Valentina SPAMPINATO
Valentina Spampinato, currently assistant professor of Physical Chemistry at the Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, is a materials scientist whose work mainly focuses on the physico-chemical characterization of different kinds of materials with applications in microelectronics, optoelectronic and life science, by means of Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy.
From 2015 to 2023, Valentina worked as researcher in the Materials and Components Analysis department of the microelectronic research centre IMEC, Belgium, where she developed novel methodologies, such as correlative in-situ SIMS-AFM, hybrid ToF-Orbitrap-SIMS and “self-focusing” SIMS approaches, for the characterisation of a variety of advanced materials employed in the microelectronic field. In 2015, she worked for the Italian National Research Council (CNR-ISTP), where she developed methodologies for the efficient use of solar energy and H2 storage. Between 2012 and 2015, she supported the bio nanoscience group of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, with the physico-chemical characterization of modified nanoparticles .
In 2012, Valentina earned her PhD in Materials Sciences from the University of Catania, with a thesis concerning the surface modification and characterization of systems with application in the optoelectronics, after graduating cum-laude in Chemistry in 2008.
During her career, she has authored ~66 publications in international peer reviewed journals and has presented her research work in ~30 conferences, 6 of them as invited speaker.
Last edit: 09/12/2025
My research activity lies in the field of physical chemistry and materials science, with a particular focus on the modification and physico-chemical characterization of surfaces of different nature, functionalized with organic, hybrid, and supramolecular systems for applications in molecular electronics, microelectronics, and alternative and sustainable energy production.
Among the analytical techniques, Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) plays a central role, as it enables the acquisition of detailed information on the chemistry of the investigated systems at the surface, interface, and in depth. To support these studies, the physico-chemical characterization of the materials I develop is often complemented by other advanced techniques, such as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS).