Ultrasound-Activated Biodegradable Piezoelectric Chitosan Nanoparticles for Glioblastoma Treatment Attilio Marino, Tommaso Curiale, Marie Celine Lefevre, Alessio Carmignani, Maria Cristina Ceccarelli, et al. Small Science, 2026 Piezoelectric nanomaterials are highly promising for remote cell stimulation due to their ability to convert mechanical energy, such as ultrasound (US), into electrical cues that modulate cellular behavior. In the context of cancer treatment, piezoelectric stimulation has recently shown antiproliferative, chemosensitizing, antiangiogenic, and immunomodulatory effects. Despite growing interest in organic alternatives, no biodegradable or bioabsorbable nanoparticles with clinically approved components have yet been developed with piezoelectric properties for cell stimulation, limiting the translational potential of this approach. Here, chitosan nanoparticles (ChNPs) have been engineered to exhibit intrinsic piezoelectric properties, enabling US‐mediated activation. Their structural, mechanical, and piezoelectric characteristics have been investigated using advanced physicochemical and electromechanical techniques. Biological evaluation of US‐driven ChNPs‐assisted piezostimulation has been tested on patient‐derived glioblastoma cells. When stimulated with US, ChNPs demonstrate not only excellent antiproliferative activity, but also proapoptotic efficacy, even in the absence of any chemotherapeutic agent. This drug‐free anticancer stimulation approach is attributed to reactive oxygen species generation triggered by the ChNP piezocatalytic properties. The antitumor activity is further validated in more complex ex ovo models. The combination of piezoelectric responsiveness, biodegradability, and preclinical feasibility highlights the potential of ChNPs as a safe, noninvasive therapeutic platform for next‐generation cancer treatments.
Enhanced Photoluminescence in a Neuromorphic 2D Memitter Based on WS2 via Plasmonic Nanoparticle Self-Assembly Federico Ferrarese Lupi, Gianluca Milano, Angelo Angelini, Mateo Rosero-Realpe, Irdi Murataj, et al. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 2025 All-optical neuromorphic devices based on adaptive two-dimensional (2D) materials have the potential for mimicking the complex processing and memory capabilities of biological synapses. Recent research demonstrated synaptic plasticity and visual memory in WS2 monolayer-based 2D memitters (i.e., an emitter with memory). However, improving their optical performances is crucial for extending their scalability. Since the neuromorphic functionalities of 2D memitters relies on O2 and H2O desorption/absorption on WS2, a careful balance between photoluminescence intensity and surface preservation is critical. Here, we investigate the enhancement of time-dependent photoluminescence response, achieved through coupling WS2 flakes with plasmonic nanoparticles obtained by liquid phase infiltration of gold in self-assembled block copolymer micelles. The localized surface plasmon resonance of gold nanoparticles amplifies the electric field and improves light-matter interactions. This method enhances the 2D memitter optical properties while preserving its adaptive photoluminescence response, thus enabling neuromorphic behavior under optical stimuli.
AFM interlaboratory comparison for nanodimensional metrology on silicon nanowires Luigi Ribotta, Alexandra Delvallée, Eleonora Cara, Roberto Bellotti, Andrea Giura, et al. Measurement Science and Technology, 2024 Silicon nanowires (NWs) with a cylindrical form are fabricated by means of nanosphere lithography and metal-assisted chemical etching to obtain high aspect ratio nanostructures (diameter of about 100 nm and length of more than 15 µm) on an approximately 1 cm2 area. The nanodimensional characterization of individual NWs is performed by using several techniques, because dimensions at the nanoscale strictly relate to functional performance. In this study, we report the results of an interlaboratory comparison between measurements from a metrological atomic force microscope (AFM) and research AFMs located in different national metrology institutes (NMIs) across Europe and in a university. The purpose of this study is to characterize two measurands: (i) sidewall roughness ( R a , R q , R z , R sk , R ku parameters) extracted from the top profile measured along the nanowire length, and (ii) diameter of the nanowires measured as top-height. To this goal, the nanowires are spread horizontally on a silicon substrate, which has several areas labelled with a pattern of crosses and letters facilitating the measurement of the same NW, in order to study the reproducibility due to different instruments. Measurements show a good agreement between the different NMIs, with a combined standard uncertainty of top-height diameter less than 3%, and with a combined standard uncertainty of roughness parameters well within 5% for R a and R q values.
Stabilizing Layered BiOBr Photoelectrocatalyst by Van Der Waals Heterojunction Strategy Mengjiao Wang, Silvio Osella, Bruno Torre, Matteo Crisci, Fabian Schmitz, et al. Chemcatchem, 2024 The photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) holds immense promise as a clean and sustainable method for hydrogen production. However, finding a suitable catalyst which is efficient, stable and scalable still remains an open challenge. BiOBr is a 2D layered material studied as photoelectrocatalyst because of its suitable band gap for light absorption and potential for up‐scalable production. However, its application in HER is not commonly reported, because of instability in a cathodic PEC environment, driven by a strong tendency to reduction to metallic bismuth. To solve this problem, 2D MoS2 is used to induce the formation of a van der Waals (vdW) layered heterojunction (HJ) to stabilize the lattice of BiOBr during HER. By performing PEC HER with the HJs containing different ratios of MoS2, it is found that the HJ with 1 % MoS2 can increase the stability of BiOBr, while the one with 50 % MoS2 can even accelerate the reduction of BiOBr to metallic bismuth. DFT calculations reveal that the interface between BiOBr and MoS2 in the HJ with 1 % MoS2 tends to push active electrons on the sulfur atoms, thus favoring HER. On the other hand, in the 50 % HJ, active electrons are prone to react with BiOBr to induce reduction. In situ wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) on the MoS2/BiOBr HJs with 1 % and 50 % of MoS2 allows to track the phase change and the phase transfer speed of BiOBr during PEC HER. Interestingly, when the HJ is illuminated with UV light, a lower amount of BiOBr is reduced to Bi under negative potential, due to the presence of photogenerated holes reacting with the extra electrons derived from the negative bias and preventing the BiOBr photon absorber to be further reduced.
Synaptic Plasticity and Visual Memory in a Neuromorphic 2D Memitter Based on WS2 Monolayers Federico Ferrarese Lupi, Gianluca Milano, Angelo Angelini, Mateo Rosero‐Realpe, Bruno Torre, et al. Advanced Functional Materials, 2024 Neuromorphic computing aims to leverage physical phenomena of adaptive materials for emulating information processing capabilities and effectiveness of biological neuronal circuits. In this framework, memristors (resistors with memory) based on 2D materials are demonstrated for the hardware implementation of highly integrated artificial neural networks. All the works reported thus far exploited electrical properties of 2D materials to emulate neuromorphic functionalities. Here, a 2D memitter (emitter with memory) is reported on that exploits the stimuli‐responsive photoluminescence of a monolayer WS2 for neuromorphic‐type of data processing. A combined experimental and modeling approach reveals that photoluminescent dynamics triggered by optical stimulation emulates Short‐Term synaptic Plasticity and Visual Short‐Term Memory typical of biological systems. While spatio‐temporal processing capabilities of input signals can be used for information processing in the context of reservoir computing, the capability of the 2D memitter of sensing, processing, and memorizing‐forgetting optical inputs in the same physical substrate can be utilized for in‐sensor computing.
Self-sieving DNA over superhydrophobic surfaces: A Raman spectroscopy study Monica Marini, Bruno Torre, Marco Allione, Tania Limongi, Francesca Legittimo, et al. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 2022 The Raman spectra of DNA fibers were studied before and after suspension over superhydrophobic surface (SHS). At the end of the dehydration process of a droplet of nucleic acids solution over SHS, two structural areas appear: (i) a thicker droplet residual spot and (ii) a thinner free‐standing, self‐oriented DNA extended fibers region. For specimens deposited on reference samples (CaF2 slides), buffer contribution overrides the total Raman spectrum, while for free‐standing λDNA, biological signature comes out readily with no interference. Our spectroscopy results confirm that a mechanical sieving effect occurs spontaneously during λDNA suspension process over superhydrophobic devices. Tailored designed devices and sample preparation separate small non‐interacted molecules from the bundles and remove, concentrating, the non‐suspended material in a defined area of the SHS. At the end of the process, helices retain only the ions that effectively have interacted with the DNA strand in solution, while all the other compounds were sieved away from the areas of interest. The self‐sieving effect herein shown will provide a step forward for biomaterials studies as it allows the characterization of dilutions otherwise not detectable. The samples, autonomously purified, retain the effective interaction with environmental stresses free from any other misleading contribution allowing for characterization in optimal condition.
Direct Visualization and Identification of Membrane Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels from Human iPSC-Derived Neurons by Multiple Imaging and Light Enhanced Spectroscopy Manola Moretti, Tania Limongi, Claudia Testi, Edoardo Milanetti, Maria Teresa De Angelis, et al. Small Methods, 2022 In this study, transmission electron microscopy atomic force microscopy, and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy are combined through a direct imaging approach, to gather structural and chemical information of complex molecular systems such as ion channels in their original plasma membrane. Customized microfabricated sample holder allows to characterize Nav channels embedded in the original plasma membrane extracted from neuronal cells that are derived from healthy human induced pluripotent stem cells. The identification of the channels is accomplished by using two different approaches, one of them widely used in cryo‐EM (the particle analysis method) and the other based on a novel Zernike Polynomial expansion of the images bitmap. This approach allows to carry out a whole series of investigations, one complementary to the other, on the same sample, preserving its state as close as possible to the original membrane configuration.
Hot Electron Nanoscopy and Spectroscopy (HENs) Andrea Giugni, Bruno Torre, Marco Allione, Gerardo Perozziello, Patrizio Candeloro, et al. Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy Applications in Nanomaterials, 2017
Directed assembly of magnetic nanoparticles in polymers: The formation of anisotropic plastic films containing aligned nanowires Nanotechnology 2010 Advanced Materials Cnts Particles Films and Composites Technical Proceedings of the 2010 Nsti Nanotechnology Conference and Expo Nsti Nanotech 2010, 2010
Si wafers unpredictable inhomogeneities and their crucial role in porous Si fabrication G Mula, MN Akhtar, FA Pisu, G Leonetti, B Torre, L Boarino, E Cara Scientific Reports , 2026 2026
Understanding crystal surface anisotropy of organic materials via molecular modelling and facet-specific experimental characterization E Prandini, B Torre, E Bosurgi, AGP Maloney, C Stani, G Birarda, ... Applied Surface Science Advances 32, 100939 , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
Ultrasound‐Activated Biodegradable Piezoelectric Chitosan Nanoparticles for Glioblastoma Treatment A Marino, T Curiale, MC Lefevre, A Carmignani, MC Ceccarelli, ... Small Science 6 (1), e202500457 , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
Effects of drugs covalent binding on DNA: joint use of microRaman spectroscopy and HRTEM imaging M Marini, B Torre, E Bosurgi, M Allione, CF Pirri, E di Fabrizio Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 343, 126606 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Enhanced Photoluminescence in a Neuromorphic 2D Memitter Based on WS 2 via Plasmonic Nanoparticle Self-Assembly F Ferrarese Lupi, G Milano, A Angelini, M Rosero-Realpe, I Murataj, ... ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 17 (24), 35695-35704 , 2025 2025 Citations: 6
Intramolecular Dna Structural Studies-Instruct M Marini, B Torre, E Bosurgi, L Boarino, N De Leo, CF Pirri, E Di Fabrizio EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL 54, S243-S244 , 2025 2025
Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy M Marini, B Torre, E Bosurgi, M Allione, CF Pirri, E di Fabrizio Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 343 … , 2025 2025
AFM interlaboratory comparison for nanodimensional metrology on silicon nanowires L Ribotta, A Delvallée, E Cara, R Bellotti, A Giura, ID Carlo, M Fretto, ... Measurement Science and Technology 35 (10), 105014 , 2024 2024 Citations: 4
Cover Feature: Stabilizing Layered BiOBr Photoelectrocatalyst by Van Der Waals Heterojunction Strategy (ChemCatChem 16/2024) M Wang, S Osella, B Torre, M Crisci, F Schmitz, R Altieri, E Di Fabrizio, ... ChemCatChem 16 (16), e202481602 , 2024 2024
Stabilizing Layered BiOBr Photoelectrocatalyst by Van Der Waals Heterojunction Strategy M Wang, S Osella, B Torre, M Crisci, F Schmitz, R Altieri, E Di Fabrizio, ... ChemCatChem 16 (16), e202400282 , 2024 2024 Citations: 4
Synaptic Plasticity and Visual Memory in a Neuromorphic 2D Memitter Based on WS 2 Monolayers F Ferrarese Lupi, G Milano, A Angelini, M Rosero‐Realpe, B Torre, ... Advanced Functional Materials 34 (32), 2403158 , 2024 2024 Citations: 24
Synaptic Plasticity and Visual Memory in a Neuromorphic 2D Memitter Based on WS FF Lupi, G Milano, A Angelini, M Rosero-Realpe, B Torre, E Kozma, ... 2024
Silicon nanowires: fabrication and quantitative dimensional characterisation by AFM L Ribotta, A Delvallée, E Cara, R Bellotti, A Giura, I De Carlo, M Fretto, ... NanoInnovation 2024 , 2024 2024
Reticular chemistry for the rational design of mechanically robust mesoporous merged-net metal-organic frameworks H Jiang, SM Moosavi, J Czaban-Jóźwiak, B Torre, A Shkurenko, ... Matter 6 (1), 285-295 , 2023 2023 Citations: 40
Nanodimensional characterization on nanowires: an interlaboratory comparison between AFMs L Ribotta, E Cara, R Bellotti, I De Carlo, M Fretto, A Delvallée, W Knulst, ... NanoScale 2023 , 2023 2023
Featured Cover. S Maity, H Hiramatsu Journal of Raman Spectroscopy 53 (11) , 2022 2022
Self‐sieving DNA over superhydrophobic surfaces: A Raman spectroscopy study M Marini, B Torre, M Allione, T Limongi, F Legittimo, A Giugni, C Ricciardi, ... Journal of Raman Spectroscopy 53 (8), 1352-1360 , 2022 2022 Citations: 5
Direct Visualization and Identification of Membrane Voltage‐Gated Sodium Channels from Human iPSC‐Derived Neurons by Multiple Imaging and Light Enhanced Spectroscopy (Small … M Moretti, T Limongi, C Testi, E Milanetti, MT De Angelis, EI Parrotta, ... Small Methods 6 (7), 2270040 , 2022 2022
Direct Visualization and Identification of Membrane Voltage‐Gated Sodium Channels from Human iPSC‐Derived Neurons by Multiple Imaging and Light Enhanced Spectroscopy M Moretti, T Limongi, C Testi, E Milanetti, MT De Angelis, EI Parrotta, ... Small Methods 6 (7), 2200402 , 2022 2022 Citations: 4
Microfluidics for 3D cell and tissue cultures: microfabricative and ethical aspects updates T Limongi, F Guzzi, E Parrotta, P Candeloro, S Scalise, V Lucchino, ... Cells 11 (10), 1699 , 2022 2022 Citations: 24
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Hot-electron nanoscopy using adiabatic compression of surface plasmons A Giugni, B Torre, A Toma, M Francardi, M Malerba, A Alabastri, ... Nature nanotechnology 8 (11), 845-852 , 2013 2013 Citations: 317
Influence of water on the performance of organic electrochemical transistors A Savva, C Cendra, A Giugni, B Torre, J Surgailis, D Ohayon, ... Chemistry of Materials 31 (3), 927-937 , 2019 2019 Citations: 250
The role of surface tension in the crystallization of metal halide perovskites AA Zhumekenov, VM Burlakov, MI Saidaminov, A Alofi, MA Haque, ... ACS Energy Letters 2 (8), 1782-1788 , 2017 2017 Citations: 236
Lipid-based nanovesicular drug delivery systems T Limongi, F Susa, M Marini, M Allione, B Torre, R Pisano, E Di Fabrizio Nanomaterials 11 (12), 3391 , 2021 2021 Citations: 91
Simple and effective graphene laser processing for neuron patterning application M Lorenzoni, F Brandi, S Dante, A Giugni, B Torre Scientific reports 3 (1), 1954 , 2013 2013 Citations: 86
Confinement in oriented mesopores induces piezoelectric behavior of polymeric nanowires V Cauda, B Torre, A Falqui, G Canavese, S Stassi, T Bein, M Pizzi Chemistry of Materials 24 (21), 4215-4221 , 2012 2012 Citations: 79
The structure of DNA by direct imaging M Marini, A Falqui, M Moretti, T Limongi, M Allione, A Genovese, ... Science advances 1 (7), e1500734 , 2015 2015 Citations: 67
Magnetic force microscopy and energy loss imaging of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles B Torre, G Bertoni, D Fragouli, A Falqui, M Salerno, A Diaspro, ... Scientific Reports 1 (1), 202 , 2011 2011 Citations: 67
Lateral‐polarity structure of AlGaN quantum wells: a promising approach to enhancing the ultraviolet luminescence W Guo, H Sun, B Torre, J Li, M Sheikhi, J Jiang, H Li, S Guo, KH Li, R Lin, ... Advanced Functional Materials 28 (32), 1802395 , 2018 2018 Citations: 65
Recognizing and avoiding artifacts in atomic force microscopy imaging C Canale, B Torre, D Ricci, PC Braga Atomic Force Microscopy in Biomedical Research: Methods and Protocols, 31-43 , 2011 2011 Citations: 57
Structural Depinning of Ne Monolayers on Pb at L Bruschi, G Fois, A Pontarollo, G Mistura, B Torre, F Buatier de Mongeot, ... Physical review letters 96 (21), 216101 , 2006 2006 Citations: 53
DNA–Carbon nanotube binding mode determines the efficiency of carbon nanotube-mediated DNA delivery to intact plants Z Ali, MF Serag, GS Demirer, B Torre, E Di Fabrizio, MP Landry, ... ACS Applied Nano Materials 5 (4), 4663-4676 , 2022 2022 Citations: 50
Microfluidic device for continuous single cells analysis via Raman spectroscopy enhanced by integrated plasmonic nanodimers G Perozziello, P Candeloro, A De Grazia, F Esposito, M Allione, ... Optics Express 24 (2), A180-A190 , 2015 2015 Citations: 48
Tactile multisensing on flexible aluminum nitride S Petroni, F Guido, B Torre, A Falqui, MT Todaro, R Cingolani, ... Analyst 137 (22), 5260-5264 , 2012 2012 Citations: 48
Photolithography and micromolding techniques for the realization of 3D polycaprolactone scaffolds for tissue engineering applications T Limongi, R Schipani, A Di Vito, A Giugni, M Francardi, B Torre, M Allione, ... Microelectronic Engineering 141, 135-139 , 2015 2015 Citations: 42
Reticular chemistry for the rational design of mechanically robust mesoporous merged-net metal-organic frameworks H Jiang, SM Moosavi, J Czaban-Jóźwiak, B Torre, A Shkurenko, ... Matter 6 (1), 285-295 , 2023 2023 Citations: 40
Nanochains formation of superparamagnetic nanoparticles G Bertoni, B Torre, A Falqui, D Fragouli, A Athanassiou, R Cingolani The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 115 (15), 7249-7254 , 2011 2011 Citations: 40
Scanning probe oxidation of SiC, fabrication possibilities and kinetics considerations M Lorenzoni, B Torre Applied Physics Letters 103 (16) , 2013 2013 Citations: 38
Nanoscale reduction of graphene oxide thin films and its characterization M Lorenzoni, A Giugni, E Di Fabrizio, F Pérez-Murano, A Mescola, B Torre Nanotechnology 26 (28), 285301 , 2015 2015 Citations: 34
Adiabatic nanofocusing: spectroscopy, transport and imaging investigation of the nano world A Giugni, M Allione, B Torre, G Das, M Francardi, M Moretti, M Malerba, ... Journal of Optics 16 (11), 114003 , 2014 2014 Citations: 31
