Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes a membrane having fibres of a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), having average diameter between 100 nm and 2000 nm, and at least one oxide having piezoelectric properties in a subdivided form having at least one average size between 1 nm and 100 nm. Preferably, the PHA fibres are produced by electrospinning. Advantageously, demonstrating good piezoelectric properties and considering that the piezoelectric device includes PHA, a biodegradable and biocompatible material, the device can be used in biological systems, for example in flexible micro-actuator systems for drug delivery and in the engineering of biological tissues (such as, for example, in pacemaker devices).

Abstract: A device for controlling fluid motion in a micro/nanofluidic structure of channels by means of surface acoustic waves is described. The device comprises a structured volume of material bearing a predetermined configuration of micro/nanofluidic channels for holding and transferring amounts of fluids adapted to define at least one fluid inlet and at least one fluid outlet and presenting a hydrophobic behaviour for the fluids to be handled and a substrate made of material with piezoelectric properties coupled to the micro/nanofluidic channels.

Abstract: A method of producing a lasing microsource of colloidal nanocrystals. The method includes the steps of preparing a nanocrystal solution in a solvent; depositing at least a drop of the nanocrystals solution with a drop volume below 1 nl on a flat substrate; and evaporating the solvent to dryness thereby to obtain at the edge of the evaporated drop a single annular stripe including a domain wherein the nanocrystals are arranged in an ordered array, wherein the ordered nanocrystals in the domain constitute an active region capable of lasing and the radially inner and outer edges of the stripe define a resonant cavity in which the active region is inserted.

Abstract: A method of producing a lasing microsource of colloidal nanocrystals. The method includes the steps of preparing a nanocrystal solution in a solvent; depositing at least a drop of the nanocrystals solution with a drop volume below 1 nl on a flat substrate; and evaporating the solvent to dryness thereby to obtain at the edge of the evaporated drop a single annular stripe including a domain wherein the nanocrystals are arranged in an ordered array, wherein the ordered nanocrystals in the domain constitute an active region capable of lasing and the radially inner and outer edges of the stripe define a resonant cavity in which the active region is inserted.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a process for preparing products having layers/films of silicon derivates comprising the following steps: a) Preparing a mould made of elastomeric material and having a plurality of grooves with mutual spacing in the range from 1 ?m to 1 mm; b) incubating the mould of step a) in a solution of silicateins in a range of temperatures from 2 to 10° C. and in a range of time from a few minutes to 103 hours; c) providing a target substrate of silicon or oxides thereof; d) transferring the silicateins from the mould to the said target substrate through soft lithography technique for a time period from a few seconds to 103 hours and removing the elastomeric mould; e) incubating the substrate with patterned silicateins of step d) in a solution of one or more precursors belonging to the class of silane compounds for a time period in a range from a few seconds to 103 hours in a temperature range from 2° C. to 25° C.

Abstract: A composition comprises a bleaching catalyst admixed with an insoluble support matrix.

Abstract: Herein described is a device for controlling fluid motion in a micro/nanofluidic structure of channels, comprising: a structured volume of material (30), bearing a predetermined configuration of micro/nanofluidic channels (C) for holding and transferring amounts of fluids, adapted to define at least one fluid inlet (IN) and at least one fluid outlet (OUT), and presenting a hydrophobic behaviour for the fluids to be handled; and a substrate (31) made of material with piezoelectric properties, coupled to the abovementioned configuration of micro/nanofluidic channels, bearing means for active control of the motion of an amount of fluid, including transducer means (T1-T6) which comprise at least one pair of interdigitated electrodes applied on the substrate (31), which are arranged to selectively generate a surface acoustic wave adapted to propagate on the substrate (31) and interact with the amount of fluid.

Abstract: Masters for imprint processes are produced by providing a resist layer, and patterning the resist layer after a respective mold pattern to produce a patterned resist layer adapted to be directly used as a master for imprint lithography. Preferably the resist is spin cast on a substrate and is comprised of a photoresist, such as negative-tone, electron-beam sensitive resist having a glass transition temperature above 200° C. and adapted to be mechanically stable to pressures up to 104 psi. Preferably, the resist is a polymer resist, such as an epoxy resist e.g. SU8 and SU8-2000. Patterning the resist layer includes the steps of structuring the resist layer, soft-baking the structured resist layer in order to selectively cross-link the structured portion of the structured resist layer and developing the structured resist layer in order to receive a patterned resist layer. The patterned resist layer is preferably cured e.g.