Group
Members
Full Professor of Industrial Chemistry
Her research focuses on nanomaterials synthesis for energy and environmental applications. More specifically, she works in the development of heterogeneous catalysts to be used in various fields of industrial chemistry for the production of fuels and fine chemicals and for environment protection. She is also involved in the formulation of new sustainable materials for pharmaceutical, cosmetic and Cultural Heritage applications. She has co-authored 12 book chapters and over 150 scientific publications on international journals in the field of heterogeneous catalysis and material sciences. She is the Delegate of the Rectress for The Scientific Research. She has been the Coordinator of GIC (Interdivisional group of Catalysis of the Italian Chemical Society) and the CEO of the innovative start up Ve Nice srl.
Associate Professor of Industrial Chemistry
Her principal scientific interests are in the field of heterogeneous catalysis with a focus on the development of innovative nanostructured catalysts and their use in industrial and sustainable chemistry. In particular, she is working on the synthesis of metal nanoparticles supported on oxides materials and active carbon, their characterization and application for the production of fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomasses. Most recently, her work was focused on hydrogen production from renewable sources. Recently she is also investigating the formulation of multifunctional materials for applications in Cultural Heritage. She has presented her works in several national and international congresses. She has co-authored 6 book chapters and over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Lab technician
She is technical assistant at the Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems Departement of Ca’ Foscari University since 1989. Her activity is focused on the organization and support of research activities in the lab (management of lab equipment and lab logistic ensuring strictly safety procedures and safety checks) taking care of student during their degree training. Her skills mainly concerns materials' characterization using gas absorption in static and dynamic way (T.P.R., T.P.O., T.P.D., selective gas chemisorption), ionic and liquid chromatography, atomic adsorption.
Post doc researcher
She achieved a PhD in Chemistry in collaboration with a company in April 2025 concerning the "Development of smart innovative fertilizers". She is currently working as Research fellow at Ca' Foscari University on the development of photo-catalytic systems for environmental and energetic applications, such as photo-fuels production.
Research fellow
She obtained her Master’s Degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies in March 2026 with a thesis entitled "Sustainable Approaches to CO₂ Methanation: The Use of Biomass-Derived Catalytic Supports". She is currently a Research Fellow at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, where she is involved in research activities focused on the recovery of precious metals from electronic waste (e-waste). Her work focuses on developing sustainable and efficient methodologies for the extraction and recycling of valuable metals, contributing to resource recovery, waste valorization, and the transition towards a circular economy.
PhD students
PhD in Sustainable Chemistry
Thesis title: “SMART: Sustainable catalytic Materials and Approaches for biomass valoRizaTion”
PhD in Sustainable Chemistry
Thesis title: "Biomass-derived carbon materials for energy and greenhouse gases valorization"
PhD in Sustainable Chemistry
Thesis title: "CO2 valorization for green solvents production"
PhD in Catalysis funded by a Company
Our graduates
Bachelor's degree
- Ilaria Lanzi
Thesis title: “Sviluppo di un coating protettivo per artefatti lignei”
Bachelor's degree in Science and Technology for Cultural Heritage, a.y. 2024/2025 - Elena Gasparini
Thesis title: “Dai fondi di caffè allo shampoo: un approccio di upcycling per la valorizzazione di uno scarto agroalimentare”
Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2024/2025 - Claudia Ribon
Thesis title: “Sviluppo di un coating protettivo con proprietà antimicrobiche per opere lignee”
Bachelor's degree in Science and Technology for Cultural Heritage a.y. 2024/2025 - Matteo Baruzzo
Thesis title: “Conversione catalitica del metanolo ad acido acetico”
Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2024/2025 - Niccolò Mazzocca
Thesis title: “Creme solari: il ruolo del tensioattivo”
Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2024/2025 - Federico Mangano
Thesis title: “Pirolisi di scarti di biomasse per la sintesi di catalizzatori per metanazione”
Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2023/2024 - Giulia Paolini
Thesis title: “Sviluppo di carrier porosi per la formulazione di fertilizzanti innovativi”
Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2022/2023 - Giovanni Longo
Thesis title: “Development of catalysts for ammonia synthesis under an electric field”
Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2022/2023 - Samuele Stival
Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2022/2023 - Davide Baldassin
Thesis title: “Dalla biomassa di scarto allo sviluppo di un sistema catalitico”
Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2022/2023 - Nicola Calderaro
Thesis title: “Sviluppo di nanocontainer di silice per coating ad azione biocida”
Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2021/2022 - Alessia Boscolo
Thesis title: “Sviluppo di un coating multifunzionale a base di silice mesoporosa per la protezione dei beni culturali”
Bachelor's degree in Science and Technologies for Cultural Heritage, a.y. 2021/2022 - Elisa Andreatta
Thesis title: “Formulazioni di solari high tech sviluppati attraverso approcci sostenibili”
Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2021/2022 - Erica Fiorini
Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2021/2022 - Alice Franchin
Thesis title: “Design di cosmetici sostenibili attraverso la valorizzazione di scarti agroalimentari Made in Italy”
Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2021/2022 - Enrica Bonotto
Thesis title: “Da scarto a risorsa: dai gusci di nocciola ai nuovi ingredienti per la nutraceutica”
Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2021/2022 - Isabel Pizzoccaro
Thesis title: "La Visual Literacy come strumento della diagnostica artistica. Il caso dei pannelli decorativi ealkizzati da Amen per la Tavernetta dei poeti a Padova"
Bachelor's degree in Science and Technologies for Cultural Heritage, a.y. 2021/2022 - Emma Camarotto
Thesis title: “Sviluppo di approcci integrati per applicazioni cosmetiche”
Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2021/2022
Master's degrees
- Nicola Calderaro
Thesis title: “Optimization of photocatalytic fuel production via material design”
Master's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2024/2025 - Margherita Nart
Thesis title: "Approccio sostenibile alla metanazione di CO2: impiego di supporti catalitici ottenuti da biomassa"
Master's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2024/2025 - Melissa Del Carmen Bello Pinzon
Thesis title: “Biochars from residual waste to the treatment of water”
Master's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2023/2024 - Elisa Andreatta
Thesis title: “Sintesi di ossidi metallici per la formulazione di solari”
Master's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2023/2024 - Teresa Botrè
Thesis title: “Development of nanostructured photocatalytic coatings for stone materials”
Master's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2023/2024 - Rachele Braido
Thesis title: “Catalytic materials for dry reforming”
Master's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2022/2023 - Federico Apolloni
Thesis title: “Activated carbons from waste biomasses for water purification”
Master's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2022/2023 - Mirko Magnan
Thesis title: “Sintesi di olefine a partire da syngas proveniente da fonti non convenzionali”
Master's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2022/2023 - Giorgia Ferraro
Thesis title: “Strategies for improving CO2 photoreduction under solar light”
Master's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2022/2023 - Giulia Da Pian
Thesis title: “Catalytic materials for methane dry reforming in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells”
Master's degree in Chemical and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2021/2022 - Irene Martin
Thesis title: “Novel photocatalytic materials for CO2 utilization”
Master's degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2021/2022 - Margherita Riello
Thesis title: “Da scarto a risorsa: dai gusci di nocciola a nuovi catalizzatori per le reazioni di idrogenazione”
Master degree in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, a.y. 2021/2022 - Erica Spagnoli
Thesis title: “Development of a new formulation for smart sunscreen”
Master's degree in Science and Technologies of Bio and Nanomaterials, a.y. 2021/2022
Previous academic years
- Andrea Campostrini is the winner of the ABC Division Award for the best Master Degree thesis in Science for Cultural Heritage (edition 2022).
The award ceremony will take place during the ABC congress in Turin on june, 23th (2022).
Thesis title: “Investigating coating applications for protection of Roman frescoes” - Giulia Forghieri is the winner of the Industrial Chemistry Division Award for the best Master Degree thesis in Industrial Chemistry (edition 2020).
The award ceremony took place online on march, 5th (2021).
Thesis title: Nanostructured Materials for the photo-driven conversion of CO2. An investigation on the strategies for improved Photo-catalysis by Metal Oxide Semiconductors - Cristina Pizzolitto is the winner of the Industrial Chemistry Division Award for the Best Master Degree thesis in Industrial Chemistry (edition 2017) .
The award ceremony took place during the XXVI Congress of SCI in Paestum.
Title of the thesis: “Sviluppo di catalizzatori nanostrutturati a base di Nickel per la produzione di idrogeno” - Valentina Nichele is the winner of the GIC 2010 award for the Best Master Degree thesis for “the originality of the research developed in the field of catalysis and the brilliant elaborate dissertation”.
The award ceremony took place during the X School of Catalysis GIC2010 in Palermo (15-18/09/2010).
Title of the thesis: “Incapsulamento della galattosidasi in una matrice di silice preparata via sol-gel”.
Visiting and interns
- Karen Cecilia Pajaro
“Effect of the pretreatment and composition of NiCeZrSm Ox catalysts on the activity and regenerability in the dry reforming of methane reaction”
PhD student a.y. 2024/2025 (3 months) - Mohsen Padervand, University of Maragheh (Iran)
Visiting researcher, a.y. 2023/2024 (2 months) - Giuseppe Bagnato, University of Lancaster (UK)
Visiting researcher, a.y. 2022/2023 (3 months) - Veronika Adler, University of Verona, Molecular and medical biotechnology
“Sviluppo di un idrogel idratante”
Fellow, a.y. 2022/2023 (6 months) - Jennifer Theissen, Université de Namur
“Valorization of wastes by pyrolysis and activation in order to obtain different biochars that can be used as catalytic support”
Fellow, a.y. 2021/2022 (3 months) - Andrea Campostrini, University of Bologna and CCHT-IIT
“Investigating coating applications for protection of Roman frescoes”
Fellow, a.y. 2020/2021 (9 months) - Anna Grazia Gallone, University of Ferrara
“Cosmesi zerowaste per l'hair care”
Fellow, a.y. 2020/2021 (9 months) - Daniela Pricop, Sorbonne University, Paris, France, Chemistry of materials
Master's degree visiting student, a.y. 2020/2021 (3 months) - Lea Caseaux, University of Lyon 1, France
“Formulation of dermocosmetic products”
Fellow but online due to pandemia, a.y. 2019/2020 (2 months) - Elena D'Iseppi, University of Ferrara, Degree in Biotechnologies
“Dalla biomassa al prodotto cosmetico. Valorizzazione degli scarti ortofrutticoli per la realizzazione di uno smart gel”
Fellow, a.y. 2019/2020 (9 months)
Previous academic years
Collaborations with universities
- Turin University
- Prof. G. Cerrato
- Dr. M. Manzoli
- Dr. S. Tabasso
- Milan University
- Prof. C. Bianchi
- Prof. I. Rossetti
- Genova University
- Prof. G. Ramis
- Ferrara University
- Prof. G. Cruciani
- Perugia University
- Prof. L. Barelli
- Dr. A. Di Michele
- Bologna University
- Prof. F. Cavani
- Prof. A. Vaccari
- Rome University
- Prof. D. Gazzoli
- Dr. Daniela Pietrogiacomi
- Heriot Watt University, UK
- Prof. Mercedes Maroto-Valer
- Dr. Aimaro Sanna
- Institute of Catalysis and Petroleumchemistry, Spain
- Dr. Vicente Corberan
- Institute of Catalysis, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria
- Prof. T. Tabakova
- Process Chemistry Center (PCC) - Laboratory of Industrial Chemistry and reaction Engineering, Finland
- Prof. T. Salmi
- Prof. D. Murzin
- Semnan University - Department of Chemistry, Semnan, Iran
- Prof. A. Tavasoli
Memberships
