordered metastuctures: from liquid crystal plasmonics to pathogens sensing
Abstract: Metasurfaces have played a crucial role in the past 10 years for their intrinsic capability to manipulate light, producing unpredictable opportunities in optics and photonics. However, despite this premise, metasurfaces have limitations such as limited working areas and need active
tunability. To overcome these limitations, we explored a new generation of metastructures by selfassembling plasmonic nanoparticles [1] on different substrates. The high degree of disorder and optimum interparticle distance allow this new generation of metastructures to be used in
multidisciplinary research fields, ranging from optics [2] to biotechnology. [3,4] In this
presentation, I will introduce a new generation of optical components that can be used in active
light filtering thanks to the powerful combination of nematic and cholesteric liquid crystals.
Additionally, by functionalizing these metastructures with biorecognition elements like antibodies,
we have successfully utilized them for efficient pathogen detection in potable water and
environmental samples. [5, 6] Our findings pave the way for creating versatile devices that can be
efficiently utilized in other fields, including solar energy and neurobiology.
References:
1. Guglielmelli, A. et al. Adv Photonics Res 2: 2000198 (2021)
2. Petronella, F., et al. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 15(42), 49468-49477 (2023)
3. Petronella, F. et al. Environmental Science: Nano, 9(9), 3343-3360 (2022)
4. Zaccagnini, F et al. Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 11(29), 6823-6836 (2023)
5. Sforza, M. L. et al. Advanced Sensor Research, 2300201 (2024)
6. Zaccagnini, F. et al. Small, 2400531 (2024)
About the Speaker: Luciano De Sio is Associate Professor at the Sapienza University of Rome - Italy. He is the group leader of a young and highly motivated research group working in biotechnology, liquid crystals, nanotechnology, optics, and bio-photonics. Luciano spent more than five years in the United States as a senior research scientist at the Beam Engineering for Advanced Measurements Company (Orlando, Fl). Luciano possesses extensive experience in photo-thermal therapy and reusable biosensors. He has co-authored 140 ISI-JCR publications in physics and biotechnology, several book chapters, 18 issued international patents, and delivered more than 50 scientific communications at conferences. Luciano has coordinated several projects of the European Office of Aerospace Research & Development (EOARD), supported by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) and the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). He is also the Project Director of an international Multi-Year Project supported by the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme, aiming to realize a nanotechnology-inspired biosensor with photo-responsive liquid crystals.
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