Education

Laurea in Chemistry, University of Firenze, November 1973 (110/110 cum laude)

Positions held

February 2002-present Director of the Institute for the Chemistry of Organometallic Compounds of the National Research Council of Italy (ICCOM-CNR)

December 1989-February 2002 Director of the Istituto per lo Studio della Stereochimica ed Energetica dei Composti di Coordinazione (ISSECC), CNR, Firenze, Italy

June 1991-present Director of Research at the CNR of Italy.

June 1988-June 1991 First-class CNR Researcher at ISSECC.

July 1977-June 1988: CNR Researcher at ISSECC (Director Prof. L. Sacconi).

May 1976-July 1977: Pharmaceutical Industries "A. Menarini", Via Sette Santi 3, Firenze. Assistant Director of the Chemical Laboratories.

July 1975-May 1976: University of Firenze, Department of Chemistry, bourse-holder.

April 1974-July 1975: Active duty, Lieutenant, Italian Army.

Scientific Activity, Recent Experience and Principal Research Projects

Author of more than 400 publications in qualified international journals or specialized books, 37 patents & relative extensions and more than 180 presentations in international chemical meetings.

Research fields: Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis (hydrogenations, de-hydrogenations, oxidations, hydrodesulfurization and hydrodenitrogenation, carbonylation, alkoxycarbonylation, hydroformylation reactions); Oligomerization, polymerization and copolymerization catalysis; Electrocatalysts and membranes for fuel cells; Hydrogen production and storage; Asymmetric synthesis and catalysis; New materials; Solid-gas organometallic reactions, (high-pressure) IR and NMR spectroscopy.

Leading Scientific Positions

Vice-coordinator of the Network of Excellence (NoE) “Integrated Design of Catalytic Nanomaterials for a Sustainable Production” (IDECAT), 6FP (2005-2009).
Responsible for a research unit in the STREP project (6FP) “Designed Nanostructured Hybrid Polymers: Polymerisation Catalysis and Tecton Assembly” (NANOHYBRID) (2005-2007).
Coordinator of the Research Training Network (EC) "Polymerization by single-site metal catalysis" 2000-2003.
Chairman of the COST Action D17 “Oligomers, polymers and copolymers via metal catalysis” 1999-2003.
Responsible for a research line within the FISR project “Inorganic and Hybrid Nanosystems for the Development and Innovation of Fuel cells”(2005-2007). MIUR, Italy.
Responsible for a research unit within the FIRB project “New nanostructured materials and polymeric films at reduced environmental impact for a flexible packaging. Study of the microscopic phenomenology, models and simulations, experimental tests of polymerization and blending” (NANOPACK) (2004-2006). MIUR, Italy.
Responsible for the environmental project PR1/C "Inquinanti ambientali: attivazione di piccole molecole di importanza strategica industriale ed ambientale. Processi selettivi e catalisi" supported by the Ministero dell'Ambiente of Italy 1997-99.
Responsible for several industrial contracts. Recent ones: Ticona (2004), Thermphos (2004), Acta spa (2004-), IdeaLab srl (Italy) (2003-4); Argus Chemicals (Italy) (2002-); Shell International Chemicals B. V. (The Netherlands) (1998-2000): EniChem (Italy) (1999-2001), Chemi Spa. (Italy) (1998-2000), RRAT (Regione Toscana, Italy) (1999).
Responsible for an INTAS project (EC) entitled "Phosphorus and fluorine containing amino acids and metal catalysis" 1998-9.
Responsible for an INTAS project (EC) entitled "Low-temperature IR and NMR investigation of novel type of hydrogen bond MH..HX between Transition Metal Hydrides and Proton Donors" 1997-8.
Responsible for a research project within the Progetto Strategico "Tecnologie chimiche innovative" CNR (Italy) on asymmetric catalysis and hydrodesulfurization chemistry 1994-1995.
Responsible for a research project financed by the EC together with C. Bajon (Spain), C. Claver (Spain), P. Terreros (Spain), H. Sanchez (Mex) entitled "Design, synthesis and characterization of homogeneous and heterogenized catalytic precursors containing sulfur ligands" 1994-96.
Responsible for an international CNR-CONICIT project between ISSECC-CNR and IVIC (Caracas, Ven) entitled "Activation, hydrogenation and desulfurization in either homogeneous or heterogeneous phase of tiophenic molecules with transition metal complexes" 1993 -2000.
Responsible for a research project (Human Capital and Mobility, Networks) financed by the EC together with other 17 laboratories of 10 european Countries, entitled "Selective processes and catalysis involving small molecules". 1993-95.
Responsible for a research project (SCIENCE) financed by the European Community (EC) together with P. H. Dixneuf (France), E. Carmona (Spain) and M. Aresta (Italy) entitled "Multifunctional ligands in the transition metal mediated activation of hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide substrates" 1990-2.
Responsible for a CNR. research project within the "Progetti Finalizzati" Chimica Fine e Secondaria, entitled "Activation and functionalization of unsaturated and saturated hydrocarbons and of carbon oxides by electron-rich metal systems" 1988-93.
Responsible for a 3-year research project CNR-University of Rennes (France) entitled "Synthesis of Organic, Inorganic and Organometallic Electron Sinks",1985-1988.
Responsible for a 3-year CNR. research project entitled "Activation of Carbon Oxides", 1983-1985.

Professional Activities (International)

- Member of the Editorial Board of the Open Inorganic Chemistry Journal (2007-)

Titular member of the Board of the IUPAC Inorganic Division (2004-2007)
Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical (since 2003).
Member of the International Advisory Board of the Homogeneous Catalysis Symposia (since 1997).
International Associate of the Board of Directors of Inorganic Syntheses (since 1998).
Member of the International Advisory Editorial Board of Dalton Transactions (Royal Society of Chemistry) (2000-present).
Member of the IUPAC Sub-committee for Green Chemistry (2003-present)
CNR representative at IUPAC (2001-present)
Member of the Advisory Board of "Organometallics" (Journal of the American Chemical Society for Organometallic Chemistry) (1989-93).
Member of the Editorial Board of "Gazzetta Chimica Italiana" (1989-1997).
Member of the Editorial Board of ChemTracts-Inorganic Chemistry (since 1992).
Member of the Advisory Editorial Board of the New Journal of Chemistry (since 1997).
Member of the Institute for Advanced Study of the Indiana University (USA) (since 1991).
Member of the American Chemical Society.
Member of the IUPAC "Task Force on Scientific Aspects of the Destruction of Chemical Warfare Agents" (1994).
Member of several Scientific or Organizing Committees of National and International Symposia.
Chairman of the “International Symposium on Relations between Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysis (ISHHC12), July 18-22, 2005, Florence, Italy
Membro of the Internationsal Advisory Board of the “International Symposium on Homogeneous Catalysis” ISHC.
Chairman of the “International Symposium on Homogeneous Catalysis” ISHC XVI, Florence, July 2008.
Member of the Internationsal Advisory Board of the Seventh International Symposium on Catalysis Applied to Fine Chemicals, 7^th CAFC. Mainz, October 2005.
External assessor of the Research Grant Council (Hong Kong) (2000-)
External assessor of INTEVEP (PDVSA) (Venezuela) (1996-98)
Referee of the National Science Foundation (Washington, D.C., USA).
Referee of the Research Grants Council (Hong Kong)
Referee of the International Science Foundation (Washington, D.C., USA).
Referee of the Italian Ministery of University and Scientific Research (MURST, then MIUR).
Referee of all major international journals of chemistry: J. Am. Chem. Soc., Inorg. Chem., Organometallics, Inorg. Chim. Acta, J. Organomet. Chem., Gazz. Chim. Ital., Chem. Ber., Angew. Chemie, J. Chem. Soc./ Chem. Commun., New Journal of Chemistry, etc.
Visiting Professor at the University of Rennes (Rennes, France) in1983, 1986, 1989, 1992.
Visiting Professor at the Indiana University (Bloomington, USA) in 1991.
Professor at the University of Siena (one-year contract) for the course: "Recent aspects of inorganic chemistry", 1989-90.
Professor at the international school "Organometallic chemistry: a basis for catalysis", IVIC, Caracas (Venezuela), 2-20 september 1991.
Visiting scientist at the EXXON research center (Annandale, N. Y., USA), August 1990.
Visiting Scientist at the DuPont Experimental Station (Wilmington, USA) July 29-August 1 1994.
Professor at the "Curso catalitico para las industrias de refinacion y petroquimica" organized by UNIDO and ICS, Caracas (Venezuela) 27 november-12 december 1995.
Professor at the Concetional Intercantonale Romande sur l'Einsegnement du 3e Cycle (Switzerland) May 1996.
Professor at the Concetional Intercantonale Romande sur l'Einsegnement du 3e Cycle (Switzerland) September 2002.
International Advisor for PhD. Theses.
Lecturers at more than 70 Universities and Research Centers worldwide

Professional Activities (National) & Management

Director of the CNR Institute ICCOM (2002-present)
Director of the CNR Institute ISSECC (1989-2002)
Member of the Committee for the Evaluation of Research (CIVR) of Ministery of University and Scientific Research (Italy) (2005-2008)
Member of the Commissione Paritetica CNR-Università of the Polo Scientifico di Sesto Fiorentino (1995-2003)
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Research Area of Firenze (2000-2002)
Member of the Board of the CNR Directors of the Firenze CNR area (2000-)
Member of the Board of the Inorganic Chemistry Division of the Italian Chemical Society (1989-1996).
Member of the Directory of the Interdivisional Group of Organometallic Chemistry of the Italian Chemical Society (1990-1997).
Member of the Italian Chemical Society.

Awards and Honors

Fellowship of the Institute of Advanced Study of the Indiana University (USA) (1991).
1991 Award "Per un futuro intelligente" sponsored by the federation of the Italian chemical industries (Federchimica) (Milano, Italy).
1992 P. Van Geuns lecturer (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands).
1998 Arthur D. Little Award in Inorganic Chemistry (MIT, USA)
2001 Seaborg Memorial Lecture (Berkeley University, USA).
2006 G.I.C.O. Senior Award, Interdivisional Group of Organometallic Chemistry, Italian Chemical Society (Italy).