Omar studied chemistry at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP) (Argentina), receiving his Ph.D. in 2004. His postdoctoral studies were carried out at the University of Cambridge (UK) (2004–2006, Marie Curie Research Fellow) and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (Germany) (2007, Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow). He was then appointed as Max Planck Partner Group leader from 2009 until 2013. He has served as Vice-Director of the Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas (INIFTA) (2012–2015). He is currently a fellow member of CONICET and head of the Soft Matter Laboratory of INIFTA. Since 2009, he is also Adjunct Professor of Physical Chemistry at UNLP.

Honours and Awards

Premio Konex 2013 – Diploma al Mérito: Ciencia y Tecnología – Fisicoquímica, Química Inorgánica y Analítica.

Premio Houssay 2012 – Área: Química, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular – Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva (MinCyT) – Argentina.

Premio “Ranwel Caputto” en Química otorgado por la Academia Nacional de Ciencias (ANC) en reconocimiento a los antecedentes científicos y a la destacada trayectoria en el área de las ciencias químicas (2010).

Premio Estímulo “Tadeo Haenke” otorgado por la Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales (ANCEFN) al mejor investigador joven de la Argentina en el área de Química (2010).

Research interest

  • Macromolecular assembly
  • Polymer-inorganic hybrid materials
  • Supramolecular materials science
  • Solid-state nanopores
  • Functional electrochemical interfaces

Selected publications

  1. “Nanofluidic Diodes with Dynamic Rectification Properties Stemming from Reversible Electrochemical Conversions in Conducting Polymers”
    G. Pérez-Mitta, W. Marmisollé, C. Trautmann, M.E. Toimil-Molares, O. Azzaroni.
    Journal of the American Chemical Society 137 (2015)15382-15385.
  2. “Mesophase Transformation in Amphiphilic Hyperbranched Polymers Induced by Transition Metal Ion Complexation. Creating Well-Defined Metallo-Supramolecular Assemblies from “Ill-Defined” Building Blocks”.
    A.S. Picco, W. Knoll, M. Ceolín, O. Azzaroni.
    ACS Macro Letters 4 (2015) 94–100.
  3. “Supramolecular surface chemistry: Substrate-independent, phosphate-driven growth of polyamine-based multifunctional thin films”
    W. Marmisollé, J. Irigoyen, D. Gregurec, S. Moya, O. Azzaroni.
    Advanced Functional Materials 25 (2015) 4144-4152.
  4. “Unusual temperature-induced swelling of ionizable poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based microgels: experimental and theoretical insights into its molecular origin”
    J.M. Giussi, M.I. Velasco, G.S. Longo, R.H. Acosta, O. Azzaroni
    Soft Matter, 11 (2015) 8879-8886
  5. “Hydrophobic interactions leading to a complex interplay between bioelectrocatalytic properties and multilayer meso-organization in layer-by-layer assemblies.”
    M.L. Cortez, N. De Matteis, M. Ceolín, W. Knoll, F. Battaglini, O. Azzaroni
    Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 16 (2014) 20844-20855.
  6. “Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Polyelectrolytes into Ionic Current Rectifying Solid-State Nanopores: Insights from Theory and Experiment”.
    M. Ali, B. Yameen, J. Cervera, P. Ramírez, R. Neumann, W. Ensinger, W. Knoll, O. Azzaroni.
    Journal of the American Chemical Society, 132 (2010) 8338-8348.
  7. “Mesoporous Films and Polymer Brushes Helping Each Other to Modulate Ionic Transport in Nanoconfined Environments. An Interesting Example of Synergism in Functional Hybrid Assemblies”.
    A. Calvo, B. Yameen, F.J. Williams, G.J.A.A. Soler-Illia, O. Azzaroni.
    Journal of the American Chemical Society, 131 (2009) 10866-10868.
  8. “Synthetic Proton-Gated Ion Channels via Single Solid-State Nanochannels Modified with Responsive Polymer Brushes”.
    B. Yameen, M. Ali, R. Neumann, W. Ensinger, W. Knoll, O. Azzaroni.
    Nano Letters, 9 (2009) 2788-2793.
  9. “Highly Proton-Conducting Self-Humidifying Microchannels Generated by Copolymer Brushes on a Scaffold”
    B. Yameen, A. Kaltbeitzel, A. Langner, F. Müller, U. Gösele, W. Knoll, O. Azzaroni.
    Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 48 (2009) 3124-3228.
  10. “Single Conical Nanochannels Displaying pH-Tunable Rectifying Characteristics. Manipulating Ionic Transport with Zwitterionic Polymer Brushes”.
    B. Yameen, M. Ali, R. Neumann, W. Ensinger, W. Knoll, O. Azzaroni.
    Journal of the American Chemical Society, 131 (2009) 2070-2071

Invited articles

  1. “Self-Limited Self-Assembly of Nanoparticles into Supraparticles: Towards Supramolecular Colloidal Materials by Design”
    E. Piccinini, D. Pallarola, F. Battaglini, O. Azzaroni.
    Molecular Systems Design & Engineering (2016) [Minireview] in press.
  2. “Recent Developments in the Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Polyaniline and Carbon Nanomaterials for Energy Storage and Sensing Applications. From Synthetic Aspects to Structural and Functional Characterization”
    W.A. Marmisollé, O. Azzaroni.
    Nanoscale 8 (2016) 9890–9918 [Feature Article]
  3. “Gated Supramolecular Chemistry in Hybrid Mesoporous Silica Nanoarchitectures: Controlled Delivery and Molecular Transport in Response to Chemical, Physical and Biological Stimuli”.
    S. Alberti, G. Soler-Illia, O. Azzaroni.
    Chemical Communications 51 (2015) 6050-6075 [Feature Article]
  4. “Polymer Brushes Here, There and Everywhere: Recent Advances in Their Practical Applications and Emerging Opportunities in Multiple Research Fields”
    O. Azzaroni.
    Journal of Polymer Science, Part A: Polymer Chemistry 50 (2012) 3225-3258 [Highlight]
  5. “Layer-by-Layer Assemblies in Nanoporous Templates: Nano-Organized Design and Applications of Soft Nanotechnology”.
    O. Azzaroni, K.H.A. Lau
    Soft Matter 7 (2011) 8709-8724 [Invited Review]
  6. ”Multifunctional Hybrids by Combining Ordered Mesoporous Materials and Macromolecular Building Blocks”.
    G.J.A.A. Soler-Illia, O. Azzaroni.
    Chemical Society Reviews, 40 (2011) 1107–1150 [Critical Review]