Here the mission is developing fundamental and practical knowledge in the framework of molecular opto-electronics. New materials and solutions are investigated for light detection, sensors, electrical transport and bio-mimetic systems. One important concept in the developing of new material is self assembly. The functional properties of a material are not the additive result of the properties of the molecules it is compounded of. Indeed, the material architecture at different length scales (from the Å to the mm) not only affects and tunes the molecular properties in the bulk material but may determine the appearance of brand new properties which are exquisitely dependent on the structure (and size) of the material. Focus of the research activity will be adaptive and responsive materials, the design and realization of their nano- and microstructure being instrumental to the obtainment of pursued functional property.

A specific, yet ambitious and challenging target within the Smart Material platform is the realization of artificial retina. Creating an actual implantable artificial retina is a long-range project which includes a multi-disciplinary challenge and many intermediate steps. In spite of its risk and difficulty, the impact of such an enterprise, even with the intermediate milestones, is huge and regards a broad range of areas, including physics, biology, chemistry, engineering and medicine. Spin-off are in robotics, security, imaging, neuro-sciences and molecular electronics. The expected advances are not only in technology and applications, but also in basic science, such as how neurons communicate and how ionic transport and other biological solutions to data communication effectively work at molecular level.
We choose the organic semiconductors technology, which offers several advantages respect to the inorganic one, first of all in terms of biocompatibility and biostability, and about which we have a long standing experience. π-conjugated polymers and molecules are easily processable, can be chemically engineered, can be deposited onto flexible substrates, and can also be manufactured using ink-jet printing techniques. Some advance patterning and deposition techniques are available in the IIT network and will be exploited in collaboration.

• Micro Array for Retinal Visual Elaboration
• The interface between bio-environment and artificial devices
• Organic Colorimetry
• Digital X-ray panel imager based on π-conjugated molecules - DiXπ
• Photochromic materials for optoelectronics