Research

The full exploitation of materials requires design, synthesis and the thorough understanding of their structure and the ways in which it is related to their fundamental properties. Central to the research activities of TPCI is the understanding of structure and properties of matter and light-matter interactions that would facilitate the exploitation of nanostructured materials with advanced functionality for energy-related applications, optical and electrochemical sensing, nanomedicine, electro-optics and photonic applications. To this aim, TPCI has pursued research and acquired strong expertise along the following research directions:

A. Theoretical and Computational Chemistry and Materials Science, with the following thematic priorities:

• Advanced theoretical and computational methods for molecules, materials and devices.
• Electronic structure and photophysical processes in advanced molecular systems and nanomaterials.
• Supramolecular chemistry in confined space and organized assemblies.
• Structural and dynamical properties of soft matter, nanoporous materials and biological systems.
• Theoretical study of (meta-)materials and devices for photonic and optoelectronic applications.

B. Materials Synthesis and Physical Chemistry, with the following thematic priorities:

• Carbon nanostructures and two-dimensional nanomaterials.
• Macromolecular materials, biomaterials and nanostructures.
• Complex and hybrid inorganic and organic-inorganic nanomaterials.
• Metal organic frameworks and covalent organic frameworks.
• Bioinspired materials for solar energy conversion.

C. Photonics for Nano-applications, with the following thematic priorities:

• Laser structuring and functionalization of materials and devices.
• Size-dependent phenomena and complexity at the nanoscale.
• Biophotonics, biophysics and space science applications.
• Optical fiber, nano-photonic devices and sensors.
• Integrated optics, plasmonics, nonlinear optics, and quantum technology.
• Photonics in security, defense, space, environmental, industrial, and biomedical applications.

The Institute operates also a service laboratory, Applied Spectroscopy Lab (ASL, est. 1997), which acts as dynamic interface between TPCI and a broad range of industrial R&D needs and translates in-house expertise in materials and spectroscopy to the benefit of Greek industry.