Research
The Department of Chemical Sciences (DCS) at Catania University is an institution with a wide range of scientific and academic skills, an increasing number of students, postgraduate students and post-doc students. In addition to its main mission of forming new generations, the Department has a strong presence in the international scientific landscape, as witnessed by numerous visiting researchers and the various collaboration agreements with often prestigious foreign institutions.
The DSC's cultural project is to contribute significantly to the system of research and innovation at regional, national and community level. The themes of the Departmental Research Plan for the period 2017-2020 are the following: Energy and Materials, Environment and Health, Synthesis and Products.
Within these three macro-areas co-exist research topics that include interdisciplinary and crossdisciplinary activities from different sectors. Ultimately, the main keywords of the Department's current research lines are: Environment, Bioinorganics, Biomaterials, Catalysis, Food Chemistry, Chemistry for Cultural Heritage, Drug Delivery, Energy, Photochemistry, Molecular and Polymeric Materials, Membranes, Nanomaterials, Natural Products, Proteins, Sensors for Environment and Medical Diagnostics, Supramolecular Systems, Surfaces and Thin Films.
The DSC has been collaborating with institutions such as:
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) (Istituto Biostrutture e Bioimmagini- IBB; Istituto dei processi Chimico-Fisici - IPCF ; Istituto per i Polimeri, Compositi e Biomateriali- IPCB)
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali (INSTM)
- Consorzio per lo Sviluppo dei sistemi a Grande Interfase (CSGI)
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Reattività Chimica e Catalisi (CIRCC)
- Consorzio Interuniversitario di Ricerca in Chimica dei Metalli nei Sistemi Biologici (CIRCMSB)
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF)
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi (INBB)
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN)
There are many collaborations ongoing between the Department and companies in the biomedical sector (SIFI S.p.A., Fidia Farmaceutici s.p.a., etc.), microelectronics (STMicroelectronics, etc), the energy and environment (LUKOIL, ENI Versalis, Air Liquide). Among the bilateral conventions are examples of those with Berkeley, Nagoya, Ivanovo. Various ongoing initiatives are aimed at activating further scientific collaborations, increasing the number of internships for Master Degree students in companies, and activating PhD funding. Recent protocols for these two goals have been signed with Confindustria Sicilia.
