Publications
2025
White, R., D.,*; Napolitano, S.*; Lipson J. E. G.* Mechanistic Picture for the Slow Arrhenius Process in Glass Forming Systems: The Collective Small Displacements Model, Physical Review Letters 2025, 134, 098203
2024
Wang, M.; Li, C.; Napolitano, S.*; Wang, D., Liu, G.*, Quantifying and Modeling the Crystallinity of Polymers Confined in Nanopores, ACS Macro Letters 2024, 13, 908-914
Thoms, E.; Song, Z., Wang, K. & Napolitano, S.*, Simple Model to Predict the Adsorption Rate of Polymer Melts, Physical Review Letters 2024, 132, 248101
Fainozzi, D.; Caporaletti, F. al., Baldi, G.*,Temperature effects on the nanoscale thermoelastic response of a SiO2 membrane, APL Materials 2024, 12, 051122
Thoms, E.; Wang, K., Chandran S. & Napolitano, S.*, Fast Processing Affects the Relaxation of Polymers: The Slow Arrhenius Process Can Probe Stress at the Molecular Level, The Journal of Physical Chemistry 2024, 15, 4838
Thoms, E.; Li. C. & Napolitano, S.*, Tracing the slow Arrhenius process deep in the glassy state–quantitative evaluation of the dielectric relaxation of bulk samples and thin polymer films in the temperature domain, The Journal of Chemical Physics 2024, 160, 034901
Caporaletti, F.* & Napolitano, S.*, The slow Arrhenius process in small organic molecules, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2024, 26, 745
2023
Caporaletti, F.*, Devitrification caught on film, Nature Physics 2023, 19, 1394
Thoms, E. & Napolitano, S.*, Enthalpy-entropy compensation in the slow Arrhenius process, The Journal of Chemical Physics 2023, 159, 161103
Duivenvoorden, J. R.*; Caporaletti, F.; Woutersen, S.; Keune, K.; Hermans, J. J Nanoconfined Water Clusters in Zinc White Oil Paint. J. Phys. Chem. C 2023, 127, 19269
Yang, Y.; Xu, Q.; Jin, T.; Wang, X.; Napolitano,S.*; Zuo, B.*, Relaxations of Entropically Stressed Polymer Glasses, Macromolecules 2023, 56, 5924−5931
Schmidt, R. W.; Giubertoni*, G.; Caporaletti, F.; Kolpakov, P.; Shahidzadeh, N.; Ariese, F.; Woutersen, S.* Raman Diffusion-Ordered Spectroscopy, J. Phys. Chem. A 2023 127, 36, 7638
Yang, Y.; Tian, H.; Napolitano, S.*; Zuo, B.*, Crystallization in thin films of polymer glasses: The role of free surfaces, solid interfaces and their competition, Progress in Polymer Science 2023, 144, 1011725
Martinelli, A.*; Caporaletti, F.; Dallari, F.: Sprung, M.; Westermeier, F.; Baldi, G.; Monaco, G.* Reaching the Yield Point of a Glass During X-Ray Irradiation Phys. Rev. X 2023 13, 041031
Wang, B.; Sanviti, M.; Alegria, Á. and Napolitano, S.*, Molecular Mobility of Polymers at the Melting Transition, ACS Macro Letters 2023, 12, 389-394
Sun, P.; Caporaletti, F. et al., Observation of long-range anisotropy in a vapor-deposited metallic glass Materialia 2023, 30, 101847
Wang, M.; Zhang, C.; Liu, G.*; Napolitano. S.*; Wang, D., Physical Aging of Polystyrene Confined in Anodic Aluminum Oxide Nanopores, Langmuir 2023 39, 3471–3480
2022
Mannini, G.*; Benali, S.; Mathew, A; Napolitano. S.; Raquez, J.-M., Goole, J. Paliperidone palmitate as model of heat-sensitive drug for long-acting 3D printing application, International Journal of Pharmaceutics 2022, 618, 121662
Song, Z.; Rodríguez-Tinoco; C.Mathew, A. and Napolitano. S.*, Fast equilibration mechanisms in disordered materials mediated by slow liquid dynamics, Science Advances 2022 8, eabm7154
Song, Z.; White, R., D.; Lipson J. E. G. and Napolitano, S.*, Experimental and Modeling Comparison of the Dynamics of Capped 2 and Freestanding Poly(2-chlorostyrene) Films, ACS Macro Letters 2022, 11, 91-95
Abate, A.A.; D. Cangialosi* and Napolitano S.*, High Throughput Optimization Procedure to Charachterize Vitrification Kinetics, Thermochimica Acta 2022, 707 179084
2021
Liu, J.*; Liu, G.; Song, Z.; Kaltenegger, M; Silva de Moraes, L.; Gopi, E.; Napolitano, S. and Geerts, Y. H., Memory Effect and Crystallization of (R, S)‑2-Chloromandelic Acid 2 Glass, The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 2021, 125, 13339–13347
Nieto Simavilla, D.; Abate, A.A.; Liu, J., Geerts, Y.H.; Losada-Peréz, P. and Napolitano S.*, 1D-Confinement Inhibits the Anomaly in Secondary Relaxation of a Fluorinated Polymer, ACS Macro Letters 2021, 10, 649
Wang, B.; Mathew, A. and Napolitano. S.*, Temperature and Thickness Dependence of the Time Scale of Crystallization of Polymers under 1D Confinement, ACS Macro Letters 2021, 10, 476
2020
Dinelli, F.*; Pingue, P.; Signore, G.; Napolitano, S., Morphological and Elastic Transition of Polystyrene Adsorbed Layers on Silicon Oxide, Journal of Microscopy 2020, 280, 3, 280
Monnier, X.; Napolitano, S.* & Cangialosi D.*, Direct observation of desorption of a melt of long polymer chains, Nature Communications 2020, 11, 4354
Vanroy, B.; Wübbenhorst, M.; Napolitano, S.*;Remotely Controlling the Crystallization of Thin Polymer Coatings, Macromolecules 2020, 53, 4882-4888
Napolitano, S.*, Irreversible adsorption of polymer melts and nanoconfinement effects, Soft Matter 2020, 16, 5348-5365
Rodríguez-Tinoco, C.; Nieto S. D., Priestley, R.D.; Wübbenhorst, M and Napolitano, S.*,Density of Obstacles Affects Diffusion in Adsorbed Polymer Layers, ACS Macro Letters 2020, 9, 318–322
Napolitano, S.*;Topical Issue on Dielectric Spectroscopy Applied to Soft Matter (editorial), EPJE 2020, 43: 4
Panagopoulo, A.; Rodríguez-Tinoco, C.; White, R. P.; Lipson, J.E.G. and Napolitano, S.,* Substrate Roughness Speeds Up Segmental Dynamics of Thin Polymer Films, Physical Review Letters 2020, 124, 027802
2019
Chandran, S.*; Baschnagel, J.; Cangialosi. D.; Fukao, K. Glynos. E.; Janssen, L. C. M.; Müller, M.; Muthukumar, M.; Steiner, U.; Xu, J.; Napolitano, S.* and Reiter, G.* Processing Pathways Decide Polymer Properties at the Molecular Level, Macromolecules 2019, 52, 7146-7156
Debot, A.; Tripathi, P. and Napolitano, S.* Solution filtering affects the glassy dynamics of spincoated thin films of poly(4-chlorostyrene) European Physical Journal E 2019, 42 102
Adrjanowicz, K.*; Winkler, R.; Dzienia, A.; Paluch, M.; Napolitano, S., Connecting 1D and 2D Confined Polymer Dynamics to its Bulk Behavior via Density Scaling ACS Macro Lett. 2019, 8, 3, 304-309
Waeytens, J.; Doneux, T., and Napolitano, S.*; Evaluating mechanical properties of polymers at the nanoscale level via AFM-IR, ACS Applied Polymer Materials 2019, 1, 3
Debot, A.; White, R.; Lipson, J. and Napolitano, S.*;Experimental Test of the Cooperative Free Volume Rate Model under 1D Confinement: The Interplay of Free Volume, Temperature, and Polymer Film Thickness in Driving Segmental Mobility, ACS Macro Letters 2019, 8, 41
2018
Nieto S., D..; Huang, W.; Housmans, C.; Sferrazza, M. and Napolitano, S.*;Taming the strength of interfacial interactions via nanoconfinement, ACS Central Science 2018, 4, 775
Wojciech, O.*; Tempelman, K.; Napolitano, S. and Benes, N. E.; Evidence of a Transition Layer between the Free Surface and the Bulk J Phys Chem Lett 2018, 9, 1195-1199
2017
Madkour, S.; Szymoniak, P; Hertwig, A.; Heidari, M.; von Klitzing, R.; Napolitano, S.; Sferrazza, M. and Schönhals A.*; Decoupling of Dynamic and Thermal Glass Transition in Thin Films of a PVME/PS Blend ACS Macro Lett. 2017, 6, 1156-1161
Nieto S., D.; Huang, W.; Vandestrick, P.; Ryckaert, J.-P.; Sferrazza, M and Napolitano, S.*; Mechanisms of Polymer Adsorption onto Solid Substrates, ACS Macro Lett. 2017, 6, 975–979
Panagopoulou, A. & Napolitano, S.*; Irreversible Adsorption Governs the Equilibration of Thin Polymer Films, Physical Review Letters 2017, 119, 9, 097801 in the news
Nieto S., D., D.; Panagopoulou, A and Napolitano, S.*; Characterization of Adsorbed Polymer Layers: Preparation, Determination of the Adsorbed Amount and Investigation of the Kinetics of Irreversible Adsorption Macromol. Chem. Phys. 2017, 1700303
Perez-de-Eulate, N. G.; Sferrazza, M.; Cangialosi, D.; Napolitano, S.*; Irreversible Adsorption Erases the Free Surface Effect on the Tg of Supported Films of Poly(4-tert-butylstyrene), ACS Macro Lett. 2017, 6, 354–358
Sferrazza, M.; Napolitano, S.*; Advances in How irreversible adsorption affects interfacial properties of polymers, Advances in Colloids and Interfacial Science 2017
Braatz, M.-L.; Infantas, L.; Sferrazza, M.; Napolitano S,* Unexpected impact of irreversible adsorption on thermal expansion: adsorbed layers are not that dead, Journal of Chemical Physics 2017, 146, 203304
Napolitano, S.* Staying conductive in the stretch, Science 2017, 335, 24
Jeong, H.; Napolitano, S.; Arnold, C. B. and Priestley R. D.*; Irreversible Adsorption Controls Crystallization in Vapor-Deposited Polymer Thin Films J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2017, 8, 229–234
Napolitano, S.*; Glynos, E.; Tito, N. B. Glass transition of polymers in bulk, confined geometries, and near interfaces, Reports of Progress in Physics 2017, 80, 036602
2016
Jasiurkowska-Delaporte, M.; Napolitano, S.; Leys, J.; …, Glass Transition Dynamics and Crystallization Kinetics in the Smectic Liquid Crystal 4-n-Butyloxybenzylidene-4′-n′-octylaniline (BBOA), The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 2016, 120, 12160
Burroughs, M.; Cangialosi, D.; Napolitano, S.; Priestley, R. D.*, Direct Measurement of Glass Transition Temperature in Exposed and Buried Adsorbed Polymer Nanolayers, Macromolecules 2016, 49, 4647-4655
2015
Napolitano, S.* Caught in the Tube, Physics 2015, 8, 93
Spièce, J.; Martinez-Tong, D.E.; Sferrazza, M.; Nogales, A.; Napolitano, S.*, Are polymers glassier upon confinement?, Sott Matter 2015, 11 6179-6186
Gnecco, E.; Pedraz, P.; Nita, P.; Dinelli, F.; Napolitano, S.; Pingue, P.*, Surface rippling induced by periodic instabilities on a polymer surface, New Journal of Physics 2015, 17, 032001
Priestley, R. D.*; Cangialosi, D.*; Napolitano, S.*, On the Equivalence Between the Thermodynamic and Dynamic Measurements of the Glass Transition in Confined Polymers, Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids 2015, 407, 288-295
Wubbenhorst, M*; Casina, A.; Vanroy, B.; Napolitano, S., Ultrathin polymer films by single molecule deposition, Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids 2015, 407, 270-276
2014
Housmans, C.; Sferrazza, M.; Napolitano, S.*; Kinetics of irreversible chain adsorption, Macromolecules 2014, 47, 3390-3393
Martínez-Tong, D. E.*; Vanroy, B.; Wübbenhorst, M.; Nogales, A.; Napolitano, S.* Crystallization of poly(L-lactide) confined in ultrathin films: competition between finite size effects and irreversible chain adsorption, Macromolecules 2014, 47, 2354-2360
Tang, Q.*; Hu, W. and Napolitano, S. Slowing down of accelerated structural relaxation in ultrathin polymer films Physical Review Letters 2014, 112, 148306
2013
Napolitano, S.*; Cangialosi, D.*, Interfacial free volume and vitrification: the reduction in Tg in proximity of an adsorbing interface explained by the Free Volume Holes Diffusion model, Macromolecules 2013, 46, 8051–8053
Napolitano, S.*; Capponi, S., Vanroy, B., Glassy dynamics of soft matter under 1D confinement: How irreversible adsorption affects molecular packing, mobility gradients and orientational polarization in thin films, invited COLLOQUIUM, European Physical Journal E 2013, 36, 61
Vanroy, B.; Wübbenhorst, M.; Napolitano, S.*, Crystallization of thin polymer layers confined between two adsorbing walls, ACS Macro Letters 2013, 2, 168-172
2012
Capponi, S.; Napolitano, S.*; Wübbenhorst, M., Supercooled liquids with enhanced orientational order, Nature Communications 2012, 3, 1233
Napolitano, S.; D’Acunto, M.; Baschieri, P.; Gnecco, E., Pingue, P.*Ordered Rippling of Polymer Surfaces: Impact of scan pattern and boundary effects, Nanotechnology 2012, 23, 475301
Napolitano, S.*; Rotella, C.; Wübbenhorst, M., Can Thickness and Interfacial Interactions Univocally Determine the Behavior of Polymers Confined at the Nanoscale? ACS Macro Letters 2012, 1, 1189-1193
Yin, H.; Napolitano, S.; Schoenhals, A. Molecular Mobility and Glass Transition of Thin Films of Poly(Bisphenol A Carbonate), Macromolecules 2012, 45 1652-1662
2011
Rotella, C.*; Napolitano, S.; Vandendriessche, S.; Valev, V.K.; Verbiest, T.; Larkowska, M.; Kucharski, S.; Wübbenhorst, M., Adsorption kinetics of ultrathin polymer films in the melt probed by dielectric spectroscopy and second harmonic generation, Langmuir 2011, 27 13533-13538
—————————————————————————————————-
Rotella, C.; Wübbenhorst, M.; Napolitano, S.*, Probing interfacial mobility profiles via the impact of nanoscopic confinement on the strength of the dynamic glass transition, Soft Matter 2011, 7, 5260-5266
Napolitano, S.*; Rotella, C.; Wübbenhorst, M., Is the reduction in tracer diffusivity under nanoscopic confinement related to a frustrated segmental mobility? Macromolecular Rapid Communications 2011, 32, 844-848
Napolitano, S.*; Wübbenhorst, M., The lifetime of the deviations from bulk behavior in polymer confined at the nanoscale, Nature Communications 2011, 2, 260
Monnaie, I.; Napolitano, S.*; Nies, E.; Wübbenhorst, M., Exploiting interfacial polarization to detect phase transitions in dilute solution: crystallization and melting of P3HT in toluene down to ppm contents, Polymer 2011, 52, 239-242
Meersman, F.; Geukens, B.; Wübbenhorst, M.; Leys, J.; Napolitano, S.; Filinchuk, Y.; Van Assche, G.; Van Mele, B.; Nies, E.*, Dynamics of the Crystal to Plastic Crystal Transition in the Hydrogen Bonded N-(Isopropyl) propionamide, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 2010, 114, 13944–13949
Napolitano, S.*; Wübbenhorst, M., Structural relaxation and dynamic fragility of freely standing polymer films, Polymer 2010, 51, 5309-5312
Rotella, C.; Napolitano, S*.; De Cremer, L.; Koeckelberghs, G.; Wübbenhorst, M., Distribution of segmental mobility in ultrathin polymer films, Macromolecules 2010, 43, 8686-8691
Dimopoulos, A.; Wietor, J.-L.; Wübbenhorst, M.; Napolitano, S.; de With, G.; Benthem, R.; Sijbesma, R.*, Enhanced Mechanical Relaxation below the Glass Transition Temperature in Partially Supramolecular Networks, Macromolecules 2010, 43, 8664-8669
Capponi, S.; Napolitano, S.; Couderc, G.; Behrnd, N.-R.; Hulliger, J.; Wübbenhorst, M.*, Structural relaxation in nanometer thin layers of glycerol, Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2010, 114, 16696-16699
Reiter,G.*; Napolitano, S., Possible origin of the thickness-dependent deviations from bulk properties of ultrathin polymer films, (invited) VIEWPOINT, Journal of Polymer Science, part B: Physics 2010, 24, 2544-2547
Wübbenhorst, M.*; Capponi, S.; Napolitano, S.; Rozanski, S.; Couderc, G.; Behrnd, N.-R.; Hulliger, J., Dynamics in ultrathin liquid films studied by simultaneous dielectric spectroscopy (DS) and organic molecular beam deposition (OMBD) European Physical Journal – Special Topics 2010, 189, 181-186
Napolitano, S.*; Pilleri, A.; Rolla, P.; Wübbenhorst, M., Unusual deviations from bulk behavior in ultrathin films of poly(tert-butylstyrene): can dead layers induce a reduction of Tg? ACS Nano, 2010, 2, 841-848
Rotella, C.; Napolitano, S.*; Wübbenhorst, M.*, Segmental mobility and glass transition temperature of freely suspended ultrathin polymer membranes Macromolecules, 2009, 42, 1061-1063
Peter, S.; Napolitano, S.; Meyer, H.; Wübbenhorst, M., Baschnagel, J.* Modeling dielectric relaxation in polymer glass simulations: dynamics in the bulk and in supported polymer films Macromolecules, 2008, 41, 7729-7743
Napolitano, S.*; Lupascu, V; Wübbenhorst, M., Temperature dependence of the deviations from bulk behaviour Macromolecules, 2008, 41, 1061-1063
Napolitano, S.*; Wübbenhorst, M., Dielectric signature of a dead layer in ultrathin films of a non-polar polymerJournal of Physical Chemistry B, 2007. 111, 9197-9199
Napolitano, S.*; Wübbenhorst, M., Effect of a reduced mobility layer on the interplay between molecular relaxations and diffusion limited crystallization rate in ultrathin polymer films Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2007. 111 5575-5580
Napolitano, S.*; Wübbenhorst, M., Monitoring the cold crystallization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) via dielectric spectroscopy Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 2007 353(47-51) 4357-4361
Napolitano, S.*; Wübbenhorst, M.*, Deviation from bulk behaviour in the cold crystallization kinetics of ultrathin films of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), PHB Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 2007 19 205121
D’Acunto, M.*; Napolitano, S.; Pingue, P.; Giusti, P.; Rolla, P., Fast formation of ripples induced by AFM. A new method for patterning polymers on nanoscale Materials Letters, 2007 61 3305-3309
Prevosto, D.; Napolitano, S.*; Pingue, P.; Capaccioli, S.; Lucchesi, M., Investigation of structural relaxation and surface modification of ultrathin films of poly(ethylene terephthalate) European Physical Journal – Special Topics, 2007. 141 193-198
Kessairi, K.; Napolitano, S.; Capaccioli, S.; Rolla, P.; Wübbenhorst, M.*, Molecular dynamics of atactic polypropylene investigated by broadband dielectric spectroscopy Macromolecules, 2007 40(6) 1786-1788
Napolitano, S.; Prevosto, D.; Lucchesi, M.; Pingue, P.; D’Acunto, M.; Rolla, P.*, Influence of a reduced mobility layer on the structural relaxation dynamics of aluminium capped ultrathin films of poly(ethylene terephthalate). Langmuir, 2007. 23(4) 2103-2109
Napolitano, S.*; Wübbenhorst, M., Slowing down of the crystallization kinetics in ultrathin polymer films: A size or an interface effect? Macromolecules, 2006. 39(18) 5967-5970