Academic Curriculum
-
In July 1971 she received her Laurea in Chemistry with honours
at the University of Bologna (at that time the PhD was not yet
established in Italy)
-
From 1971 to 1992 she worked as a researcher at the Institute of
Photochemistry and High Energy Radiation of the National Research
Council of Bologna
-
In 1992 she became associate professor in Chemistry at the
University of Bologna
- In 2005 she became full professor in Chemistry at the
University of Bologna
- In November 2017 she retired and became professor of Alma Mater
Appointments and Awards
- From 1988 to 1992 she was the delegate for Chemistry in the
Governor Board of the Italian Society for Radiation Research
(SIRR)
- From 1993 to 1997 she was a member of the Governor Board of the
Radiochemistry Group of the Italian Chemical Society
- From 1999 to 2002 she was the President of the Guidance
Committee of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of
Bologna
- From 2004 to 2008 she was elected again as the delegate for
Chemistry in the Governor Board of the Italian Society for
Radiation Research (SIRR)
- From 2006 to 2011 she was elected as a member in the Governor
Board of the Photochemistry Group of the Italian Chemical
Society
- From 2007 to 2013 she was President of the Second Level Degree
in Photochemistry and Molecular Materials of the University of
Bologna
- Since 2010 she is the coordinator of a course of lectures on
Scienza e Societa' opened not only to students, but also to
citizens; such a course aims to show the beauty and the utility of
the scientific research, to fill the fracture between science and
society and to foster democratic decisions
- Since 2009 she is member of the European Academy of Sciences
- Since 2009 she is member of the Editorial Board of the Topics in
Current Chemistry
- Since 2010 she is member of the Editorial Board of the Current
in Physical Chemistry journal
- In 2013 she was nominated member of the Accademia delle Scienze
of Bologna because of her high and recognized level of scientific
expertise
- In 2014 she was nominated member of the Accademia Nazionale dei
Lincei, detta dei XL
- In September 2014 she received the Gold Medal Gabriello
Illuminati from the Italian Chemical Society because of her scientific contribution to the development of Chemistry and her involvement in teaching and spreading Chemistry
- Since 2015 she is Coordinator of the Photochemistry Interdivisional Group of the Italian Chemical Society
- Since 2017 she is member of the Scientific Board of book series “Guide per lo sviluppo professionale degli insegnanti”
- In 2017 she was nominated honorary member of the CICAP (Italian Committee for the Investigation of Claims on the Pseudosciences) the honorary President of which is Piero Angela
- Since March 2017 she is a member of the Educational-Scientific Committee of the University of Bologna for the Permanent Training of School Teachers
- From January 2019 to December 2021 she was President of the Didactic Division of the Italian Chemical Society
- Since January 2020 she is editor of the magazine "La Chimica nelle Scuola - CnS"
- She plays the role of referee for international journals, like Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Chem. Commun., Chem. Eur. J., Chem. Soc. Rev., J. Am. Chem. Soc., J. Org. Chem., Org. Lett., Radiat. Phys. Chem.
Co-ordination of Projects
-
From 2004 to 2007 she was the co-ordinator of the INTAS Project
financed by the European Community entitled Synthesis and study
of the molecular assemblies of the crown-containing
hetarylphenylethenes for the optical, electrochemical and
electroluminescence detection of the metal and ammonium cations
, in which eight international researcher groups were involved
-
She was the national co-ordinator of the PRIN project (Prot.
2010CX2TLM) entitled Integrated supramolecular technologies for
chemical information processing: advanced molecular devices and
materials (InfoChem) financed in 2012
- She was the coordinator of the Unibo unit of the European
project Irresistible financed in 2013 in the frame of the
call A coordination and support action under
FP7-Science-in-Society-2013-1, Activity 5.2.2 Young people and
science, aimed at designing activities to promote Responsible
Research and Innovation
Scientific Research and Science
Spreading
From 1972 to 1991 her main research activity was focused on the
field of Radiation Chemistry. In particular, she studied, by means
of pulsed and continuous radiolytic techniques, the
electron-transfer processes involved in model systems for the
conversion of solar energy to chemical energy.
In 1992 she moved to the group of Prof. Balzani at the
Department of Chemistry "Giacomo Ciamician" of the University of
Bologna, where she is still working. Her present reasearch activity
is dedicated to the design, construction, and characterization of
molecular-level devices and machines in the frame of the bottom-up
approach to nanotechnology. An innovative aspect of this research
is the idea that the concept of macroscopic device and machine can
be extended to the molecular level, and that it is possible to
design multicomponent systems capable of performing specific
functions upon stimulation with external energy inputs. Up to now
the studies in this research field succeeded in constructing (i) a
number of systems for information processing such as wires,
switches, antennas, batteries, logic gates, and (ii) a variety of
systems that, powered by chemical energy, electrochemical energy,
or light, exhibit machine-like behaviour such as piston-cylinder
systems, shuttles, and rotary rings. Very recently a light powered
nanomotor has been obtained which has been highlighted in several
scientific journals.
She is co-author of more than 260 scientific papers, including
several reviews, published in the most relevant international
journals (J. Am. Chem. Soc., Acc. Chem. Res.,
Angew. Chem., Chem. Eur. J., Proceedings of the
National Academic of Sciences U.S.A.). She is co-author with
Vincenzo Balzani and Alberto Credi of a monograph titled
Molecular Devices and Machines - A Journey into
the Nano World published by Wiley-VCH in January 2003 a second
edition of which has appeared in 2008 (Chinese and Japanese
editions are available). In 2010 she was the Editor in Chief of the
special issue entitled New Trends in Photophysics of the
Current in Physical Chemistry journal. She was also co-editor with
Paola Ceroni and Alberto Credi of the book Electrochemistry of
Functional Supramolecular Systems published by John Wiley &
Sons in January 2010, co-editor with A. Credi and S. Silvi of
the book entitled Molecular Machines and Motors of the Topics in
Current Chemistry Series published in September 2014, and co-editor with Mila D’Angelantonio of the ISOF Institute of the National Research Council of Bologna of the book 375 entitled Applications of Radiation Chemistry in the fields of Industry, Biotechnology and Environment of the Topics in Current Chemistry Series, published in 2017
Her papers received a h-index of 62 (Scopus).
She was invited to give many lectures at International
Conferences, Universities, and Research Centers.
Since 1990 she is involved in didactics and spreading knowledge
of Science, in particular Chemistry, and this kind of activity is
testified by more than 30 papers and booklets dedicated to these
topics. The book Chimica! Leggere e scrivere il libro della
Natura , written with Vincenzo Balzani and published in 2012,
has been translated in English and published by the Royal Society
of Chemistry in 2014.
In 1999 she began to organize at the Department of Chemistry
"Giacomo Ciamician" a show entitled Sounds, Lights, Colors and
Other Special Effects during which the attending students and
citizens can see chemical demonstrations and understand the
importance, utility, and beauty of Chemistry. Every year more than
2000 students and 100 citizens attend the show.
