People

Rita Mazzoni received her Ph.D in Chemistry in 2005 from the University of Bologna working on the design of rhodium homogeneous catalysts applied in hydroformilation and hydrosililation. Currently she holds a position as Associate Professor in Inorganic Chemistry at the Department of Industrial Chemistry (University of Bologna). Her main research interests are focused on the rational design of homogeneous catalytic systems for sustainable biomass conversion (e.g. bio-oil mixtures, HFM and bio-ethanol valorization) and energy transition (water oxidation, hydrogen production, acqueous phase reforming) based on noble and Earth-abundant transition metal complexes which combine cyclopentadienone and N-heterocyclic carbene ligands.

Andrea Masetti obtained his B.Sc. in Industrial Chemistry and M.Sc. degrees in Low Carbon Technologies and Sustainable Chemistry from the University of Bologna. He is now enrolled in a Ph.D. program in Industrial Chemistry under the supervision of Prof. Rita Mazzoni. His main research activity focuses on the development and synthesis of novel low-cost and sustainable metal chelates for applications in agriculture as fertilizers in poor soils.

Andrea Piazzi obtained his M.Sc. in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Bologna in 2022. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Industrial Chemistry under the supervision of Prof. Rita Mazzoni. His research focuses on homogeneous catalysis, using Ruthenium and Iron organometallic complexes to convert bio-derived compounds into more valuable chemicals, such as the transformation of (bio)ethanol into butanol and longer-chain alcohols via the Guerbet reaction, and the conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural into sustainable polymer precursors.

Chiara Lenzi received her Bachelor of Science in Industrial Chemistry in 2021 and her Master of Science in Industrial Chemistry in 2023, both from Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, Italy. She is currently a PhD student under the supervision of Prof. Rita Mazzoni at the University of Bologna, focusing on the synthesis, characterization, and study of organometallic complexes for biomass valorization, including scale-up processes. Since 2024, she has been a research fellow working on homogeneous catalysis. Her research background includes studies on N-heterocyclic carbene-based catalysts for water oxidation and noble metal nanoparticles for wastewater treatment.

Stefano Baratti is a Fellow Researcher in Industrial Chemistry at the University of Bologna. He completed his Bachelor's degree in Chimica e Chimica dei Materiali at the University of Bologna and later earned his Master's degree in Scienze Chimiche from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Since May 2024, he has been conducting postgraduate research at the University of Bologna in collaboration with Polynt S.p.A. His research focuses on the valorization of carbon monoxide as a reagent in hydroformylation reactions on valuable substrates, which are of significant interest for Polynt’s material development. The conditions required for these reactions typically involve the use of autoclaves, and techniques such as NMR and IR spectroscopy are employed for characterization.

Francesca Gasparini is a research fellow at the University of Bologna. She earned her degree in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Bologna in October 2024. Her internship focused on studying the reactivity of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to synthesize new renewable molecules, such as 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF), which can be used as a monomer for bio-based polymers. Her current research revolves around characterizing bio-polymers using GPC and TGA analysis, optimizing reaction conditions for the conversion of HMF to DFF with Ru-based catalysts, and performing HPLC quantification. Additionally, she is responsible for developing and optimizing the synthesis of Fe-based catalysts from a novel precursor.