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A joint research project carried out by the Institute of Materials Workshop of the National Research Council in Trieste (Cnr-Iom), the Universities of Trieste and Innsbruck, and Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste has synthesised a new crystalline form of diboron trioxide, entirely composed of structural units previously observed only in its vitreous form. Boron oxide is commonly used as a key component in the manufacture of highly resistant glasses such as Pyrex and in enamels: in such industrial processes, it has been demonstrated that the addition of boron oxide significantly improves the glass’s ability to withstand thermal shock and chemical reactions, making it ideal for the most demanding applications. However, the vitrification process of boron oxide is still little understood, and presents anomalies not found in other oxides, such as silica, which exist in both crystalline and amorphous form. “The key distinction between a crystal and a glass lies in the ordered arrangement of atoms in the former, which is absent in the latter,” explains Alessandro Sala, a Cnr-Iom researcher who conceived the project. “Both systems are normally made up of the same structural unit composed of a few atoms, repeated in space. In crystals this ‘building block’ repeats periodically in a geometrically ordered manner, whereas in glass it repeats in a disordered way. Boron is an exception to this rule, since its vitreous phase contains elementary units composed of a ring of three boron atoms and three oxygen atoms, which are not present in the crystal. Today, for the first time, we have succeeded in obtaining a two-dimensional crystalline phase composed exclusively of the ‘building blocks’ present in the vitreous phase”. The research was based on the use of platinum as the base material to obtain this compound and to characterise its main physical properties in detail. The scientific team was able not only to develop the “recipe” for obtaining this material, but also to study its principal physical properties in depth. Maria Peressi, Full Professor at the University of Trieste, comments: “Our numerical simulations indicate that this material, porous by construction, consists of a mesh of boron and oxygen atoms that is extremely flexible, to the point of being the most elastic monoatomic-thickness material ever reported – ten times more so than graphene! This peculiar characteristic is due to the fact that the rigid ‘building blocks’ of which it is made are linked by an oxygen atom that acts as a hinge, around which they can rotate within the plane. Experimental evidence and results from numerical simulations also indicate that this material interacts only very weakly with the platinum substrate on which it is produced, suggesting the possibility of using conventional methods to separate it in order to employ it in innovative devices”. The crystalline structure of the two-dimensional material obtained was then analysed through scanning tunnelling microscopy: “The complementary measurements carried out in Trieste and Innsbruck enabled us to observe the material down to its most fundamental components,” continues Laerte Patera, Professor at the University of Innsbruck. “With the spatial resolution achieved, we are now able to determine the position of each atom within the two-dimensional mesh: in the future we will be able to observe how the atoms rearrange as the material passes from the crystalline form to the disordered form characteristic of glass”. Andrea Locatelli, head of the Nanospectroscopy beamline at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, concludes: “The use of synchrotron light was crucial to precisely determine the relative abundance of the constituent elements, the absence of contaminants, and the crystallinity of the new material produced. We are already capable of producing homogeneous crystals of this material measuring tens of square microns. The complementarity of the experimental techniques and theoretical simulations employed in this study proved decisive for the success of the entire scientific project. The distinctive characteristics of this new material – a wide band-gap semiconductor, extremely flexible and porous – encourage exploration of its potential use in applications across very different sectors, from electronics to catalysis to quantum technologies”. The first authors of this important work, Teresa Zio and Marco Dirindin, are two PhD students at the University of Trieste, who are brilliantly crowning a path of excellence in advanced training and introduction to research.

The study, conducted by an interdisciplinary team that included scientists from the research infrastructure consortium CERIC-ERIC, Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) and the Istituto Officina dei Materiali (IOM) of the National Research Council of Italy (IOM-CNR), has been recently published in Nature Communications. In their research, supported by CERIC-ERIC, scientists addressed a critical challenge in the field: adapting highly porous MOF materials into practical, durable, and responsive assemblies for the use in carbon capture and storage technologies, while maintaining their structural integrity and sorption capacity. Carbon neutrality goals aim to mitigate human impact on climate change achieving a balance between carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and its adsorption or sequestration from the atmosphere. Within this context, MOFs, known for their exceptional porosity and tunable chemistry, are among the most promising candidates for future CO₂ mitigation strategies. However, their integration and use have been slowed down by difficulties in fabricating functional, stable forms—especially films or membranes—compatible with industrial systems. In this new study, researchers engineered flexible Zn-based MOF films grown as heteroepitaxial layered structures on substrates. These films incorporate functionalized organic linkers, including photo-switchable molecules like azobenzene, enabling reversible CO₂ capture triggered by light (both ultraviolet and visible). “Our findings show that it is possible to design MOF films that not only operate at near-ambient conditions but can be controlled remotely using light—an appealing strategy for smart and energy-efficient carbon capture, that enables at the same time a non-invasive control over the system,” says principal investigator author Dr Sumea Klokic, who designed the experiment and performed the related measurements in the framework of CERIC-ERIC research and is now scientist at TU Graz. By tailoring linker chemistry, the team has unlocked enhanced flexibility and responsiveness in the Zn-MOF films enabling reversible CO₂ uptake and dynamic structural adaptation at near-ambient conditions. “Using a combination of cutting-edge analytical techniques available in CERIC-ERIC Partner Facilities  — including grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) and infrared spectromicroscopy — we have been able to deeply characterise the reversible, low-energy system we developed, observing molecular-scale interactions and quantifying CO₂ uptake in real time —especially under external stimuli such as light and temperature.” adds Dr Giovanni Birarda, researcher at the beamline SISSI-Bio of Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste. At the SISSI beamline, infrared spectromicroscopy allows researchers to investigate the spatial distribution and molecular dynamics of CO₂ within the MOF films with high chemical specificity and micrometric resolution. Looking ahead, the researchers highlight the need for improved nanoscale imaging techniques – such as the ones that will be developed during the upcoming upgrade of Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste (Elettra 2.0), that will strive to provide complementary synchrotron methods to probe dynamic processes at even smaller length scales – to eventually map the CO₂ distribution within MOF films. Such insights could unlock further application of MOFs besides carbon storage, including gas separation devices, mixed matrix membranes, and environmental sensors.

The Science and Technology Park of Trieste continues to demonstrate its ability to attract, retain, and enhance highly qualified expertise. The latest survey on staff working at the Padriciano and Basovizza campuses of Area Science Park shows a slight increase in employment, with 2,828 personnel (as of December 31, 2024, +28 compared to the previous year). However, the most significant aspect remains the high level of education and specialization among those working in the companies and research centers based there: three-quarters hold either a university degree (48.6%) or a PhD (28.7%). The most represented disciplines are technical and scientific fields, particularly Engineering, Biotechnology, and Computer Science, in line with the Park’s areas of specialization. The annual survey conducted by the Park Development Office involved 50 companies and 8 research centers/institutions, including Area Science Park, which combines scientific activity with the management of the Park itself. Women currently represent 37% of the total workforce, amounting to 1,051 individuals, marking a slight but steady increase compared to the previous two years. The data also show that over half of the personnel—1,667 individuals—are employees, confirming the prevailing contractual stability within the system. The overall picture is completed by 844 external personnel, 234 research fellows, and 73 collaborators, reflecting a complex network of expertise spanning research, training, and technology transfer. As for origin, 64% of the personnel come from Friuli Venezia Giulia, 21% from other Italian regions, and 15% from abroad. In terms of age distribution, 47% of personnel are under 40 years old (21% under 30 and 26% in the 31–40 age group), while 24% are aged 41–50 and 29% are over 51. These figures reflect a balance between experience and new talents, benefiting continuity and generational turnover—key elements for a structured and constantly evolving research and innovation system.