Semiconductor and metal nanocrystals (NCs) are widely recognized as key players for the next generation of photonics and optoelectronics, due to their superior optical and electronic properties, solution processability and facile integration in devices. However, to reach down-to-earth commercial applications, fundamental aspects concerning their chemistry, photo-physics and role in optoelectronic platforms still need to be addressed.
#NCAdv27 aims to foster multidisciplinary discussions on the latest advances and challenges related to visible and infrared colloidal chalcogenide, III-V and halide perovskite nanomaterials. The symposium will gather for the third time the nanoscience community to exchange ideas and showcase discussion on synthetic strategies, surface chemistry, photo-physics and novel approaches to photonics and optoelectronics from an experimental and computational perspective.
- Chemistry and structural characterization of NCs: synthesis, surface chemistry and ligand engineering, structural and compositional analysis, doping strategies.
- Optical and electronic properties of NCs: band structure, charge-carrier and spin dynamics, charge transport.
- Application of NCs in photonics and optoelectronics: quantum and classical emission, photodetection, lasing, photocatalysis, photovoltaics, scintillators, operational and environmental stability.
Hossein earned his PhD in Electronic Engineering, specializing in nanocrystal-based infrared optoelectronic devices. He later joined the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) as a postdoctoral researcher, where he worked for three years. He continued his research in IIT’s Nanochemistry group as a Technologist (staff researcher). In 2025, he was awarded the Young Investigator Group Preparation Program by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany), and more recently, he received a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of St Andrews (UK).
His research focuses on the development of advanced quantum materials for optoelectronic applications, with particular emphasis on infrared light-emitting devices, and photodetectors.
Matteo Zaffalon is a Postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Materials Science of the University of Milano-Bicocca (IT), where he earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Nanotechnology in 2022. In 2020 he collaborated with the Nanotechnology & Advanced Spectroscopy group at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (NM, USA) working on the spectroscopic investigation of solution grown functional nanostructures for application in photonic and optoelectronic devices. His research is now focused on the spectroscopic investigation and development of novel nanomaterials for the ultrafast detection and conversion of ionising radiation for energy and medical imaging applications.