Research
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Research at the Department of Chemical Sciences – UNICT
The Department of Chemical Sciences (DSC) at the University of Catania is a leading scientific institution, featuring a broad range of academic expertise and a growing community of students, PhD candidates, and postdoctoral researchers.
In addition to its core mission of training new generations, the Department has a strong presence in the international scientific landscape, as evidenced by the steady flow of visiting international researchers and numerous collaborations with prestigious foreign institutions.
Mission and Strategic Orientation
The DSC’s cultural mission is to make a significant contribution to the regional, national, and European research and innovation system. The main topics of the Departmental Research Plan 2017–2020 are organized into three macro-areas:
- Energy and Materials
- Environment and Health
- Synthesis and Products
Within these macro-areas, interdisciplinary research topics overlap across multiple fields. The main keywords of the current research lines include:
Environment, Bioinorganic Chemistry, Biomaterials, Catalysis, Food Chemistry, Cultural Heritage Chemistry, Drug Delivery, Energy, Photochemistry, Molecular and Polymeric Materials, Membranes, Nanomaterials, Natural Products, Proteins, Environmental and Medical Diagnostic Sensors, Supramolecular Systems, Surfaces and Thin Films.
Scientific Collaborations
The DSC maintains long-standing collaborations with national and international research institutions, including:
- National Research Council (CNR)
- National Interuniversity Consortium for Materials Science and Technology (INSTM)
- Consortium for the Development of Large Interface Systems (CSGI)
- Interuniversity Consortium for Chemical Reactivity and Catalysis (CIRCC)
- Interuniversity Consortium for Research on Metals in Biological Systems (CIRCMSB)
- National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF)
- Interuniversity Consortium National Institute for Biostructures and Biosystems (INBB)
- National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN)
The Department also collaborates with several companies in the following sectors:
- Biomedical: SIFI S.p.A., Fidia Farmaceutici S.p.A.
- Microelectronics: STMicroelectronics
- Energy and Environment: LUKOIL, ENI Versalis, Air Liquide
Examples of bilateral international agreements include Berkeley, Nagoya, and Ivanovo.
Development Goals
The Department promotes several initiatives aimed at:
- Establishing further international scientific collaborations
- Increasing the number of internships for master’s students in industry
- Facilitating access to funding for PhD scholarships
Recent agreements in this context have been signed with Confindustria Sicilia, strengthening the connection between academic research and industry.
