Elena BRUNO

BASIC INFORMATION

• Date of birth: April 10th, 1978
• Current position: Associate professor of Materials Science ssd FIS/03 sc 02/B1  at the Department of Physics and Astronomy (DFA), University of Catania

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• 2010-2020 Researcher (Assistant professor), permanent position, ssd FIS/03 sc 02/B1 at DFA University of Catania
• 2010 – Co.Co.Co. from National Council of Research (CNR) – IMM Catania
• 2006 – 2010- Post-Doctoral grants from National Council of Research (CNR) – IMM Catania (before INFM National Institute of Physics of Matter)
• February 2007 – she got PhD in Materials Science; title: “Diffusion and clustering of B in Si: basics and defect engineering”, Supervisor: Prof. F. Priolo, Dr. S. Mirabella
• April 2003 – she got Master degree in Physics at the University of Catania with full marks (110/110 et laude); title of master thesis: “Formation and dissolution of boron interstitial clusters in crystalline silicon”.

TEACHING ACTIVITY

• Since 2012: class of "Physics and applications of Physics", Degree in "Geological Science L-34" at the University of Catania
• Since 2017: class of "Medical Physics", Degree in "Nursing L/SNT1 " at the University of Catania
• “AA 2018-2019:  "Applied physics", Degree in  “Tecniche di radiologia medica, per immagini e radioterapia (abilitante alla professione sanitaria di Tecnico di radiologia medica) L/SNT” UniCT
• Since  2020 "Physics " Degree in "Scienze e tecnologie per la ristorazione e distribuzione degli alimenti mediterranei  L-26" UniCT
• Since  2020 "Physics " Dregree in  "Scienze e tecnologie alimentari L-26" UniCT
• Mentor/co-Mentor of more than 20 Bachelor/Master thesis in the field of Physics of Matter
• Supervisor of 5 PhD students
• 2011-2012: teaching support activity for classes of "General Physics 2", Degree in "Physics" at the University of Catania
• Since 2011: teaching support activity for classes of "Institutions of Structure of Matters", Degree in "Physics" at the University of Catania
• 2013-2014 teaching activities on p-n junctions at the National Council of Research (CNR)
• 2000-2002 and 2012: tutor activity in lab

ADDITIONAL COMMITMENTS

• 2013-2018 member of the PhD Doctoral College in "Scienza dei materiali e nanotecnologie”; 2012-2015: member of the PhD Doctoral College in "Scienza e tecnologia dei materiali";
• 2004-2006: assignment of association to the National Institute of Physics of Matter (INFM)
• Since 2011: assignment of association to the National Council of Research (CNR)
• Since 2014:  reference person of the Department of Physics and Astronomy for the University's web tv at the University of Catania
• Since 2016: Representative through the election of Researchers within the Scientific Committee of the CSFNSM (Sicilian Center for Nuclear Physics and Structure of Matter)
• Since 2015: Member of the Scientific Council of the SERVICE CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN BIO AND NANO-TECHNOLOGIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CATANIA – BRIT
• 2016-2018: Referent for the Technological Area named "Synthesis of advanced materials" for the Catania-University section of the Institute of Microelectronics and Microsystems of the National Research Council (IMM-CNR)
• Since 2015: scientific association to CSFNSM (Sicilian Center for Nuclear Physics and Structure of Matter)
• Since 2015: Scientific manager of two big equipments: Cluster Atomic Layer Deposition/Magnetron Sputter and Dual Beam Focused Ion Beam at the SERVICE CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN BIO AND NANO-TECHNOLOGIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CATANIA – BRIT
• Since 2009: she is involved in a lot of third mission activities and scientific divulgation, organizing exhibitions, scientific tours, debates, etc.
• Since 2020 is a member of the patitetic committee of DFA UniCT

SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY (with quality and impact of publications, bibliometric indices, awards, and other notable results)

OVERALL PRODUCTION

The scientific production yielded to:

• About 70 papers in major international peer reviewed journal (with impact factors up to 17.054)
• 15 conference communications as speaker (among which 2 invited talks).
• Referee of several international journals with impact factors up to 17.054
• Referee of 3 National Projects (PRIN and FIRB)
• Member of several commissions for research assignments/grants and technical commissions
• She is a member of Program and Local Organizing Committees of several International Scientific Conferences
• Unit reference person in a PRIN project (2019-2022) and a PON project

OVERALL QUALITY OF SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION

The overall quality of the PI’s scientific output can be inferred from the following points:

• 1 Cover Page on Q1 journals
• 2 invited talks at international conference
• She received 4 awards for her research activity.
• Guest Editors in a Special Issue "Nanotechnology Efforts for Chemical Sensors" in open access journal, Chemosensors (ISSN 2227-9040, http://www.mdpi.com/journal/chemosensors, indexed by Scopus and ESCI-Web of Science).

BIBLIOMETRIC INDICES (source: Scopus, accessed on January 25, 2021)

• More than 800 citations
• H-index = 16

Scientific research is dedicated to the synthesis, manipulation and study of structural, electrical and optical properties of innovative materials and nanomaterials (based on Si, Ge, metal oxides, graphene, etc.) for applications in various fields such as microelectronics, photonics, energy , bio-medicine and bio-sensing, water purification, and so on.

·         The first macroarea includes activities focused on defects, diffusion and electric activation of dopants in Si and in Ge. A very extensive experimental study of the basic mechanisms that regulate the interactions between point defects and dopants has allowed us to make significant contributions to the understanding of the mechanism of diffusion of B in Ge and in Si, of the activation of B and Ga in Ge, in use of He, F and C for the engineering of point defects in Si, and of O for defects in Ge.

·         The second most recent macroarea is based on the low-cost and controlled synthesis of transition metal oxide nanostructures for applications in the field of sensors. Among the materials studied I report the nanostructures of ZnO (e.g. nanorods and nanowalls), of NiO (nanofoam) and WO3 (nanorods)

·         The third macroarea, also recent, concerns the study of materials based on graphene and in particular three-dimensional graphene structures (sponges) made by CVD deposition. These structures, possibly coupled with nanostructures of metal oxides or polymeric materials, are investigated both for the realization of sensors and for systems useful for water purification.

The multi-year research activity has contributed to the formation of a specialized and professional competence both in the preparation and processing of materials and in their characterization, acquiring considerable mastery in the use of many instruments (for example many deposition techniques such as molecular beam epitaxy, chemical vapor deposition or magnetron sputtering, ion implantation, pulsed laser annealing, scanning electron microscopy, XPS spectroscopy, Rutherford retro scattered ion spectrometry, RHEED, electrical measurements, etc.). The prolonged presence in the laboratory has allowed, among other things, a good maturation of the management of ultra-high-vacuum systems, substrate preparation procedures, behavioral rules in a controlled atmosphere environment, etc.

National, international and industrial collaborations

• Newcastle University, UK (Prof. N. Cowern)
• University of Valladolid, Spain (Prof.ssa L. Pelaz)
• University of Muenster, Germany (Prof. H. Bracht)
• CNRS-LAAS, Toulose, France (Dr. F. Cristiano)
• Tyndall, Ireland (Dr. R. Duffy)
• 2Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA (Dr. M. Nastasi)
• STMicroelectronics, Italy (Dr. S. Ravesi, Dr. S. Conoci, G. Franco, ecc.)
• L.M.P. Università di Tours, Tours Cedex, Francia (Dr. Alquier)
• Helsinki University of Technology , Helsinki, Finlandia (vari)
• Università di Surrey UK (Prof. Williams)
• Università di Messina, Italia (Prof. G. Neri)
• CNR-IMM, sezione di Catania, Italia (vari)
• Università di Padova, Italia (Prof. Carnera e altri)
• Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II (Prof. Filippone)
• Università degli Studi di Palermo (Prof.ssa. N. T. Dintcheva)
• Università degli Studi di Salerno (Prof.ssa P. Scarfato)

The undersigned is widely involved in Third Mission activities dedicated to both schools and the population 

Continuous activity

• Physics Olympiad and University School Workshop
• PLS (Scientific Degree Plan) laboratory activities aimed at upper secondary schools http://www.dfa.unict.it/laureescientifichecatania/
• Scientific and Technological Culture Week (from the XXIII to the XXVI edition) addressed to schools of all levels http://www.dfa.unict.it/laureescientifichecatania/
• OPEN DAYS events of the University of Catania - Nanotechnology area

Specific events

• Researchers' Night 2009 Student Hall 2014
• PHOSforeSCIENZA exhibition (http://csfnsm.ct.infn.it/Phosforescienza/), held at Le Ciminiere, Catania, on the occasion of the International Year of Light 2015
• Meeting / debate addressed to schools "From the Stars to the Particles - Five female researchers talk about their research experience and their experience of female physics" 2016
• FAMELAB - the Science talent show, selection of Catania (http://www.famelab-italy.it/) - preselection of candidates on March 2nd. 2017
• PINT OF SCIENCE Catania edition (https://pintofscience.it/events/catania) 2018-2020
• Debate meeting In the summer we learn STEM Science for women 2018
• SHARPER European Researchers' Night. 2018-2019
• Interview / debate on the role of women in scientific research at RADIO CUTELLI 2019

Other activities

Project to promote educational offer with video http://www.zammumultimedia.it/percha-fisica-e-astronomia.htm, creating the 1st promotional video of the University 2015