From the 25th to the 28th of February, five young scientists from IMT have been involved in one week secondments at CNR-ICMATE, Padova, during which they performed in-depth characterization of the sensing layers being developed at IMT for the NET4Air project, while also working towards depositing new materials (Molybdenum Nitride – MoN & Vanadium Nitride – VN) on the transducers being developed for the project. This secondments have served as a means to exchange knowhow between the two partners, setting the foundations for collaborative articles and potential avenues for a continued collaboration. Moreover, in the final days of the secondment, the three partners in the project have met to discuss further potential avenues for research, while also showcasing the protocol for selecting a topic and tailoring a proposal to the young scientists.
The fist day of the secondment has involved the presentation of the CNR-ICMATE facilities in Padova, Italy, and an exchange of ideas between the visiting IMT scientists and the resident scientists. This was followed into a split of the visiting scientists in two groups, one in charge of characterizing a series of sensing materials from IMT in terms of morphology (AFM, SEM), while the second group dealt with preparing the transducers for deposition of the new materials proposed by CNR. This activity was continued into the following three days, with the results setting the basis for two articles that will be written together by the scientists at CNR-ICAMTE and IMT.
For the last two days of the secondments the coordinators of the three partner institutes have met to discuss further collaboration opportunities and to suggest improvements to the IMT infrastructure. The last day has seen the young scientists taking part in those discussions , with the experience they gained over the secondment period informing the decision on further articles and projects.