Alessandro Aliprandi: Emerging properties in the interaction between Platinum II complexes

This research by the group led by Prof. Alessandro Aliprandi stems from a European project studying how new properties can emerge when molecules aggregate and interact with each other.

In particular, platinum complexes were chosen for their ability to stack and give rise to supramolecular structures with variable optical properties, from luminescence to colour changes, in response to the environment.

The goal? To mimic the functions of living systems: replication, movement, response to stimuli.
From the first aggregates to systems capable of evolving, this is a window into the future of chemistry inspired by life.

Discover how, thanks to variations in solvent or competitive conditions, these molecules organise themselves, transform and acquire new functionalities — until they become true molecular ecosystems.

  Elisabetta Collini: Chemical Complexity and Polaritonic Systems

Prof. Elisabetta Collini, from the Department of Chemical Sciences at the University of Padua, explains how her research explores light-matter interaction using 2D electronic spectroscopy — one of the few setups of its kind in Italy.

From ultrafast processes lasting just hundreds of femtoseconds, to the chemical complexity of materials, this project addresses some of the most exciting challenges in modern physical chemistry.
Potential applications? From quantum information and sensing to solar energy conversion and nanophotonic devices.

Discover how brilliant minds and cutting-edge tools are advancing the future of polaritonic systems.

  Leonard Prins: A roadmap toward the synthesis of life

Prof. Leonard Prins introduces us to the fascinating world of Systems Chemistry — a new frontier in science that explores how life-like properties can emerge from complex chemical systems.

From metabolism and replication to evolution and compartmentalization, this research traces a conceptual roadmap toward synthetic life — systems made of simple molecules that behave like living organisms.

Nature is the ultimate inspiration, but by simplifying its complexity, researchers can now study and reproduce life-like behaviors in minimal artificial systems.
Applications? From smart materials and soft robotics, to chemical computing and brain-inspired systems.

  Sergio Rampino: Chemistry at the Frontier with Physics and Computer Science

What happens when chemistry, physics, mathematics, and computer science meet?
Dr. Sergio Rampino explores how quantum mechanics allows us to go beyond simplified models of molecules and atoms, bridging the gap between the chemist’s intuitive view and the physicist’s mathematical description.

Through electronic clouds, Schrödinger equations, and the use of artificial intelligence, this research aims to reveal the hidden patterns connecting physical data with core chemical concepts like atoms and bonds — which, surprisingly, are not explicitly defined in quantum theory.