Program

Two-dimensional Covalent Organic Frameworks (2D COFs) have gained significant attention as an emerging class of crystalline porous materials with tunable structures, exceptional stability, and diverse functionalities. Their well-defined molecular architecture, high surface area, and chemical versatility make them promising candidates for a wide range of applications, particularly in energy storage. Additionally, the integration of COFs with other functional materials to form hybrid structures unlocks new properties, expanding their potential beyond pristine frameworks. In this talk, I will delve into the fundamental aspects that govern the design and synthesis of 2D COFs and their hybrids, emphasizing key strategies to enhance crystallinity, tailor porosity, and introduce functional groups that modulate electronic and electrochemical behavior. A comprehensive discussion on characterization techniques across multiple length scales will be provided, including spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and advanced scattering methods, to reveal insights into structural ordering, charge transport, and interfacial interactions. Building on this foundation, I will explore how these structural features translate into performance enhancements for energy storage applications. Particular emphasis will be placed on the role of 2D COFs and their hybrids in supercapacitors and batteries, highlighting recent advances in redox-active frameworks, charge storage mechanisms, and ion transport dynamics. By bridging fundamental principles with practical applications, this presentation will provide a holistic perspective on the potential of 2D COFs as next-generation materials for sustainable energy technologies.

Low-dimensional nanostructures exhibit a high surface-to-volume ratio which makes their physical and chemical properties highly sensitive to environmental changes. While such a unique sensitivity can be used for the realization of chemical sensors, the unspecific nature of the interactions with the environment drastically limits the selectivity in the sensing events. On the other hand, supramolecular (multi)functional materials are held together by reversible and highly specific interactions between suitably designed building blocks. The use of non-covalent interactions to build sophisticated supramolecular architectures makes it possible to transduce the modifications of their environment into precise modulation of their self-assembly behaviour. The changes of properties upon small environmental variations can be enhanced or amplified by integrating the assemblies into working devices.

Low-dimensional nanostructures chemically functionalized with supramolecular receptors of the analyte of interest can therefore be the key active components for the development of the next generation of sensors exhibiting detection limits down to sub-ppb level combined with fast response speed and unprecedented selectivity. Such a strategy can enable the future fabrication of ultrasensitive and ultraselective sensors for food safety, environmental and biohealth monitoring, as well as for chemical- and biodefense, thus providing a decisive contribution to the improvement of people’s quality of life.

In my lecture, I will review our recent endeavour on the tailoring of low-dimensional nanostructures chemically functionalized with the receptors of the target analytes and on the use of these hybrid assemblies to fabricate chemical sensors with an electrical or optical read out, which combine high sensitivity, selectivity, response time and reversibility. In particular, we will focus on chemically functionalized 0D (network of metallic nanoparticles), 1D (supramolecular fibers) and 2D (graphene and other layered materials) for humidity, heavy metal and polyaromatic sensing as well as for the generation of pressure sensors for the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases.

MXenes, a rapidly expanding family of two-dimensional transition metal carbides/nitrides, are emerging as high-performance electrodes for electrochemical energy storage. Yet, their instability against oxidation and structural restacking pose critical challenges to practical deployment. In this work, we present two complementary surface-engineering approaches that convert these drawbacks into opportunities. First, we show that the unavoidable washing step following molten-salt etching of Mo₂C can be harnessed as a controllable oxidation pathway. By tuning washing duration, Mo₂C/MoOₓ hybrids are formed in situ, combining conductive carbide backbones with redox-active oxide domains, thereby boosting pseudocapacitive charge storage. Second, we introduce a covalent functionalization route for Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene using a bifunctional silanol linker, 5,5′-bis(triisopropoxysilyl)-2,2′-bipyridine (BPS). Optimized in m-xylene, this strategy preserves conductivity while introducing molecular spacers that suppress restacking, enhance ion accessibility, and provide additional pseudocapacitive sites. Electrochemical studies confirm that both approaches substantially improve energy and power densities, while maintaining long-term stability. Together, these results highlight the versatility of surface chemistry as a design lever in MXenes, demonstrating how controlled oxidation and covalent functionalization can deliver scalable, durable, and high-performance electrode materials for next-generation energy storage devices.

Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) are an emerging class of crystalline porous polymers whose modular structures offer unique opportunities for energy storage applications. Their two-dimensional architectures can be rationally tuned to accommodate multivalent ions, addressing challenges of ion diffusion, charge storage, and structural stability. In our recent studies, we demonstrated that introducing heteroatoms into the framework enhances redox activity and ion affinity, while donor–acceptor monomer combinations improve the electronic conductivity of the framework and stabilize charge–discharge processes. In addition, template-directed synthesis can expand accessible surface areas to facilitate efficient ion transport. By integrating these strategies, 2D COFs are becoming a highly adaptable platform for developing next-generation energy storage devices capable of meeting the growing demands for multivalent ion batteries.