ITALNANONET

The FIRB ITALNANONET project operated nationwide, involving leading Italian research institutions in the shared goal of creating a Nanoscience Network.
As part of the Naples node, led by IMAST, modeling nanostructured systems for biomedical applications, models were developed to study the interactions between biocompatible copolymers and biological systems. Using the hybrid MD-SCF (Self-Consistent Field-Molecular Dynamics) technique, a complex system was simulated, with molecular detail, for a sufficiently long time to observe the predicted phenomena.
As part of the experimental work on the preparation of nanostructured systems for food packaging applications, a calcium-filled PET nanocomposite containing a compatibilizing agent was developed. This nanocomposite exhibits good dispersion of the nanofillers, improved dimensional stability, and reduced oxygen permeability.
Furthermore, nanocomposites based on natural and renewable sources have been developed using zein as a natural polymer matrix, PEG (polyethylene glycol) as an elasticizer, and siloxanes. The inorganic filler improves the mechanical and functional properties of thermoplastic zein.
Expanded systems loaded with magnetic particles have been developed with the ability to mechanically reproduce (as a variation in the elastic relationship between mechanical stress and strain) the waveform applied to the magnetic field. Finally, expanded structural composites based on thermoplastic matrices loaded with expanded graphite have been prepared. The nanoparticles allow for the control of the nucleation phenomenon, reducing the average cell size, and increasing the specific properties of the matrix.