Antonio Tricoli

Antonio Tricoli is Professor of Materials Science in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Sydney, where he leads the Nanotechnology Research Laboratory. He received his Master’s degree in Mechanical and Process Engineering from ETH Zurich in 2004 and his PhD in Nanotechnology from ETH Zurich in 2010, with a thesis on gas-sensitive nanostructured films by direct flame synthesis. After his PhD, he worked as a research associate at ETH Zurich’s Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering from 2010 to 2012. In 2012, he joined the Australian National University as a research fellow, becoming Group Leader in the Research School of Engineering in 2016 and Professor in 2019. His career also includes roles at ETH Zurich’s Renewable Energy Laboratory and Particle Technology Laboratory prior to his PhD.

Tricoli’s research specializes in the synthesis and characterization of ultraporous nanomaterials, with applications in sensors and photodetectors for preventive and personalized medicine, renewable fuel production, and functional coatings. Key areas include nanosensors for breath analysis in diabetes monitoring and lung cancer diagnostics, self-cleaning and anti-fogging coatings, biointerfaces for bone implants, and nanostructures for energy storage and conversion. He has secured major funding through the Australian Research Council Future Fellowship in 2020 and served as a 2021 Fulbright Future Scholar hosted by MIT. Tricoli was a finalist for the 2023 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Innovative Research in Sustainability and received recognition in the University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence. His scholarly impact is evidenced by over 12,947 citations and an h-index of 62 on Google Scholar. Representative publications include 'Ultraporous Electron-Depleted ZnO Nanoparticle Networks for Highly Sensitive Portable Breath Sensors' (Advanced Materials, 2015), 'Omnidirectional Self-Assembly of Transparent Superoleophobic Nanohairs' (ACS Nano, 2017), and 'Sulfoxide-Functionalized Mesoporous C3N5 as a Metal-Free and Visible-Light-Driven Efficient Photocatalyst for CO2 Reduction' (Advanced Functional Materials, 2025).

Professional Email: antonio.tricoli@sydney.edu.au