1985 Graduated in Chemistry at the University of
Bologna
1985-1987 Staff member in the Research &
Development Laboratory of a food industry.
1987-1989 Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry at the
University of Bologna (3 months at the University of Bern).
1989-1998 Research technician in the Department of Chemistry
at the University of Bologna.
1997 Raffaello Nasini Prize (Inorganic Division of the
Italian Chemical Society) for studies on intermolecular
interactions in organometallic solids.
1998-2004 Associate Professor of General and Inorganic Chemistry at the
University of Sassari
2004-2014 Associate Professor of General and Inorganic Chemistry at the
University of Bologna
2014- Full Professor of General and Inorganic Chemistry at the University of
Bologna
Teaching activity: general and inorganic chemistry, materials chemistry, solid-state chemistry, pigments, laboratory courses on materials chemistry, advanced courses in materials chemistry, Courses on Polymorphism at International Summer Schools (Finland, Brazil, Switzerland) and Masters (Milan, Bologna).
Other current/past academic activities: Director of the Master Degree in Photochemistry and Molecular Materials (2013-2019); Member of the board for the PhD programme in Chemistry. Member of the board for the PhD programme in Nanoscience for Medicine and the Environment; Member of the Board of the Chemistry Department; President of the joint academic staff-students board of the Department.
Scientific interests: crystal engineering (design, synthesis, investigation and applications of molecular crystalline materials). In particular: (1) Synthesis and properties of new crystal forms (polymorphs, solvates, molecular and ionic co-crystals, solid solutions, coordination compounds with bio-compatible metals) of organic molecules of pharmaceutical, medicinal and agrochemical interest; (2) Luminescence of molecular solids via functionalization or co-crystallization; (3) Structural determination from single crystal and powder data. Techniques: mechanochemistry, solution and solvent-free syntheses, X-ray diffraction, DSC, TGA, hot stage microscopy.
Scientific activity: more than 400 papers in peer-reviewd international journals and books; more than 70 communications and lectures at national and international meetings and schools.
Organization/co-organization of 12 successful International Workshops on Crystal Forms. The latest edition (titled “Making, discovering, protecting and using crystals") was held in Bologna in September 2023, and involved 130 scientists from universities and pharmaceutical companies from all around the world.
Co-founder (2005) of the company PolyCrystalLine s.p.a., which is specialized in solid-state problems involving polymorphs, solvates/hydrates, co-crystals and salts, especially concerning APIs.
