This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.

Prof. Roberto Scaffaro
Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze – Parco d’Orleans II, Ed. 6, 90128 Palermo, Italy

Basic Info


Research Keywords & Expertise

0 Physical Characterization
0 Chemical characterization
0 (bio)polymers and (bio)polymer processing
0 (bio)polymer nanocomposites
0 Carbon based nanoparticles

Fingerprints

(bio)polymer nanocomposites
Degradation and stabilization of (bio)polymers
Porous structures

Honors and Awards

The user has no records in this section


Career Timeline

The user has no records in this section.


Short Biography

The user biography is not available.
Following
Followers
Co Authors
The list of users this user is following is empty.
Following: 0 users

Feed

Review
Published: 29 June 2021 in Nanomaterials
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Interest in the development of graphene-based materials for advanced applications is growing, because of the unique features of such nanomaterials and, above all, of their outstanding versatility, which enables several functionalization pathways that lead to materials with extremely tunable properties and architectures. This review is focused on the careful examination of relationships between synthetic approaches currently used to derivatize graphene, main properties achieved, and target applications proposed. Use of functionalized graphene nanomaterials in six engineering areas (materials with enhanced mechanical and thermal performance, energy, sensors, biomedical, water treatment, and catalysis) was critically reviewed, pointing out the latest advances and potential challenges associated with the application of such materials, with a major focus on the effect that the physicochemical features imparted by functionalization routes exert on the achievement of ultimate properties capable of satisfying or even improving the current demand in each field. Finally, current limitations in terms of basic scientific knowledge and nanotechnology were highlighted, along with the potential future directions towards the full exploitation of such fascinating nanomaterials.

ACS Style

Andrea Maio; Ivana Pibiri; Marco Morreale; Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Roberto Scaffaro. An Overview of Functionalized Graphene Nanomaterials for Advanced Applications. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 1717 .

AMA Style

Andrea Maio, Ivana Pibiri, Marco Morreale, Francesco Paolo La Mantia, Roberto Scaffaro. An Overview of Functionalized Graphene Nanomaterials for Advanced Applications. Nanomaterials. 2021; 11 (7):1717.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Maio; Ivana Pibiri; Marco Morreale; Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Roberto Scaffaro. 2021. "An Overview of Functionalized Graphene Nanomaterials for Advanced Applications." Nanomaterials 11, no. 7: 1717.

Journal article
Published: 23 June 2021 in Composites Science and Technology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

In this work, we studied the degradability of PLA-based biocomposites containing Posidonia Oceanica flour at different loading levels and aspect ratios. Hydrolytic tests were carried out in neutral (pH = 7.4) and alkaline (pH = 10) environment. Time-dependent evolution of some key features, including residual mass and solution uptake, was monitored, and correlated with the changes observed in both morphology and chemical structure of the matrix. The results pointed out that biocomposites degraded much faster than neat PLA in both conditions, up to lose 70% of their initial weight after 1000 h immersion. A complex mechanism was unveiled, evidencing the crucial role of the fillers, capable of both imparting degradation to PLA during processing with enhancement of hydrophilicity and offering preferential gateways for solution penetration through filler-matrix interface by capillarity and swelling-aided polymer cracking. Based on data collected, we propose a new model allowing to predict the triggering and final extent of degradation pathways by considering starting morphological and chemical features of composites via the use of a novel yet simple indicator of chemical stability, which we called morphochemical parameter.

ACS Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Emmanuel F. Gulino. Hydrolytic degradation of PLA/Posidonia Oceanica green composites: a simple model based on starting morpho-chemical properties. Composites Science and Technology 2021, 213, 108930 .

AMA Style

Roberto Scaffaro, Andrea Maio, Emmanuel F. Gulino. Hydrolytic degradation of PLA/Posidonia Oceanica green composites: a simple model based on starting morpho-chemical properties. Composites Science and Technology. 2021; 213 ():108930.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Emmanuel F. Gulino. 2021. "Hydrolytic degradation of PLA/Posidonia Oceanica green composites: a simple model based on starting morpho-chemical properties." Composites Science and Technology 213, no. : 108930.

Journal article
Published: 22 June 2021 in Applied Sciences
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Hydrophobic treatment is one of the most important interventions usually carried out for the conservation of stone artefacts and monuments. The study here reported aims to answer a general question about how two polymers confer different protective performance. Two fluorinated-based polymer formulates applied on samples of Cusa’s stone confer a different level of water repellence and water vapour permeability. The observed protection action is here explained on the basis of chemico-physical interactions. The distribution of the polymer in the pore network was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microscopy. The interactions between the stone substrate and the protective agents were investigated by means of solid state NMR spectroscopy. The ss-NMR findings reveal no significant changes in the chemical neighbourhood of the observed nuclei of each protective agent when applied onto the stone surface and provide information on the changes in the organization and dynamics of the studied systems, as well as on the mobility of polymer chains. This allowed us to explain the different macroscopic behaviours provided by each protective agent to the stone substrate.

ACS Style

Veronica Ciaramitaro; Alberto Spinella; Francesco Armetta; Roberto Scaffaro; Emmanuel Gulino; George Kourousias; Alessandra Gianoncelli; Eugenio Caponetti; Maria Saladino. A New Methodological Approach to Correlate Protective and Microscopic Properties by Soft X-ray Microscopy and Solid State NMR Spectroscopy: The Case of Cusa’s Stone. Applied Sciences 2021, 11, 5767 .

AMA Style

Veronica Ciaramitaro, Alberto Spinella, Francesco Armetta, Roberto Scaffaro, Emmanuel Gulino, George Kourousias, Alessandra Gianoncelli, Eugenio Caponetti, Maria Saladino. A New Methodological Approach to Correlate Protective and Microscopic Properties by Soft X-ray Microscopy and Solid State NMR Spectroscopy: The Case of Cusa’s Stone. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11 (13):5767.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Veronica Ciaramitaro; Alberto Spinella; Francesco Armetta; Roberto Scaffaro; Emmanuel Gulino; George Kourousias; Alessandra Gianoncelli; Eugenio Caponetti; Maria Saladino. 2021. "A New Methodological Approach to Correlate Protective and Microscopic Properties by Soft X-ray Microscopy and Solid State NMR Spectroscopy: The Case of Cusa’s Stone." Applied Sciences 11, no. 13: 5767.

Journal article
Published: 21 April 2021 in Polymers
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Three dimensional-printability of green composites is recently growing in importance and interest, especially in the view of feasibility to valorize agricultural and marine waste to attain green fillers capable of reducing bioplastic costs, without compromising their processability and performance from an environmental and mechanical standpoint. In this work, two lignocellulosic fillers, obtained from Opuntia ficus indica and Posidonia oceanica, were added to PLA and processed by FDM. Among the 3D printed biocomposites investigated, slight differences could be found in terms of PLA molecular weight and filler aspect ratio. It was shown that it is possible to replace up to 20% of bioplastic with low cost and ecofriendly natural fillers, without significantly modifying the processability and the mechanical performance of the neat matrix; at the same time, an increase of surface hydrophilicity was found, with possible positive influence on the biodegradability of such materials after disposal.

ACS Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Emmanuel Gulino; Giuseppe Alaimo; Marco Morreale. Green Composites Based on PLA and Agricultural or Marine Waste Prepared by FDM. Polymers 2021, 13, 1361 .

AMA Style

Roberto Scaffaro, Andrea Maio, Emmanuel Gulino, Giuseppe Alaimo, Marco Morreale. Green Composites Based on PLA and Agricultural or Marine Waste Prepared by FDM. Polymers. 2021; 13 (9):1361.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Emmanuel Gulino; Giuseppe Alaimo; Marco Morreale. 2021. "Green Composites Based on PLA and Agricultural or Marine Waste Prepared by FDM." Polymers 13, no. 9: 1361.

Research article
Published: 12 April 2021 in Journal of Industrial Textiles
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Electrospun nanofibers based on polysaccharides represent a consolidated approach in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERM) and nanomedicine as a drug delivery system (DDS). In this work, two chemical derivatives of a low molecular weight gellan gum (96.7 kDa) with aliphatic pendant tails were processed by electrospinning technique into non-woven nanofibrous mats. In order to generate spinnable blends, it was necessary to associate poly vinyl alcohol (PVA). The relationships between the physicochemical properties and the processability via electrospinning technique of gellan gum alkyl derivatives (GG-C8 and GG-C12 having a degree of alkyl chain derivatization of 17 mol % and 18 mol %, respectively) were investigated. The deposition of nanometric fibers (212.4 nm ± 60.0) was achieved by using the blend GG-C8/PVA spinned at 5% w/v in water. The use of a binary solvent composed of water and ethanol in a volumetric ratio 95:5 improved further spinnability obtaining similar nanofiber diameters (218.0 nm ± 96.0). The rheological analysis has allowed to highlight the role of the alkyl portion (C8 and C12) on the spinnability of the blended polymers.

ACS Style

Fabio Salvatore Palumbo; Salvatore Federico; Giovanna Pitarresi; Calogero Fiorica; Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Emmanuel Fortunato Gulino; Gaetano Giammona. Effect of alkyl derivatization of gellan gum during the fabrication of electrospun membranes. Journal of Industrial Textiles 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Fabio Salvatore Palumbo, Salvatore Federico, Giovanna Pitarresi, Calogero Fiorica, Roberto Scaffaro, Andrea Maio, Emmanuel Fortunato Gulino, Gaetano Giammona. Effect of alkyl derivatization of gellan gum during the fabrication of electrospun membranes. Journal of Industrial Textiles. 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fabio Salvatore Palumbo; Salvatore Federico; Giovanna Pitarresi; Calogero Fiorica; Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Emmanuel Fortunato Gulino; Gaetano Giammona. 2021. "Effect of alkyl derivatization of gellan gum during the fabrication of electrospun membranes." Journal of Industrial Textiles , no. : 1.

Review
Published: 26 March 2021 in European Polymer Journal
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Ionic tactile sensors (ITS) are an emerging subfield of wearable electronics, capable of mimicking the human skin, including not only the typical anisotropic structure, mechanical behaviour, and tactile functions but even the mechanosensitive ionic channels that are crucial for the human sense of touch. With the rapid development of intelligent technology, such bioinspired materials constitute the core foundation of intelligent systems and are a candidate to be the next generation e-skins, offering a more accurate and evolved biointerface. In the latest years, a wealth of novel ultra-stretchable ITS was proposed, progressively refining the choice of soft materials, including ion gels, ionic liquids and hydrogels, and fabrication techniques. Regardless of materials and methods adopted, all these tactile sensors can feel mechanical solicitations and external stimuli, thus behaving as – or even better than – human skin. In this review, an overview of the very latest advances in high-performance ITS applied in intelligent systems is reported. First, generality of ITS will be summarized. After, ion gel, ionic liquid, hydrogel, and elastomer ITS will be discussed focusing first on composition, fabrication, type and mode of sensing and then on their characteristics and application. In this perspective, the advantages that biomimetic approaches brought in terms of sensitivity, speed of response and multimodality of sensing will be highlighted, with a particular focus on the development of electrochromic, thermochromic, self-powered and self-healing devices. In conclusion, the prospects of tactile sensors for intelligent systems in biomedicine and robotics will be discussed, along with the possible strategies to overcome the current shortcomings, in terms of biocompatibility, durability, mechanical performance, adhesion to biological substrates, which represent the future challenges.

ACS Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Maria Clara Citarrella. Ionic tactile sensors as promising biomaterials for artificial skin: Review of latest advances and future perspectives. European Polymer Journal 2021, 151, 110421 .

AMA Style

Roberto Scaffaro, Andrea Maio, Maria Clara Citarrella. Ionic tactile sensors as promising biomaterials for artificial skin: Review of latest advances and future perspectives. European Polymer Journal. 2021; 151 ():110421.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Maria Clara Citarrella. 2021. "Ionic tactile sensors as promising biomaterials for artificial skin: Review of latest advances and future perspectives." European Polymer Journal 151, no. : 110421.

Journal article
Published: 08 March 2021 in Polymer Degradation and Stability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

In this work, we report the effect of an organoclay on the photochemical weathering of nanocomposites based on a poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blend. The evolution of physicochemical properties was monitored by integrating spectroscopic, mechanical, and morphological analyses. A robust relationship was found between the molecular transformations of the polymer macromolecules and the morpho-mechanical properties of irradiated films. Moreover, the analysis of insoluble fractions extracted from nanocomposites pointed out that free-standing, porous structures, displaying an unprecedented thickness as great as 100 µm, were formed, thus unambiguously demonstrating that the organoclay increased the propagation depth of photochemical crosslinking reactions by 10 times with respect to previously reported results on PBAT. The pore architecture and chemical structure of such crosslinked networks proved to change depending on organoclay content of films.

ACS Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Michele Gammino; Francesco Paolo La Mantia. Effect of an organoclay on the photochemical transformations of a PBAT/PLA blend and morpho-chemical features of crosslinked networks. Polymer Degradation and Stability 2021, 187, 109549 .

AMA Style

Roberto Scaffaro, Andrea Maio, Michele Gammino, Francesco Paolo La Mantia. Effect of an organoclay on the photochemical transformations of a PBAT/PLA blend and morpho-chemical features of crosslinked networks. Polymer Degradation and Stability. 2021; 187 ():109549.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Michele Gammino; Francesco Paolo La Mantia. 2021. "Effect of an organoclay on the photochemical transformations of a PBAT/PLA blend and morpho-chemical features of crosslinked networks." Polymer Degradation and Stability 187, no. : 109549.

Research article
Published: 09 September 2020 in ACS Applied Polymer Materials
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Coating of flexible substrates is crucial to prepare versatile, multifunctional materials. However, exploration of effective fabrication approaches is still a challenging issue, since the pathways generally proposed require time-consuming, multi-step protocols. Here, we developed a one-pot process for decorating either pearl necklace-like or fibrous fluffy-like structures of polycaprolactone (PCL) with graphene oxide (GO) skin. PCL solutions were dry jet-wet electrosprayed or electrospun into a stirred liquid collector constituted by ethanol containing GO nanoparticles. The stirred liquid collector enables the formation of 3D-structures, whose microarchitecture can be designed by controlling the rheological behaviour of PCL solutions. Two molecular weights of PCL were used (45 or 80 kDa), with ensuing different viscosity, which determines the prevalent formation of beads or fibres. The presence of GO in the coagulation bath allows the polymeric structures to be rapidly wrapped by those nanoparticles. Graphenic coating endows these materials with the intriguing peculiarities of GO: PCL/GO nanocomposites displayed increments of elastic modulus ranging from 1250% (beads) to 3300% (fibres) with respect to the neat matrices and a change from hydrophobic to amphiphilic character. A potential application of such devices in water treatment was assessed in phenol removal. The results pointed out that PCL/GO scaffolds retain the same sorption capacity of GO nanoparticles, while bringing several advantages in terms of handling, robustness, recyclability. The ease of control of the process, as well as its fastness and cost-effectiveness could open a wide range of scenarios, including sensors, energy, catalysis, biomedicine.

ACS Style

Andrea Maio; Michele Gammino; Emmanuel Fortunato Gulino; Bartolomeo Megna; Pierluca Fara; Roberto Scaffaro. Rapid One-Step Fabrication of Graphene Oxide-Decorated Polycaprolactone Three-Dimensional Templates for Water Treatment. ACS Applied Polymer Materials 2020, 2, 4993 -5005.

AMA Style

Andrea Maio, Michele Gammino, Emmanuel Fortunato Gulino, Bartolomeo Megna, Pierluca Fara, Roberto Scaffaro. Rapid One-Step Fabrication of Graphene Oxide-Decorated Polycaprolactone Three-Dimensional Templates for Water Treatment. ACS Applied Polymer Materials. 2020; 2 (11):4993-5005.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Maio; Michele Gammino; Emmanuel Fortunato Gulino; Bartolomeo Megna; Pierluca Fara; Roberto Scaffaro. 2020. "Rapid One-Step Fabrication of Graphene Oxide-Decorated Polycaprolactone Three-Dimensional Templates for Water Treatment." ACS Applied Polymer Materials 2, no. 11: 4993-5005.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2020 in Future Microbiology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Aim: To develop electrospun mats loaded with Thymus capitatus (L.) essential oil ( ThymEO) and to study their morpho-mechanical and antimicrobial properties. Materials & methods: Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) mats containing ThymEO were prepared by electrospinning. The effect of ThymEO on the morpho-mechanical properties of fibers was assayed by scanning electron microscopy and dynamometer measurements. The antimicrobial activity of ThymEO delivered either in liquid or vapor phase was assessed through killing curves and invert Petri dishes method. The cytotoxicity was also investigated. Results: The mechanical properties were enhanced by integrating ThymEO into PLA. Both liquid and vapors of ThymEO released from mats caused reductions of microbial viable cells. Negligible cytotoxicity was demonstrated. Conclusion: PLA/ ThymEO delivery systems could be suitable for treating microbial infections.

ACS Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Manuela D'Arrigo; Francesco Lopresti; Andreana Marino; Maurizio Bruno; Antonia Nostro. Flexible mats as promising antimicrobial systems via integration ofThymus capitatus(L.) essential oil into PLA. Future Microbiology 2020, 15, 1379 -1392.

AMA Style

Roberto Scaffaro, Andrea Maio, Manuela D'Arrigo, Francesco Lopresti, Andreana Marino, Maurizio Bruno, Antonia Nostro. Flexible mats as promising antimicrobial systems via integration ofThymus capitatus(L.) essential oil into PLA. Future Microbiology. 2020; 15 (14):1379-1392.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Manuela D'Arrigo; Francesco Lopresti; Andreana Marino; Maurizio Bruno; Antonia Nostro. 2020. "Flexible mats as promising antimicrobial systems via integration ofThymus capitatus(L.) essential oil into PLA." Future Microbiology 15, no. 14: 1379-1392.

Journal article
Published: 31 May 2020 in New Biotechnology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Immobilization of microorganisms capable of degrading specific contaminants significantly promotes bioremediation processes. In this study, innovative and ecofriendly biosorbent-biodegrading biofilms have been developed in order to remediate oil-contaminated water. This was achieved by immobilizing hydrocarbon-degrading gammaproteobacteria and actinobacteria on biodegradable oil-adsorbing carriers, based on polylactic acid and polycaprolactone electrospun membranes. High capacities for adhesion and proliferation of bacterial cells were observed by scanning electron microscopy. The bioremediation efficiency of the systems, tested on crude oil and quantified by gas chromatography, showed that immobilization increased hydrocarbon biodegradation by up to 23 % compared with free living bacteria. The resulting biosorbent biodegrading biofilms simultaneously adsorbed 100 % of spilled oil and biodegraded more than 66 % over 10 days, with limited environmental dispersion of cells. Biofilm-mediated bioremediation, using eco-friendly supports, is a low-cost, low-impact, versatile tool for bioremediation of aquatic systems.

ACS Style

Valentina Catania; Francesco Lopresti; Simone Cappello; Roberto Scaffaro; Paola Quatrini. Innovative, ecofriendly biosorbent-biodegrading biofilms for bioremediation of oil- contaminated water. New Biotechnology 2020, 58, 25 -31.

AMA Style

Valentina Catania, Francesco Lopresti, Simone Cappello, Roberto Scaffaro, Paola Quatrini. Innovative, ecofriendly biosorbent-biodegrading biofilms for bioremediation of oil- contaminated water. New Biotechnology. 2020; 58 ():25-31.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Valentina Catania; Francesco Lopresti; Simone Cappello; Roberto Scaffaro; Paola Quatrini. 2020. "Innovative, ecofriendly biosorbent-biodegrading biofilms for bioremediation of oil- contaminated water." New Biotechnology 58, no. : 25-31.

Journal article
Published: 23 April 2020 in Materials
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Sore, infected wounds are a major clinical issue, and there is thus an urgent need for novel biomaterials as multifunctional constituents for dressings. A set of biocomposites was prepared by solvent casting using different concentrations of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and exfoliated graphene oxide (Exf-GO) as a filler. Exf-GO was first obtained by the strong oxidation and exfoliation of graphite. The structural, morphological and mechanical properties of the composites (CMCx/Exf-GO) were evaluated, and the obtained composites were homogenous, transparent and brownish in color. The results confirmed that Exf-GO may be homogeneously dispersed in CMC. It was found that the composite has an inhibitory activity against the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, but not against Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa. At the same time, it does not exhibit any cytotoxic effect on normal fibroblasts.

ACS Style

Maria Luisa Saladino; Marta Markowska; Clara Carmone; Patrizia Cancemi; Rosa Alduina; Alessandro Presentato; Roberto Scaffaro; Dariusz Biały; Mariusz Hasiak; Dariusz Hreniak; Magdalena Wawrzyńska. Graphene Oxide Carboxymethylcellulose Nanocomposite for Dressing Materials. Materials 2020, 13, 1980 .

AMA Style

Maria Luisa Saladino, Marta Markowska, Clara Carmone, Patrizia Cancemi, Rosa Alduina, Alessandro Presentato, Roberto Scaffaro, Dariusz Biały, Mariusz Hasiak, Dariusz Hreniak, Magdalena Wawrzyńska. Graphene Oxide Carboxymethylcellulose Nanocomposite for Dressing Materials. Materials. 2020; 13 (8):1980.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maria Luisa Saladino; Marta Markowska; Clara Carmone; Patrizia Cancemi; Rosa Alduina; Alessandro Presentato; Roberto Scaffaro; Dariusz Biały; Mariusz Hasiak; Dariusz Hreniak; Magdalena Wawrzyńska. 2020. "Graphene Oxide Carboxymethylcellulose Nanocomposite for Dressing Materials." Materials 13, no. 8: 1980.

Journal article
Published: 22 February 2020 in Materials
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The formulation of polymeric films endowed with the abilities of controlled release of antimicrobials and biodegradability is the latest trend of food packaging. Biodegradable polymer (Bio-Flex®)-based nanocomposites containing carvacrol as an antimicrobial agent, and a nanoclay as a filler, were processed into blown films. The presence of such hybrid loading, while not affecting the overall filmability of the neat matrix, led to enhanced mechanical properties, with relative increments up to +70% and +200% in terms of elastic modulus and elongation at break. FTIR/ATR analysis and release tests pointed out that the presence of nanoclay allowed higher carvacrol loading efficiency, reasonably hindering its volatilization during processing. Furthermore, it also mitigated the burst delivery, thereby enabling a more controlled release of the antimicrobial agent. The results of mass loss tests indicated that all the formulations showed a rather fast degradation with mass losses ranging from 37.5% to 57.5% after 876 h. The presence of clay and carvacrol accelerated the mass loss rate of Bio-Flex®, especially when added simultaneously, thus indicating an increased biodegradability. Such ternary systems could be, therefore, particularly suitable as green materials for food packaging applications, and for antimicrobial wrapping applications.

ACS Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Emmanuel Fortunato Gulino; Marco Morreale; Francesco Paolo La Mantia. The Effects of Nanoclay on the Mechanical Properties, Carvacrol Release and Degradation of a PLA/PBAT Blend. Materials 2020, 13, 983 .

AMA Style

Roberto Scaffaro, Andrea Maio, Emmanuel Fortunato Gulino, Marco Morreale, Francesco Paolo La Mantia. The Effects of Nanoclay on the Mechanical Properties, Carvacrol Release and Degradation of a PLA/PBAT Blend. Materials. 2020; 13 (4):983.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Emmanuel Fortunato Gulino; Marco Morreale; Francesco Paolo La Mantia. 2020. "The Effects of Nanoclay on the Mechanical Properties, Carvacrol Release and Degradation of a PLA/PBAT Blend." Materials 13, no. 4: 983.

Journal article
Published: 17 February 2020 in Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Bilayer biodegradable, eco-friendly films were prepared by co-extrusion film blowing, coupling polylactic acid (PLA) and Bio-flex ® (BIO). Furthermore, in the PLA layer, carvacrol (CRV) was added as a natural antimicrobial additive, whereas a nanoclay (D72T) was integrated to protect CRV from volatilization and to modulate release. The materials were analyzed by morphological, chemical-physical, mechanical testing. Furthermore, CRV release and degradation tests were performed. The results pointed out that coupling the two matrices allows gathering the stiffness of PLA with the ductility of BIO. Furthermore, the interlayer adhesion is promoted by CRV. D72T exerts a key-role in avoiding CRV volatilization, thus allowing more prolonged release. Degradation tests results highlight that bilayer films, while being particularly resistant in both acidic and neutral environments, showed a rapid degradation under alkaline conditions, which proved to be intermediate between those of the corresponding monolayers.

ACS Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Fortunato E. Gulino; Claudio Di Salvo; Alessia Arcarisi. Bilayer biodegradable films prepared by co-extrusion film blowing: Mechanical performance, release kinetics of an antimicrobial agent and hydrolytic degradation. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing 2020, 132, 105836 .

AMA Style

Roberto Scaffaro, Andrea Maio, Fortunato E. Gulino, Claudio Di Salvo, Alessia Arcarisi. Bilayer biodegradable films prepared by co-extrusion film blowing: Mechanical performance, release kinetics of an antimicrobial agent and hydrolytic degradation. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing. 2020; 132 ():105836.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Fortunato E. Gulino; Claudio Di Salvo; Alessia Arcarisi. 2020. "Bilayer biodegradable films prepared by co-extrusion film blowing: Mechanical performance, release kinetics of an antimicrobial agent and hydrolytic degradation." Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing 132, no. : 105836.

Journal article
Published: 20 January 2020 in Composites Science and Technology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

This work investigates the effect of adding relatively low amounts of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) to a biocomposite based on polylactic acid (PLA) and a lignocellulosic filler achieved by grinding Posidonia Oceanica leaves (Posidonia flour, PF). The ternary composites were prepared by melt extrusion and characterized from a morphological and mechanical point of view. Furthermore, hydrolytic degradation tests were performed under acidic, neutral and alkaline environment up to 900 h. Density measurements enabled to assess the degree of intraphase, i.e. the capability of polymer macromolecules to enter the voids of PF and a modified Halpin-Tsai model was presented and used to fit experimental data obtained from tensile tests. The results demonstrate that the hybrid reinforcement constituted by GNP and PF allows improving mechanical properties (up to 155%) and speeding up the degradation kinetics with respect to neat PLA and composites loaded with GNP only. In particular, the relatively fast degradation kinetics observed at pH = 7 and especially at pH = 10 make these hybrid composites very promising in the perspective of marine disposal.

ACS Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Emmanuel Fortunato Gulino; Giuseppe Pitarresi. Lignocellulosic fillers and graphene nanoplatelets as hybrid reinforcement for polylactic acid: Effect on mechanical properties and degradability. Composites Science and Technology 2020, 190, 108008 .

AMA Style

Roberto Scaffaro, Andrea Maio, Emmanuel Fortunato Gulino, Giuseppe Pitarresi. Lignocellulosic fillers and graphene nanoplatelets as hybrid reinforcement for polylactic acid: Effect on mechanical properties and degradability. Composites Science and Technology. 2020; 190 ():108008.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Emmanuel Fortunato Gulino; Giuseppe Pitarresi. 2020. "Lignocellulosic fillers and graphene nanoplatelets as hybrid reinforcement for polylactic acid: Effect on mechanical properties and degradability." Composites Science and Technology 190, no. : 108008.

Journal article
Published: 13 January 2020 in Reactive and Functional Polymers
Reads 0
Downloads 0

A novel approach was designed to fabricate high-added value manufacts, starting from cost-effective materials and combining well-known processing techniques. Bi- and three-layered, functionally graded laminates were achieved by direct electrospinning onto dense substrates. The architecture of each multilayer comprises a dense layer formed by solvent casting, which is constituted by polylactic acid (PLA) and carvacrol, and one or two electrospun fibrous skin layers, consisting of PLA only. Processing-structure-properties relationships of such materials were investigated. As regards mechanical behavior, the amount of fibrous PLA layers determined an increase of stiffness from 20 to 35 MPa, adequately predicted by isostrain model, whereas the breaking properties proved to be governed by the dense layer, with values of tensile strength (6 MPa) and elongation at break (200%) almost ten-folded with respect to those of electrospun fibrous PLA. As concerns carvacrol release behavior, the presence of fibrous skin, especially in three-layered structures, proved to progressively reduce the burst delivery at early stage of immersion, while enhancing the depletion time, i.e. the release activity, of such devices from 288 to 795 h. Furthermore, a correlation was found between the thickness of fibrous layers and release kinetics, thus suggesting that adjusting simple variables, such as electrospinning time, allows to control the ultimate properties of these devices. Moreover, this approach enables gathering the mechanical robustness of a dense film with the extremely large specific area of fibrous materials, thus showing promising potential for a broad range of application fields.

ACS Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Emmanuel F. Gulino; Giorgio Micale. PLA-based functionally graded laminates for tunable controlled release of carvacrol obtained by combining electrospinning with solvent casting. Reactive and Functional Polymers 2020, 148, 104490 .

AMA Style

Roberto Scaffaro, Andrea Maio, Emmanuel F. Gulino, Giorgio Micale. PLA-based functionally graded laminates for tunable controlled release of carvacrol obtained by combining electrospinning with solvent casting. Reactive and Functional Polymers. 2020; 148 ():104490.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Emmanuel F. Gulino; Giorgio Micale. 2020. "PLA-based functionally graded laminates for tunable controlled release of carvacrol obtained by combining electrospinning with solvent casting." Reactive and Functional Polymers 148, no. : 104490.

Journal article
Published: 24 October 2019 in Engineering Geology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

This paper presents the results of an experimental study that had the goal of understanding the effects of treatment with polyethylene glycol (PEG)/nanolime mixtures on collapsible soil behaviour. In a previous study, the use of pure PEG offered a good improvement in the stability of collapsible soil, but the stabilisation effect only lasted for a limited time. To investigate the stabilisation potential of PEG/nanolime systems for collapsible sand, different mixtures were prepared at increasing nanolime weight ratios. The suitability of the stabilised soil was examined on the basis of collapsibility, oedometer, shear, and water vapour permeability tests, and through optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy observations. The stabilisation effects were analysed by comparing the mechanical behaviour of the sand before and after each treatment. The results showed that even though using various mixtures had different effects on the behaviour of collapsible soils, the treatment produced a significant change in the geotechnical behaviours of the sand in relation to the collapse potential, permeability, compressibility, and shear strength.

ACS Style

Margherita Zimbardo; Laura Ercoli; Maria Chiara Mistretta; Roberto Scaffaro; Bartolomeo Megna. Collapsible intact soil stabilisation using non-aqueous polymeric vehicle. Engineering Geology 2019, 264, 105334 .

AMA Style

Margherita Zimbardo, Laura Ercoli, Maria Chiara Mistretta, Roberto Scaffaro, Bartolomeo Megna. Collapsible intact soil stabilisation using non-aqueous polymeric vehicle. Engineering Geology. 2019; 264 ():105334.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Margherita Zimbardo; Laura Ercoli; Maria Chiara Mistretta; Roberto Scaffaro; Bartolomeo Megna. 2019. "Collapsible intact soil stabilisation using non-aqueous polymeric vehicle." Engineering Geology 264, no. : 105334.

Journal article
Published: 21 October 2019 in Polymer Testing
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Three different solvent mixtures were used to prepare electrospun membranes based on polylactic acid (PLA), polyethylene oxide (PEO) and enzymatic cellulose nanofibers (CNF). The materials were characterized from a morphological, spectroscopic, mechanical and rheological point of view. Furthermore, swelling test were performed in order to assess the water uptake of each sample. The results put into evidence that the choice of the solvents affects the structure and the properties of the membranes. Among the protocols tested, using chloroform/acetone/ethanol mixture was found to allow a high degree of CNF dispersion and a good electrospinnability of polymer solutions. These features led to membranes with impressive improvement of mechanical properties (+350% in stiffness, +350% in tensile strength and +500% in toughness) with respect to those of PLA/PEO and dramatically increased the water uptake of these materials (up to +350% within 120 min).

ACS Style

Robab Ghafari; Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Emmanuel F. Gulino; Giada Lo Re; Mehdi Jonoobi. Processing-structure-property relationships of electrospun PLA-PEO membranes reinforced with enzymatic cellulose nanofibers. Polymer Testing 2019, 81, 106182 .

AMA Style

Robab Ghafari, Roberto Scaffaro, Andrea Maio, Emmanuel F. Gulino, Giada Lo Re, Mehdi Jonoobi. Processing-structure-property relationships of electrospun PLA-PEO membranes reinforced with enzymatic cellulose nanofibers. Polymer Testing. 2019; 81 ():106182.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Robab Ghafari; Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Emmanuel F. Gulino; Giada Lo Re; Mehdi Jonoobi. 2019. "Processing-structure-property relationships of electrospun PLA-PEO membranes reinforced with enzymatic cellulose nanofibers." Polymer Testing 81, no. : 106182.

Journal article
Published: 10 May 2019 in Polymers
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The aim of this work is to study the relationship between the chemical-physical properties of graphene oxide (GO) and the performance of a polyamide 6 (PA6) in terms of mechanical reinforcement and resistance to UV-exposure. For this purpose, two samples of GO possessing different oxidation degrees were added (0.75 wt.%) to PA6 by way of a two-step technique and the materials achieved were carefully analysed from a morphological, chemical-physical, mechanical point of view. Photo-oxidation tests were carried out to assess the performance of this class of nanohybrids after 240 h of UV-exposure. The results reveal that both nanocomposites exhibit enhanced mechanical performance and durability of PA6. However, the most oxidized GO led to a higher increase of mechanical properties and a stronger resistance to UV-exposure. All the analyses confirm that both GO samples are well dispersed and covalently attached to PA6. However, the higher the oxidation level of GO the stronger and the more extended the chemical interphase of the nanocomposite. As regards photochemical stability, both GO samples display UV-shielding capacity but the most oxidized GO also shows radical scavenging activity by virtue of its nanocavities and defects, imparted by prolonged oxidation, which endows PA6 with an outstanding durability even after 240 h of UV-exposure.

ACS Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio. Influence of Oxidation Level of Graphene Oxide on the Mechanical Performance and Photo-Oxidation Resistance of a Polyamide 6. Polymers 2019, 11, 857 .

AMA Style

Roberto Scaffaro, Andrea Maio. Influence of Oxidation Level of Graphene Oxide on the Mechanical Performance and Photo-Oxidation Resistance of a Polyamide 6. Polymers. 2019; 11 (5):857.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio. 2019. "Influence of Oxidation Level of Graphene Oxide on the Mechanical Performance and Photo-Oxidation Resistance of a Polyamide 6." Polymers 11, no. 5: 857.

Review
Published: 09 April 2019 in Polymers
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The environmental performance of biodegradable materials has attracted attention from the academic and the industrial research over the recent years. Currently, degradation behavior and possible recyclability features, as well as actual recycling paths of such systems, are crucial to give them both durability and eco-sustainability. This paper presents a review of the degradation behaviour of biodegradable polymers and related composites, with particular concern for multi-layer films. The processing of biodegradable polymeric films and the manufacturing and properties of multilayer films based on biodegradable polymers will be discussed. The results and data collected show that: poly-lactic acid (PLA), poly-butylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT) and poly-caprolactone (PCL) are the most used biodegradable polymers, but are prone to hydrolytic degradation during processing; environmental degradation is favored by enzymes, and can take place within weeks, while in water it can take from months to years; thermal degradation during recycling basically follows a hydrolytic path, due to moisture and high temperatures (β-scissions and transesterification) which may compromise processing and recycling; ultraviolet (UV) and thermal stabilization can be adequately performed using suitable stabilizers.

ACS Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Fiorenza Sutera; Emmanuel Fortunato Gulino; Marco Morreale. Degradation and Recycling of Films Based on Biodegradable Polymers: A Short Review. Polymers 2019, 11, 651 .

AMA Style

Roberto Scaffaro, Andrea Maio, Fiorenza Sutera, Emmanuel Fortunato Gulino, Marco Morreale. Degradation and Recycling of Films Based on Biodegradable Polymers: A Short Review. Polymers. 2019; 11 (4):651.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Fiorenza Sutera; Emmanuel Fortunato Gulino; Marco Morreale. 2019. "Degradation and Recycling of Films Based on Biodegradable Polymers: A Short Review." Polymers 11, no. 4: 651.

Journal article
Published: 03 April 2019 in Composites Part B: Engineering
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Herein, we prepared an integrated ternary bionanocomposite based on polylactic acid (PLA) as a host polymer and two different forms of carbon fillers, i.e. graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), used simultaneously at extremely low concentrations, relying on the synergistic effect of CNT and graphene nanoreinforcement and a novel, multi-step procedure to achieve a high level dispersion. The results indicated that this multi-step approach allows stiffness increments up to +66%, with simultaneous enhancement of tensile strength (up to +44%), and elongation at break (up to +36%) with respect to neat PLA, by adding an extremely low content (0.5 wt%) of a hybrid combination of CNTs and GNPs. The development of a multistep strategy to achieve molecular level dispersion of multifunctional nanoparticles integrated in a fully renewable polymer matrix allows the premise of industrial-scale production of advanced bionanocomposites with outstanding properties at extremely low loadings.

ACS Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio. Integrated ternary bionanocomposites with superior mechanical performance via the synergistic role of graphene and plasma treated carbon nanotubes. Composites Part B: Engineering 2019, 168, 550 -559.

AMA Style

Roberto Scaffaro, Andrea Maio. Integrated ternary bionanocomposites with superior mechanical performance via the synergistic role of graphene and plasma treated carbon nanotubes. Composites Part B: Engineering. 2019; 168 ():550-559.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio. 2019. "Integrated ternary bionanocomposites with superior mechanical performance via the synergistic role of graphene and plasma treated carbon nanotubes." Composites Part B: Engineering 168, no. : 550-559.