As part of our ‘Meet The Editor’ Series we caught up with Dr. Cecilia Mortalò, a Researcher at the Institute of Condensed Matter Chemistry and Technologies for Energy – part of the Italian National Research Council – and a member of the Editorial Board of PeerJ Materials Science.
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PeerJ Materials Science new Editor-in-Chief Prof. Junkuo Gao
We recently announced the appointment of Prof. Junkuo Gao (Zhejiang Sci-Tech University) as Editor-in-Chief of PeerJ Materials Science! Read more about Prof. Gao, and our “Free November” publishing event, here.
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My name is Cecilia Mortalò and I am a senior researcher at the Institute of Condensed Matter Chemistry and Technologies for Energy (ICMATE) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR). I am presently working in Italy.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your research interests?
In general, I have a curious mind and love to learn anything new, so I am constantly in a learning process. I studied Chemistry because matter transformations fascinate me more than other subjects since I was a child. My research interests are in the field of materials chemistry. In particular, I have expertise in the preparation and study of a variety of advanced functional ceramic materials for applications in different fields, such as solid oxide fuel cells, energy storage systems and hydrogen separation/purification membranes. Another topic of my research is High Entropy Alloy (HEA) materials (both bulk and thin film materials) for applications in extreme and marine conditions. More recently, my interests have also shifted to nano-sized materials for various applications, such as phosphors with luminescent properties, composites with polymer matrix, nanofluids and inks.
What originally drew you to this area of research?
In my opinion, the field of nanomaterials is a topic of great interest. It is an interdisciplinary and very broad field that combines chemistry, physics, engineering, biomedicine, biotechnology and other disciplines in extremely diverse and fascinating applications.
What are you working on currently? Do you have anything exciting in the pipeline?
I am currently working on the study of composites based on inorganic nanomaterials dispersed in a polymeric matrix (also bio-based polymers) for different applications (green electronics, packaging, catalysis, magnetic materials). Superfast synthetic processes, such as those supported by microwave heating, are the key issue to obtain the desired shape, phase and performance of the nanoparticles.
What made you decide to become a PeerJ Materials Science Editor?
I love materials science in general and I really like the idea of sharing knowledge and inspiring other people to think differently or appreciate novelties. Moreover, I like to analyze critically works outside my field of expertise. I consider this Journal a prestigious one in this field and it is really a great honor to me to be part of the team of PeerJ Materials Science.
What areas of materials science research are particularly exciting at the moment, and what would you like to see submitted to PeerJ Materials Science?
The field of materials science is very vast and it is really hard to make an exhaustive list of hot topics right now. In the current context of scarce availability of critical raw materials, I believe that the study of alternative materials is fundamental for the clean energy transition and the application of the circular economy, i.e. energy storage and production materials, but also electronic and thermoelectric materials. Furthermore, bio-based materials are another field of interest for different applications. Last but not least, are the green technologies for the sustainable production of the materials.