Anna Prioriello

EDUCATION

-University of Rome Tor Vergata: Rome, Lazio, IT
2015-11 to 2018-10-26 | Master Degree (Physics Department)
-University of Rome Tor Vergata: Rome, Lazio, IT
2011-10 to 2015-10-26 | Bachelor's degree (Physics Department)

RESEARCH INTERESTS

My research field is focused on the realization and characterization of new and innovative composite materials, based on polymeric substrates and carbon nanotubes. We have already made a composite surface material, composed of polyethylene and single-walled carbon nanotubes, to build flexible and stretchable devices for chronic brain implants. In particular, these electrodes were implanted, for a period ranging up to 3 months, with the aim of recording the signals of the spike and wave disharges in rats suffering from epileptic absences. These devices can also be actively used, therefore suitable selected zones can be stimulated.

Scopus Publications

Multi-technique characterizations of single-event burnout (SEB) in silicon carbide (SiC) power MOSFETs
Francesco Pintacuda, Fabio Principato, Carlo Cazzaniga, Laura Fazi, Christopher Frost, Maria Kastriotou, Silvia Licoccia, Tiziana Marino, Triestino Minniti, Virginia Pietrosanti, Anna Prioriello, Giovanni Romanelli, Chiara Santillo, Carla Andreani
European Physical Journal Plus, 2026
This study presents a comprehensive investigation of single-event burnout (SEB) in silicon carbide (SiC) power MOSFET employing multilevel advanced techniques. Firstly, the SEB was created by atmospheric neutron irradiation using the ChipIr beamline at ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Facility; to follow, the SEB was analyzed using the medium-range facilities X-Ray computed tomography (XCT), profilometry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), instrumentation suite of the ISIS@MACH ITALIA Facility (IM@IT). The use of complementary techniques—electrons, light, and neutron probes—provides new results that improve the knowledge of the SEB failure mechanism of SiC power MOSFET. By combining the results from such complementary techniques, this study allows to fully characterize the neutron-induced SEB, the 2D–3D morphology of the samples, and to evaluate the impact on the device. Neutron irradiation leads to a failure mechanism caused by the rapid heating that reaches the sublimation temperature of SiC leading to the displacement of the polyimide passivation layer, due to expansion stress, yielding consistent results of SEB maximum dimensions of $$30 \\times 30 \\times 12\\,{\\upmu } \\text {m}$$ 30 × 30 × 12 μ m and volume of about $$9600\\,{\\upmu }\\text {m}^{\\text {3}}$$ 9600 μ m 3 . These studies provide a 2D and 3D characterization of the SiC power MOSFET devices while reinforcing the need for radiation hardening strategies tailored to SiC-based power electronics for high-reliability applications such as automotive, aerospace, and nuclear energy.
Use of CR-39 Dosimeters for the Imaging of Neutron Beam Profiles in the 100 keV–10 MeV Energy Range
Margherita Simoni, Leonardo Baldassarre, Carlo Cazzaniga, Laura Fazi, Mattia Gaboardi, Leandro Gemmiti, Maria Kastriotou, Matthew Krzystyniak, Anna Marsicano, Marco Martellucci, Triestino Minniti, Anna Prioriello, Roberto Senesi, Valentin Suteica, Giovanni Romanelli
Sensors, 2025
We provide a beam shape characterization of the VESUVIO spectrometer, at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, employing CR-39 solid-state nuclear track detectors and combining techniques including optical and electron microscopy, as well as Monte Carlo transport simulations. In particular, we show, through comparison with irradiation with 14 MeV neutrons at the NILE Facility at ISIS, that the majority of defects on the etched surface of the dosimeters irradiated on VESUVIO were induced by neutrons with energies between 100 keV and 10 MeV. Our results were compared to previous characterizations of the VESUVIO beam shape performed in either the thermal or fast energy ranges, and we conclude that the VESUVIO beam has a constant shape from thermal-neutron energies up to 10 MeV, composed of an umbra (intensity above 90% of the maximum) with radius 1.1 cm, and surrounded by a penumbra (intensity above 1% of the maximum) that extends up to 2.5 cm.
Single wall carbon nanotubes - polymer composite materials and their biomedical applications
A. Prioriello, L. Fazi, G. Romanelli, P. Morales, C. Andreani, et al.
Nuovo Cimento Della Societa Italiana Di Fisica C, 2025
This work aims at illustrating a new composite material (CM) useful in biomedical field. In particular, the composite obtained through the self-grafting of a Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNT) aqueous dispersion onto the poly-dymethyl-siloxane (PDMS) film surfaces is investigated. Both electrical and mechanical properties of this CM have been analyzed, a new investigation has been carried out to confirm the stability of SWCNT grafting and the prototype of an artificial bladder has been realized. This study proves a good reliability of the CM due to about 100 μm of SWCNT penetration depth into the polymer surface and consequently its excellent electro-mechanical properties.
Nanocarbon and medicine: polymer/carbon nanotube composites for medical devices
Anna Prioriello, Laura Fazi, Pietro Morales, Leonardo Duranti, Davide Della Morte, Francesca Pacifici, Manfredi Tesauro, Michelina Soccio, Nadia Lotti, Laura Capozzoli, Giovanni Romanelli, Luca Tortora, Silvia Licoccia
Emergent Materials, 2024
In view of wide-ranging application to the biomedical field, this work investigates the mechanical and electrical properties of a composite made of Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNT) bundles self-grafted onto a poly-dimethyl-siloxane (PDMS) elastomer, particularly Sylgard 184, that has well assessed biocompatible properties and is commonly used in prosthetics. Due to the potential risks associated with the use of carbon nanostructures in implanted devices, we also assess the viability of cells directly grown on such composite substrates. Furthermore, as the stability of conductive, stretchable devices made of such composite is also crucial to their use in the medical field, we investigate, by different experimental techniques, the grafting of SWCNT bundles deep into PDMS films. Our findings prove that penetration of SWCNT bundles into the polymer bulk depends on heating time and carbon nanotubes can be seen beyond 150 μm from the surface. This is confirmed by direct electron microscopy observation of large bundles as deep as about 20 μm. The composites exhibit reliable mechanical and electrical responses that are more suitable to large and repeated deformation of the polymer with respect to thermoplastic based composites, suggesting a wide potential for their application to stretchable biomedical devices. Aiming at the proposed application of artificial bladders, a bladder prototype made of poly-dimethyl siloxane endowed with a printed SWCNT-based strain sensor was developed.
Thermal cross section of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogels for neutron dose calculation
Margherita Simoni, Carla Andreani, Laura Fazi, Emiliano Fratini, Teresa Guaragnone, Matthew Krzystyniak, Anna Prioriello, Roberto Senesi, Giovanni Romanelli
European Physical Journal Plus, 2024
Phantom materials are used to design radiation safety and protection strategies by means of numerical dose calculation. In the case of thermal neutrons, the radiation transport in the phantom relies on mass attenuation coefficients and total cross sections which are dependent on the physical and chemical properties of the material. Specifically for medical applications, such as neutron capture therapy, the neutron-induced dose is mainly related to the neutron absorption by hydrogen and nitrogen in the human tissue and body. Here, we investigate the use of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) as a phantom material by experimental measurement and modeling of its total neutron scattering cross section and mass attenuation coefficient. We show that by varying the hydration level from 10 to 40 w%, one can obtain a neutron attenuation coefficient similar to polymethyl methacrylate or more representative of the human body, respectively. By benchmarking our phenomenological model on the experimental data, we provide a new example of how to use the average functional group approximation to accurately model total neutron cross sections in the framework of personalized medicine approaches.
Structured Catalyst for Indirect Internal Reforming (IIR) of Biogas in Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC)
Anna Prioriello, Leonardo Duranti, Igor Luisetto, Frederick Sanna, Claudio Larosa, Maria Luisa Grilli, Elisabetta Di Bartolomeo
Catalysts, 2023
The aim of this work is the development of a structured catalyst for the dry reforming of biogas to be used as a pre–reformer in the indirect internal reforming configuration (IIR) of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The structured catalyst is based on NiCrAl foams coated with ruthenium (nominal loading 3.0 wt%) supported on a CaZr0.85Sm0.15O3−δ (CZS) perovskite oxide. The powder is produced by solution combustion synthesis and deposited on metallic foams by the wash–coating method. Catalytic tests for the dry reforming of methane (DRM) reaction are carried out at 850 °C, 700 °C and 550 °C for an overall 50 h with CH4/CO2 = 1 and p = 1.3 bar at different gas hourly space velocities (GHSVs). The final goal is a proof–of–concept: a laboratory validation of an IIR–SOFC fed by biogas. The carbon amount on spent structured catalysts is evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis and microstructural/compositional investigation.
Characterization of Conductive Carbon Nanotubes/Polymer Composites for Stretchable Sensors and Transducers
Laura Fazi, Carla Andreani, Cadia D’Ottavi, Leonardo Duranti, Pietro Morales, Enrico Preziosi, Anna Prioriello, Giovanni Romanelli, Valerio Scacco, Roberto Senesi, Silvia Licoccia
Molecules, 2023
The increasing interest in stretchable conductive composite materials, that can be versatile and suitable for wide-ranging application, has sparked a growing demand for studies of scalable fabrication techniques and specifically tailored geometries. Thanks to the combination of the conductivity and robustness of carbon nanotube (CNT) materials with the viscoelastic properties of polymer films, in particular their stretchability, “surface composites” made of a CNT on polymeric films are a promising way to obtain a low-cost, conductive, elastic, moldable, and patternable material. The use of polymers selected for specific applications, however, requires targeted studies to deeply understand the interface interactions between a CNT and the surface of such polymer films, and in particular the stability and durability of a CNT grafting onto the polymer itself. Here, we present an investigation of the interface properties for a selected group of polymer film substrates with different viscoelastic properties by means of a series of different and complementary experimental techniques. Specifically, we studied the interaction of a single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) deposited on two couples of different polymeric substrates, each one chosen as representative of thermoplastic polymers (i.e., low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polypropylene (PP)) and thermosetting elastomers (i.e., polyisoprene (PI) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)), respectively. Our results demonstrate that the characteristics of the interface significantly differ for the two classes of polymers with a deeper penetration (up to about 100 μm) into the polymer bulk for the thermosetting substrates. Consequently, the resistance per unit length varies in different ranges, from 1–10 kΩ/cm for typical thermoplastic composite devices (30 μm thick and 2 mm wide) to 0.5–3 MΩ/cm for typical thermosetting elastomer devices (150 μm thick and 2 mm wide). For these reasons, the composites show the different mechanical and electrical responses, therefore suggesting different areas of application of the devices based on such materials.
Fabrication and characterization of thin piezoelectric β-poly(vinylidene fluoride) films
Scacco, V, Andreani, C, Fazi, L, Licoccia, S, Morales, P, et al.
Nuovo Cimento Della Societa Italiana Di Fisica C, 2023
The polymer polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) has four phases, each characterized by different molecular configurations of the polymer chains. In its beta phase it arranges in an all-trans configuration with dipolar symmetry, exhibiting piezoelectric effects. During the production of thin PVDF films by spin-coating, the polymer chains are not aligned and the dipoles are not oriented. To achieve the desired piezoelectric behavior, it is necessary to optimize both the chain alignment and the dipole orientation processes. We here present an easy procedure to maximize the percentage of the beta phase in the polymer production. The efficiency and reliability of such method has been assessed through Fourier-Transform Infra-Red and Raman spectroscopies, while the morphological differences of the two phases have been analyzed through Scanning Electron Microscopy. The results confirm the efficiency of this method.
Evaluation of the imaging performance of the TECNOMUSE muon tomograph and its feasibility in a real scenario
Alessandro Cianchi, Carla Andreani, Paolo Camarri, Laura Fazi, Claudio Fornaro, Enrico Preziosi, Anna Prioriello, Rinaldo Santonico, Valerio Scacco, Claudia Scatigno, Roberto Senesi, Piergiorgio Picozza
European Physical Journal Plus, 2021
Muon tomography is a very promising imaging technique for the control of cargo containers. It takes advantage of cosmic muons and their interaction mechanisms to reconstruct images of the volume traversed by these particles. In the present work, the imaging performance of a novel muon tomography scanner based on resistive plate chambers detectors is investigated. By means of several Monte Carlo simulations, some imaging parameters are evaluated. The results in terms of spatial resolution, field-of-view and volume and material recognition make the presented scanner and its geometry suitable for muon tomography.
Chronic neural interfacing with cerebral cortex using single-walled carbon nanotube-polymer grids
Luigi Pavone, Slavianka Moyanova, Federica Mastroiacovo, Laura Fazi, Carla Busceti, Anderson Gaglione, Katiuscia Martinello, Sergio Fucile, Domenico Bucci, Anna Prioriello, Ferdinando Nicoletti, Francesco Fornai, Piero Morales, Roberto Senesi
Journal of Neural Engineering, 2020
OBJECTIVE The development of electrode arrays able to reliably record brain electrical activity is a critical issue in brain machine interface (BMI) technology. In the present study we undertook a comprehensive physico-chemical, physiological, histological and immunohistochemical characterization of new single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT)-based electrode arrays grafted onto medium-density polyethylene (MD-PE) films. APPROACH The long-term electrical stability, flexibility, and biocompatibility of the SWCNT arrays were investigated in vivo in laboratory rats by two-months recording and analysis of subdural electrocorticogram (ECoG). Ex-vivo characterization of a thin flexible and single probe SWCNT/polymer electrode is also provided. MAIN RESULTS The SWCNT arrays were able to capture high quality and very stable ECoG signals across 8 weeks. The histological and immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated that SWCNT arrays show promising biocompatibility properties and may be used in chronic conditions. The SWCNT-based arrays are flexible and stretchable, providing low electrode-tissue impedance, and, therefore, high compliance with the irregular topography of the cortical surface. Finally, reliable evoked synaptic local field potentials in rat brain slices were recorded using a special SWCNT-polymer-based flexible electrode. SIGNIFICANCE The results demonstrate that the SWCNT arrays grafted in MD-PE are suitable for manufacturing flexible devices for subdural ECoG recording and might represent promising candidates for long-term neural implants for epilepsy monitoring or neuroprosthetic BMI.
Stretchable conductors made of single wall carbon nanotubes self-grafted on polymer films
L Fazi, A Prioriello, V Scacco, W Ciccognani, E Serra, D Mirabile Gattia, P Morales, E Limiti, R Senesi
Journal of Physics Conference Series, 2020

Publications

_Chronic neural interfacing with cerebral cortex using single-walled carbon nanotube-polymer grids
Journal of Neural Engineering 2020-07-03 | journal-article DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ab98dbPart of ISSN: 1741-2552
-Carbon Nanotube-Based Stretchable Hybrid Material Film for Electronic Devices and Applications
Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 2020-07-01 | journal-article DOI: 10.1166/ of ISSN: 1533-4880
-Stretchable conductors made of single wall carbon nanotubes self-grafted on polymer films
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2020-05 | journal-article DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/1548/1/012023Part of ISSN: 1742-6588Part of ISSN: 1742-6596