VASI Sebastiano

Open‑Source Data Analysis and Gamification for Physics Education. This research activity integrates two complementary areas: the development and application of open‑source tools for data analysis in physics, and educational innovation through gamification and game‑based approaches for designing “scenarios’’ for teaching physics (particularly experimental physics), with the aim of supporting learning in virtual and remote environments. On one hand, this work culminated in the publication of the volume Open Source Tools for Physics Data Analysis: An Introduction (Springer, 2026), which provides a systematic introduction to widely used open‑source software ecosystems in scientific research - including Python, NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib, Pandas, and the Jupyter platform. The book illustrates how the adoption of open tools promotes reproducibility, transparency in data‑analysis workflows, and accessibility for students, educators, and researchers, offering practical examples across different areas of physics, from experimental data processing to the management of large datasets. In parallel, a second research axis focuses on the study and implementation of gamification techniques in physics education, with particular emphasis on increasing student engagement and improving conceptual understanding. Publications in this area show how the use of game elements, competitive dynamics, and game‑based activities can enhance motivation, social interaction, and active learning. Among the most significant examples is the design of a game‑based activity for teaching the photoelectric effect, enabling students to explore complex concepts through simulations and decision‑making processes typical of gameplay. Integrating these two research strands makes it possible to develop innovative educational pathways that combine open‑source digital tools, data analysis, simulations, and gamified content. This approach renders physics education more interactive, inclusive, and aligned with the acquisition of key transversal skills essential in contemporary STEM education, both in university and school contexts.

Optical Trapping and Characterization of Nanostructures. The research line concerns various aspects of nanoscience, from the growth of nanostructures to their characterization and manipulation with light, and has been carried out within the “Nano Soft Lab” group of the IPCF-CNR in Messina. Specifically, the activities have focused on studying the properties of atoms and molecules and their interactions with optical radiation - particularly coherent and highly intense radiation such as that from lasers. For example, laser radiation is used in the optical trapping technique for manipulating particles and nanostructures through optical tweezers, that is, optical forceps created using a laser source with high spatial coherence in an inverted-microscope setup. In this way, it is possible to trap microscopic particles or biological systems (cells or their components) at the focal point of a high-numerical aperture objective and control their motion on micro- and nanoscopic scales. This method makes it possible to study the properties of both the trapped body and the surrounding medium by measuring forces in the picoNewton range (force transducers) and elastic properties at microscopic scales. In addition, the work has also focused on trapping with polarized beams and force-sensing measurements, activities accompanied by the development of a new experimental setup for measurements using holographic techniques and experimental/theoretical studies on lasers and Raman spectroscopy related to optical trapping. Alongside national collaborations between CNR and Italian universities (e.g., the University of Messina, the University of Calabria, CNR-IPCF Cosenza), I have also had the opportunity to collaborate internationally with institutions such as University College London (Department of Physics and Astronomy) and the University of Cambridge (Department of Engineering). These activities are further supported by publications in highly reputed journals such as Nature Communications and Optics Letters.

Study of the chemical–physical properties of complex systems and of the dynamic and thermodynamic properties of water and aqueous solutions. The research activity, carried out within the “Laboratory of Physics of Complex Systems” (CRSC) research group at the University of Messina, focuses on the investigation of thermodynamic properties of complex systems using various techniques. In particular, I have dedicated my work to experimental studies on water and its interaction with other systems - such as proteins, alcohols, oils, and ancient paper - over a temperature range between 200 K and 370 K, in order to highlight the behavior of the systems under investigation. In addition to national collaborations with institutions such as the University of Florence, the Consortium for the Development of Large Interface Systems in Catania and Florence, and the Institute for Complex Systems of the National Research Council in Rome, I have also had the opportunity to collaborate internationally with the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge), the Center for Polymer Studies and Department of Physics at Boston University (Boston), and the Department of Physics at Yeshiva University (New York). These activities are further supported by publications in highly reputable journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (PCCP), The Journal of Chemical Physics, and others.

Synthesis and characterization of materials. This research line branches into multiple activities. The main focus concerns the production and study/characterization of low-dimensional materials (particularly 2D materials) and thin films for various applications, including those aimed at improving environmental and energy sustainability. These systems are of great relevance in the current global scientific landscape due to their optoelectronic properties and the possibility of producing them in dispersions or liquid solutions, allowing device fabrication through low‑cost techniques that are potentially suitable for industrial-scale implementation. Specifically, the research areas can be grouped as follows: Study of the structural, vibrational, thermal, and optoelectronic properties of functional materials for energy, including under extreme conditions (low temperatures, high pressures). Fabrication and characterization of specific types of solar cells, systems for converting solar energy into fuels, and supercapacitors. The main objective is to contribute to the understanding of the physico-chemical mechanisms underlying the operation of these materials in the field of clean and renewable energy. This mission enables, on the one hand, the development of new technological solutions to improve device performance and, on the other, the analysis and understanding of physico-chemical processes that are also present in other types of systems. Additional activities include: Use of complementary spectroscopic techniques to characterize the physico-chemical properties of geopolymeric materials. Development of instrumentation and testing of commercial CMOS sensor-based cameras for measuring X‑ray intensity through direct access to the sensor matrix. The activities are carried out mainly in collaboration with the “Micro and Nanosystems” (MNS) research group and the groups “Innovative Materials for Energy” (IME) and “Theoretical and Experimental Physics of Condensed Matter” (THEX) at the University of Messina. In addition to national collaborations, I have also had the opportunity to collaborate internationally with institutions such as the Department of Neutron Physics at the Nuclear Physics Institute (NPI) of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Husinec‑Řež, Czech Republic, and the Department of Macromolecular Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, among others.