• magnetic properties
• MRI contrast agent
• nanoparticles
• nanorods
• optical properties

In this work, the development of different synthetic approaches for the preparation of metal nanostructures has been studied in order to produce materials with modulated optical and magnetic properties.
Different methodologies, based on the thermal and sun promoted synthesis of silver nanoparticles directly generated in the polymeric matrix, have been studied for the preparation of nanocomposite materials with improved phase dispersion and anisotropic optical properties.
Silver nanorods as intrinsically anisotropic nanostructures have been prepared and dispersed in PVA matrix in order to prepare polymeric films with high absorption dichroic properties.
The thermal stability of a silver seed nanoparticles solution in order to evaluate the effects induced on the particles morphology by a thermal stress was studied as well.
Polymeric nanocomposite films have been also prepared by a pH controlled silver seed growth process and the optical behaviour of oriented films has been investigated in terms of absorption dichroism.
On the other hand, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles have been synthesised in order to prepare gold based core-shell architectures for application as contrast agent in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
The morphology of polymeric nanocomposites has been investigated by electron microscopy (TEM, SEM and BS-SEM) and atomic force (AFM) while the magnetic properties of core-shell nanostructures have been characterized by a clinical magnetic resonance instrument.