Research GroupsStructural Chemistry and Materials Properties

Structural Chemistry and Materials Properties

Scientific coordinator: Paola Paoli

 

The Structural Chemistry and Materials Properties Group has been active for many years in the field of supramolecular chemistry, focusing on the design, characterization, and solid-state study of various classes of compounds and materials, whose organization is guided by non-covalent interactions. Through an integrated approach that combines experimental techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (single crystal and powder), microtomography, and differential scanning calorimetry, with computational tools (molecular modelling, data mining, etc.), the research aims to correlate the crystal structure of solid forms with their macroscopic properties, to rationalize their behaviour and design new materials with tailored characteristics. The group, in addition to having its own dedicated laboratory, has access to the advanced instrumentation of the Centro di Cristallografia Strutturale at the University of Firenze (CRIST, www.crist.unifi.it), one of Italy’s leading centers for structural research thanks to its outstanding equipment.

Recently, this approach has been successfully applied in two main areas:

• Pharmaceuticals: the study and optimization of solid forms (stability, polymorphism, and physicochemical properties) is crucial for drug development, addressing challenges such as poor solubility, tendency to amorphize, and formulation difficulties

• Environmental applications: the study of advanced materials, such as coordination polymers, for the capture and removal of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and other pollutants.