Angelo NICOSIA

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(Updated July 2025)

EDUCATION

- 2017-2021 PhD in Materials Science and Nanotechnology  - Additional Certification International Doctor;  Dept. of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania. Thesis title: Polymer-based Graphene Oxide Derivatives as a tunable multi-purpose platform. Scientific Supervisor: Prof. P. Mineo.

- 2014-2017 Master’s Degree in Materials Chemistry (LM-54), final grade: 110/110 cum laude; Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania. Thess title: Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking in Supramolecular Aggregates of Star-Shaped Porphyrin-Based Polymers: Correlation Between Building Block Structure, Physicochemical Parameters, and Chirality Induction. Supervisor: Prof. P. Mineo.

- 2010-2014 Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Chemistry (L-27), final grade: 110/110 cum laude; Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania. Thesis title: Synthesis and Structural/Functional Characterization of Acrylic Copolymers Suitable for Molecular Recognition. Supervisor: Prof. P. Mineo.

- Professional Qualification: Licensed to practice as a Chemist during the second session of 2017, University of Catania.

-Professional Registration: Registered in the Interprovincial Register of Chemists and Physicists of Catania and Ragusa, No. 797, Section A, Chemistry Sector.

 

WORKING EXPERIENCE

-from October 2023, Researcher at the University of Catania – Department of Chemical Sciences. Project: Photo-active thermoplastic polymer-based nanocomposites for the abatement of xenobiotic pollutants in aqueous and gaseous phases. 

-January 2022- September 2023: Researcher at the University of Catania – Department of Chemical Sciences. Project: Photo-active thermoplastic polymer-based nanocomposites for the abatement of xenobiotic pollutants in aqueous and gaseous phases. 

-October 2021-December 2021: Winner of a research fellowship entitled “Synthesis of polymeric materials and study of their behaviour in terrestrial out-of-orbit and extraterrestrial conditions”, Dept. of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania.

 

PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH GROUPS

Scientific research and training activities have been conducted within national and international research groups and in a multinational petrochemical company:

• Polymer Laboratory (Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania)
• Supramolecular Polymer Chemistry Group (Eindhoven University of Technology, TU/e)
• ISAB – Goi Energy Plant (Priolo, SR)

Polymer Laboratory (UniCT):

• Development of photocatalytic polymeric materials for environmental remediation
• Development of functional polymeric materials suitable for extreme and/or extraterrestrial environments
• Development of nanosystems for sensing applications
• Development of nanomaterials for biomedical and theranostic applications
• Study of spontaneous symmetry breaking phenomena using supramolecular star-shaped porphyrin-based polymers

Supramolecular Polymer Chemistry Group (Prof. R. Sijbesma, TU/e):

• Electrospinning of polyamide fibers for xenobiotic pollutant sequestration from aqueous matrices
• Preliminary study of mechanoluminescence phenomena mediated by graphene oxide
• Development of nanofiltration membranes based on polymeric liquid crystals and graphene oxide

ISAB – Goi Energy Chemical Laboratory and Wastewater Treatment Plant (Industrial Tutor: Eng. G. Zammitti):

• Monitoring of regulatory parameters of industrial wastewater treated by the plant
• Study of current methodologies for mitigating gaseous pollution in petrochemical facilities
• Development of new approaches based on polymeric composites for the mitigation of xenobiotic pollutants in fluids

 

INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Member of the Board of the Sicily Section of the Italian Chemical Society for the 2025–2027 term.
• Member of the Commission of the Sicily Section – Italian Chemical Society for the awarding of scholarships for congress participation.
• Since 2025, Regional Coordinator for the Chemistry Olympiad (Giochi della Chimica) for the Sicily Section of the Italian Chemical Society, Catania region.
• Since 2021, member of the Working Group for the National Plan for Scientific Degrees – Chemistry, University of Catania.
• Since 2025, Delegate of the Department of Chemical Sciences for the organization of the Sharper Night – European Researchers’ Night, University of Catania.
• Since 2025, Delegate for student recruitment and orientation for the Bachelor’s Degree in Sustainable Chemistry for Industry, Environment and Energy – Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania.
• Since 2023, Member and Secretary of the Steering Committee for the Degree Program in Industrial Chemistry – Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania.
• Since 2023, Member and Secretary of the Quality Assurance Management Group for the Degree Program in Industrial Chemistry – Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania.
• Since 2023, Member of the Teaching Laboratories Committee for the Degree Program in Industrial Chemistry – Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania.
• Since 2023, Member of the Working Group for the management and monitoring of the social media pages of the Degree Program in Industrial Chemistry – Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania.
• Since 2022, Member and Secretary of the Council of the Bachelor’s Degree Program in Industrial Chemistry – Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania.

 

UNIVERSITY TEACHING ACTIVITIES

– Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Chemistry

• Academic Years 2023/2024 and 2024/2025: Lecturer for the course Fundamentals of Polymer Chemistry and Laboratory – Module 2, 48 hours (scientific-disciplinary sector CHEM-04/A Industrial Chemistry), 3rd year, Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Chemistry (L-27 R), Department of Chemical Sciences – University of Catania.
• Academic Years 2021/2022 and 2022/2023: Lecturer for the course Fundamentals of Polymer Chemistry and Laboratory – Module 2, 72 hours (scientific-disciplinary sector CHEM-04/A Industrial Chemistry), 3rd year, Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Chemistry (L-27 R), Department of Chemical Sciences – University of Catania.
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– PhD Program

• Academic Years 2023/2024 and 2024/2025: Lecturer for the course Methods and Procedures in Polymers Synthesis, 14 hours (scientific-disciplinary sector CHEM-04/A Industrial Chemistry), taught in English and delivered within the PhD School in Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Department of Chemical Sciences and Department of Physics and Astronomy – University of Catania.

 

– Student Support Activities

• Academic Year 2019/2020: University teaching support as qualified tutor for two courses, Department of Chemical Sciences – University of Catania:
  • Macromolecular Chemistry, Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry
  • Fundamentals of Polymer Chemistry, Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Chemistry

 

TEACHING EVALUATION

For the course Fundamentals of Polymer Chemistry and Laboratory – Module 2, Dr. Nicosia received excellent evaluations (anonymous Students evaluation, OPIS forms) for the academic year 2023/2024, exceeding the average scores of the Degree Program, the Department, and the University.

For the academic year 2022/2023, good evaluations were obtained.

For the academic year 2021/2022, the OPIS platform does not display evaluations due to an insufficient number of completed forms submitted by students.

 

EXAM AND GRADUATION COMMITTEES

• Since 2022, member of examination boards for various courses within the Department of Chemical Sciences – University of Catania:
  i) Fundamentals of Polymer Chemistry, Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Chemistry
  ii) Macromolecular Chemistry, Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry
  iii) Advanced Polymers, Master’s Degree in Chemical Sciences
• Member of 16 Graduation Committees for the Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Chemistry, Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania.

 

THESIS SUPERVISOR

Main Supervisor of 7 Bachelor’s Theses and Co-supervisor of 4 Bachelor’s Theses and 3 Master’s Theses.

 

STUDENT ORIENTATION ACTIVITIES

• Since 2022, actively involved in numerous university orientation meetings with students from upper secondary schools across Sicily, held both at the respective schools and during events organized by the University of Catania, such as the Student Fair (editions 2023, 2024, 2025).
• In 2023, served as lecturer within the framework of the ORIENTATION 2026 PROJECT “OUI, ovunque da qui” – National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Mission 4 “Education and Research” – Component 1 “Enhancement of educational service offerings: from nursery schools to universities”, Investment 1.6 “Active orientation in the school-to-university transition”, University of Catania.
• In 2021, qualified tutor for teaching and organizational activities of the National Plan for Scientific Degrees – Chemistry (Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania).

 

PARTICIPANT IN RESEARCH PROJECTS

-Participation in the inter-departmental project (Department of Chemical Sciences, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture) entitled “Innovative materials and technologies for the environment and energy - MATTINATA”, supported by the University of Catania through the “Piano di incentivi per la ricerca di Ateneo 2024/2026”.

-Participation in the inter-departmental project (Department of Chemical Sciences, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture) entitled “Advanced materials and chemical-physical methodologies for the abatement of xenobiotic pollutants - MaMeX”, supported by the University of Catania through the “Piano di incentivi per la ricerca di Ateneo 2020/2022”.

 

RESEARCH ACTIVITY

The research activity aims to the development of polymeric materials for special applications. My main interests are in the fields of sensing, nanomedicine & theranostics, photocatalysis for environmental remediation, and antibacterial nanosystems.

Currently, the research project aims at the design and synthesis of polymer-based systems suitable for the detection of pollutants in the liquid and/or air phases. In particular, polymeric systems containing appropriate active molecular species suitable for the sensing of pollutants having biotic or xenobiotic nature are developed.

Moreover, the research activity is also focused on the development of polymer nanocomposites for the depollution of fluids (air and water) from BTEX in petrochemical plants by exploiting renewable energy sources (solar light). Besides, studies on nanofiltration membranes based on polymeric liquid crystals are currently performed in collaboration with Prof. Rint Sijbesma (Eindhoven University of Technology). Polymer-based graphene oxide derivatives are also investigated to perform the optical sensing of water xenobiotic pollutants. 

In the nanomedicine field, the experimental activity is aimed at the development of new hybrid nanosystems involving PEGylated porphyrins and metal nanoparticles for theranostic applications, as well as polymer-drug conjugates. Moreover, the scientific investigation is also focused on the development of antibacterial agents exploiting synergistic properties of graphene oxide, metal nanoparticles and polymers.

Particular attention is given to the study of the spontaneous symmetry-breaking phenomenon on supramolecular porphyrin aggregates, employing spectroscopic techniques.

Scientific Collaborations

As evidenced by several publications, scientific collaborations have been established with various research groups, including:

• University of Messina (Prof. A. Piperno, Prof. A. Scala)
• National Research Council (CNR) – Institute for the Study of Nanostructured Materials (Dr. A. Mazzaglia)
• National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) (Dr. M.E. Palumbo)
• National Research Council (CNR) – Institute for Chemical-Physical Processes (Dr. V. Villari)
• University of Catania (Professors S. Riela, L. D’Urso, C. Satriano, A.L. Pellegrino, M. Ferrante, G. De Guidi, A. Rescifina)

A recent collaboration with Prof. G. Caruso (UniCamillus – Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences) led to the development of drug-conjugated biopolymers for biomedical applications, and current research is focused on the development of carnosine-based conjugates.

Recent international collaborations include:

• Prof. Junjie Niu, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (USA): development of photocatalytic nanocomposites for the abatement of recalcitrant volatile organic pollutants
• Prof. Shima Pilehvar, Østfold University College (Norway): development of innovative approaches for recycling polymeric materials in lunar environments
• Prof. Hadi Amiri Rudbari, University of Isfahan (Iran): development of polymeric systems containing organometallic compounds based on palladium, ruthenium, and molybdenum for biomedical applications

Scientific and Technical Skills

Dr. Nicosia possesses advanced expertise in the following analytical techniques:

• Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS)
• Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC)
• Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF and ESI)
• Spectroscopic Techniques: FT-IR, ATR, UV-Vis, Fluorescence, NMR, Circular Dichroism
• Thermal Analysis Techniques: Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)

 

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

The updated list of scientific publications is reported here https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0802-7358.

 

AWARDS

- 08/2022 Winner of the award “Best PhD Thesis in the field of Industrial Chemistry” awarded by the Industrial Chemistry Division of the Italian Chemical Society;

- 09/08/2019 Winner of the “Best Solution Award” given by the European Institute of Technology (EIT) Health during the “Traslational Fellowship program 2019 – Oxford Biodesign program” (held at St’Anne College – Oxford University), with the project idea “Nano-HyGPS: A nano defence against bacterial contaminations”;

- 06-07/11/2019 Poster presentation on invite during the “EIT Health Innovation Alumni Showcase 2019”, held in Lisbon (Portugal), entitled “NanoHyGPS: a nanodefence against bacterial contaminations”;

- 28/01/2020 Among the winners of the “Chemistry’s Got Talent” (third place) awarded by the University of Florence, with a digital graphic drawing titled “Periodic Table of the Elements: the alphabet of the Universe”;

- 05/2021 Co-winner of the local selection (Catania) of FameLab 2021 [Youtube: https://youtu.be/mOoZ4Bjnar0?t=380];

- 06/2021 Competitor to the Famelab 2021 National finals [Youtube: https://youtu.be/TrN6PU9PePI].

 

PUBLICATIONS IN CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

Author of 39 contributions to conference proceedings, including:

• 12 oral presentations (3 international, 9 national), of which 1 was invited
• 5 poster presentations (3 international, 2 national), including 1 invited poster at an international congress

 

CONFERENCE ORGANIZATION

• 2025 – Member of the Organizing Committee of the Workshop “Chemistry as a bridge between Biotechnology and Magnetic Resonance: Connecting Academia and Industry”, 1st Interdivisional Workshop of the Biotechnology Group of the Italian Chemical Society
• 2024 – Member of the Organizing and Scientific Committee of the Macrogiovani 2024 Congress, organized by the Italian Association of Macromolecular Science and Technology (AIM)
• 2024 – Staff member for the organization of the meeting Samothrace Year One and More: a “DNSH” Event, organized by the Samothrace Foundation
• 2023 – Member of the Organizing and Scientific Committee of the Macrogiovani 2023 – 25th Edition Congress, organized by AIM
• 2021 – Member of the organizational secretariat of the Workshop “Teaching in the Covid-19 era: one year of remote learning – assessment and outlook”, part of the National Plan for Scientific Degrees – Chemistry
• 2018 – Member of the organizational secretariat of the XXIII National Congress of the Italian Association of Macromolecular Science and Technology (AIM)

 

EDITORIAL ACTIVITIES

• Guest Editor of the Special Issue “Nanomaterials for Potential Uses in Extraterrestrial Environments”, published in Nanomaterials (MDPI)

 

REFEREE OF INTERNATIONAL PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS

• ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (American Chemical Society)
• Dyes and Pigments (Elsevier)
• Journal of Liposome Research (Taylor & Francis)
• Reviews on Advanced Materials Science (De Gruyter)
• RSC Advances (Royal Society of Chemistry)
• e-Polymers (De Gruyter)

 

REVIEWER FOR INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECTS

• Evaluation of Grant Proposal submitted under the SONATA-20 funding scheme (Panel ST5, Synthetic Chemistry and Materials Science), upon request from the National Science Centre Poland

 

THIRD MISSION ACTIVITIES

• Since 2025, Delegate of the Department of Chemical Sciences for the organization of Sharper Night – European Researchers’ Night, University of Catania
• Since 2025, Regional Coordinator for the Chemistry Olympiad (Giochi della Chimica) for the Sicily Section of the Italian Chemical Society, Catania site
• Representative of the National Plan for Scientific Degrees – Chemistry for the Department of Chemical Sciences at Didacta Italia 2025 (Florence, March 12–14, 2025), dedicated to innovation in education
• Coordinator of the Department of Chemical Sciences’ activities for the organization of European Researchers’ Night – SHARPER 2022

 

SCIENTIFIC OUTREACH AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

• Author of a popular science article for the journal La Chimica e l’Industria, official publication of the Italian Chemical Society, titled Design of polymer–graphene oxide conjugates, A. Nicosia, Year VII, No. 1, January/February 2023, ISSN: 2283-544X, DOI: 10.17374/CI.2023.105.1.50
• May 23, 2023 – Scientific talk at the international event Pint of Science, Festival 2023, titled From the basin to the spaceship: the evolution of polymeric materials, Catania
• Scientific talks at European Researchers’ Night – Sharper editions 2018–2024, held in Piazza Università (Catania) and online YouTube link
• January 25, 2019 – Scientific talk at the high school “Rita Levi Montalcini” (Gagliano Castelferrato, Enna, Sicily), as part of the National Plan for Scientific Degrees – Chemistry
• 2016 and 2018 – Scientific talks during the Week of Scientific Culture, Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania
• 2018 and 2019 – Scientific talks during the Open Days, Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania

 

SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES AND CONSORTIA MEMBERSHIP

• Since 2017 – Member of the Italian Chemical Society (SCI)
• Since 2018 – Member of the Italian Association of Macromolecular Science and Technology (AIM)
• Since 2022 – Member of the American Chemical Society (ACS)
• Since 2023 – Affiliated with the National Interuniversity Consortium for Materials Science and Technology (INSTM)

 

JURY MEMBERSHIP

• Member of the jury for the National Scientific Dissemination Award – Giancarlo Dosi, editions 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022
• In 2023, selected as Expert for the La Lettura column of Corriere della Sera, for the selection of three chemistry-themed literary works with a popular science approach and potential interest for the general public, aimed at bringing readers closer to the world of chemistry and scientific research

 

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Italian (Mother tongue);
• English (Listening B2, Reading B2, Writing B2, Spoken production B2, Spoken interaction B2).

 

DIGITAL SKILLS

Microsoft Office / Microsoft Powerpoint / Microsoft Word / Social Media / Outlook / Skype / Google

Docs / OriginPro 8.5