CRC Press Self-Healing at the Nanoscale: Mechanisms and Key Concepts of Natural and Artificial Systems

A complete panorama of self-healing strategies, Self-Healing at the Nanoscale: Mechanisms and Key Concepts of Natural and Artificial Systems focuses on the development of new nanoscale self-healing systems, from general concepts to physical chemical mechanisms. With a special emphasis on key concepts, strategies, and mechanisms at the atomic, molecular, and nanometric scales, this book is made up of three parts: Natural Self-Healing Systems covers paradigmatic self-repair systems developed by nature in living organisms Artificial Self-Healing Systems describes various materials whose structures have been engineered at the micro- or nanoscale to obtain self-repair ability Frontiers of Self-Healing Systems includes contributions on systems studied in recent years that have shown potential for developing or inspiring new self-healing nanomaterials The development of self-healing systems, especially concerning materials and the nanoscale, is a nascent yet appealing topic for scientists in fields ranging from engineering to biology. Self-Healing at the Nanoscale provides a broad view of the concepts, mechanisms, and types of self-healing systems at the nanoscale, forming a guide to the field and inspiring the development of self-healing systems for the future. About the Author Vincenzo Amendola has been an assistant professor of physical chemistry in the Department of Chemical Sciences of Padua University since 2008. He received his Ph.D. in material science and engineering in 2007 and his master’s degree in material science in 2004, both from Padua University, working in the group of Professor M. Meneghetti. In 2007, he was a 6 month visiting PhD student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as part of the group of Professor F. Stellacci, and in 2011 he was a 7 month academic visitor at Cambridge University, as part of the group of Dr. A.C. Ferrari. He was honored with the Levi prize and the Semerano prize from the Italian Chemical Society. He is the author of several peer-reviewed papers, one patent, and has given invited talks at several conferences, including the first conference about Laser Irradiation and Nanoparticles Generation in Liquids (ANGEL2010). He also serves as referee for several journals about nanotechnology, plasmonics and physical chemistry. His main research topics are the laser ablation synthesis in solution (LASiS) of functional and functionalizable nanostructures, the study of plasmonic properties of nanoparticles, and, in general, the interaction of nanosecond laser pulses with matter for the generation of new materials and of new phenomena (like self-healing processes). He is currently collaborating with various research groups in Europe and Asia. More information about his research activities can be found on the web at www.chimica.unipd.it/vincenzo.amendola. Moreno Meneghetti is a full professor of physical chemistry at the University of Padova. He focuses his research interests on the optical properties of materials as tools for understanding their behavior. He uses both experimental and theoretical approaches for characterizing phase transitions in conducting and superconducting organic materials, focusing especially on electron-phonon couplings involving molecular units. He developed full-diagonalization and non-mean field approaches to study the optical properties (vibrational and electronic) of low-dimensional solids. Dr. Meneghetti’s research interests also include nonlinear optical properties of molecular systems and particularly the dynamics of nonlinear transmission of excited states with applications like optical limiting. Nonlinear optical properties and Raman properties of nanostructures based on carbon-like fullerenes and nanotubes were also investigated for their reactivity and for the preparation of new materials. Models for the electronic properties of single-wall nanotubes based on non-conventional methodologies are also the focus of his current research