The Italian Sol-Gel Community meets since 1999, when the first of these Workshops was organized in Padova, with the aim to exchange experiences and promote cooperation at national level. After Padova the Workshop was held in Parma (2000), Trento (2002), Iglesias (2004), Milano (2006), Lecce (2008), and Napoli (2010).
These meetings give a picture of the Sol-Gel research in Italy. Research groups in Universities and Research Centers are located all over the Country, from north to south: Trento, Milano, Padova, Venezia, Torino, Alessandria, Parma, Modena, Perugia, Roma, Cassino, Napoli, Sassari, Salerno, Brindisi, Lecce, Cagliari.
The number of groups directly involved in the Sol-Gel field since 1999 did not increase much, but the network of cooperation with other groups did increase, spreading the knowledge of the sol-gel method in a very large and receptive scientific community.
In the Napoli meeting, where 42 researchers were present, 23 oral presentations covered different topics:
- Synthesis of hybrids, inorganic nanocrystalline films and powders, self assembled mesostructured films, aerogels;
- Characterization and application of hybrids;
- Biomedical applications;
- Sol-gel treatment of wood, paper and fabrics;
- Materials for sensors;
- Catalysts;
- Xerogel for analytical purposes;
- Solid electrolytes.
The next Italian Workshop will be held in Trento in 2012.
reported by Massimo Guglielmi
