The platform smart materials deals with the development of new composite materials ,pointing towards a synergistic performance of the different materials combined together. We study different potential techniques to merge together distinct materials, with so far well studied and established properties, in order to fabricate novel materials that can preserve the properties of the individual components, but most importantly that exhibit characteristics that would not be possible otherwise. Such composite materials can be incorporated in most of the present technologies, including transport, bioengineering and medical instrumentation, civil engineering, fashion, packaging, fire-retardant electrical enclosures, security, and sport.

The platform focuses on composites that have as basic component plastics, i.e. polymeric materials of high molecular weight that exhibit inherently excellent processability, good mechanical properties, they are lightweight and low cost. These characteristics make them ideal candidates for manufacturing and product design. We use different kinds depending on their properties relevant for technological developments, i.e. thermoplastic and thermoset resins, electrically conductive polymers, polymeric fibres, biodegradable or biocompatible polymers, thermoresponsive polymers, etc. Such plastics are the common starting point for the composite materials, combined with a vast variety of nanofillers. As nanofillers we use inorganic nanoparticles of various shapes, i.e. nanodots, nanorods, nanowires, or nanocrystals of even more complex shapes (branched nanostructures), and diverse compositions, i.e. magnetic, fluorescent nanoparticles, core/shell nanoparticles, metallic nanoparticles etc., or molecules responsive to external stimuli, i.e. photochromic, thermochromic, electrochromic etc.

By preserving the inherent capability of the plastics for processing and manufacturing, without sacrificing their mechanical properties, and without adding excessive weight, the resulting composite materials combine unique desirable properties unavailable in matrix or filler materials alone. In our laboratories we exploit the nanofillers to develop composite materials and nanostructured systems with custom tailored chemical, mechanical, thermal, surface, optical, and biological properties. With those components available, the smart material platform can tackle a number of material science oriented problems, spanning from robotics to aerospace.