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DNA origami has attracted substantial attention since its invention ten years ago, due to the seemingly infinite possibilities that it affords for creating customized nanoscale objects. Although the basic concept of DNA origami is easy to understand, using custom DNA origami in practical applications requires detailed know-how for designing and producing the particles with sufficient quality and for preparing them at appropriate concentrations with the necessary degree of purity in custom environments. Such know-how is not readily available for newcomers to the field, thus slowing down the rate at which new applications outside the field of DNA nanotechnology may emerge. To foster faster progress, we share in this article the experience in making and preparing DNA origami that we have accumulated over recent years. We discuss design solutions for creating advanced structural motifs including corners and various types of hinges that expand the design space for the more rigid multilayer DNA origami and provide guidelines for preventing undesired aggregation and on how to induce specific oligomerization of multiple DNA origami building blocks. In addition, we provide detailed protocols and discuss the expected results for five key methods that allow efficient and damage-free preparation of DNA origami. These methods are agarose-gel purification, filtration through molecular cut-off membranes, PEG precipitation, size-exclusion chromatography, and ultracentrifugation-based sedimentation. The guide for creating advanced design motifs and the detailed protocols with their experimental characterization that we describe here should lower the barrier for researchers to accomplish the full DNA origami production workflow.

Alumina-copper oxide supports can be obtained by cogelation yielding uniformly sized spheres with high surface areas and unimodal mesoporosity, that can be employed as supports for Pd catalysts obtained by impregnation. These are characterized by SEM, XRD, BET, H2 chemisorption and TPR, and can be successfully used in the hydrogenation of nitrate (nitrite) in water with minor ammonia formation.

InP liquid-encapsulated Czochralski growth was analyzed by a combined experimental and modelling approach. The model calculations obtained through the thermal capillary model were matched to the experimentally measured temperature field within the system. The effects of the most important growth parameters on the crystal characteristics were analyzed by means of sensitivity analysis, indicating the crucible temperature as the key parameter to control crystal defect generation.

The importance of the distinction between 〈110〉 directions on the surface of (100)-oriented wafers for epitaxial growth and device fabrication is well known. The distinction is made by means of two flats. The traditional methods used for the accurate determination of flats location on ingots or wafers (with X-ray diffraction) or for the qualitative distinction between the flats (H2SO4 etchant) are compared with alternative procedures found in literature and/or developed in the present work: the use of dislocation-related etch pits (DREPs) revealed by the “Chu et al.” etchant and of the brightness and geometry of the faces on the cone of growth. Studies conducted on doped and undoped InP, by using optical and scanning electron microscopy, indicate that (i) concerning the cone of growth, the result differs from that typically used for GaAs and (ii) concerning the “Chu et al.” etchant, it originates well-defined pyramids with a rectangular base having its longer side parallel to the [0 11 ]-[011 ]axis on side A and rotated 90° on side B. It is suggested that DREPs can be used quantitatively for the control of flats location or for the determination of [0 11 ] and [0 1 1] directions on wafers without flats.

An analysis of InP liquid-encapsulated Czochralski growth, based on a comparison of experimental and calculated dislocation density data, is presented. The adopted model is based on the calculation of the thermoelastic stress field, being the temperature field calculated through the thermal capillary model. Both Smith's rule and the Alexander-Haasen approach have been adopted to correlate the stress field with the dislocation density. Undoped and S-doped materials have been considered.

Two procedures of partial melting of bulk NdBa2Cu3O7−δ, in air and in reduced oxygen pressure, were developed. When the treatment was carried out in air, poor superconducting properties were observed. On the contrary, when the treatment was carried in PO2=1.3 mbar, good properties were obtained, with Tconset=93 K and 100% shielding at lower temperatures. Near full density (2.5×2.5×28) mm3 Nd1.07Ba1.89Cu3.04O7−δ bars, with domains extending in the mm size range, were obtained.

Sulfated zirconia spheres and microspheres with variable, though strictly controlled, diameters up to several millimeters have been prepared by a new sol gel procedure. The spheres have been also promoted with 1% Pt and have been characterized after calcination at 550° and 600 °C. The Pt modified catalysts are very active and stable in the isomerization of n-butane

Zirconia spheres have been prepared by gel supported precipitationprocedure, yielding high surface area materials retaining good mechanical resistance, proper shape, and narrow distribution dimensions in the range 0.01–2 mm. Spheres of 1.7 mm diameter have been characterized after calcination at four different temperatures (573–1073K). One of these samples has been used as support for the preparation of a 0.98% Pt catalyst showing good activity in the low temperature methane catalytic combustion.

Integrated research on pollution and eutrophication problems in the central part of the lagoon of Venice is reported, together with a three-dimensional diffusion model. The latter was developed through preliminary elaboration of two other two-dimensional models of the same area, a diffusion and a advection-diffusion model. It was used to estimate, by calibration, the eddy diffusion constant incorporating the dispersive action of the tide. Both research and model were finalized with the objective of studying the temporal evolution and steady-state condition of the dispersion of pollutants and nutrients in the lagoon. The three-dimensional model is applied to simulate dispersion of eight representative variables: phytoplankton, zooplankton, NH 4 + , NO x − , PO 4 3− , dissolved oxygen, degradable organic compounds and temperature. Computer outputs, displaying the spatial distribution of the considered variables under peculiar hypereutrophic conditions, are presented. Additional detailed notes are introduced concerning the more relevant steps of the global study.

The results of the development of two different technologies for the preparation of special surfaces for ready-to-use (‘epi-ready’) InP wafers are presented. The epi-ready state was studied by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The quality of the substrates stored for 4–12 months was tested by growing an epilayer by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy and by characterizing it with high-resolution X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence techniques. Evidence that one of our technologies could be adopted industrially is given.