Profile: Giacomo Filippini grew up in Fossombrone (Italy). In 2011, he holds a Bachelor's Degree (graduated with 110 cum laude) in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Bologna (Italy). During the period spent in the research laboratory of Professor Alfredo Ricci, under the supervision of Professor Luca Bernardi, he was involved in the development of enantioselective catalytic strategies promoted by small chiral organic molecules. Later on, he obtained his Master’s degree in Industrial Chemistry  (graduated 110 cum laude, 2012-2013 academic year) from the University of Bologna (Italy). Specifically, in the laboratory of Professor Paolo Righi, under the supervision of Professor Giorgio Bencivenni, he studied the reactivity of α,β-unsaturated ketones using aminocatalytic strategies. In November 2013, he joined the group of Prof. Paolo Melchiorre at ICIQ in Tarragona (Spain), where he undertook his doctoral studies. The main scientific objective of his doctoral research was to employ and combine two powerful fields of molecule activation, photochemistry and organocatalysis, to efficiently realize new carbon-carbon bond forming transformations in an environmentally friendly way. In 2015, he had the opportunity to join the group of Prof. Oliver Kappe at the University of Graz (Austria) for a research stay. In particular, he was involved in the development of photo-organocatalytic transformations under flow conditions. This collaboration provided him the possibility to learn a powerful synthetic methodology - flow chemistry - that has found many applications also in industrial processes. At the end of 2017, he successfully defended his PhD thesis (graduated cum laude, 2017-2018 academic year) and went on to take up a postdoctoral fellowship in the Carbon Nanotechnology Group headed by Professor Maurizio Prato at the University of Trieste. During the period spent in the research laboratory of Professor Maurizio Prato, he worked on the development of new catalytic organic transformations. In particular, he was involved in the design, production and characterization of new carbon-based nano-organocatalytic systems, namely carbon nitrides and carbon dots. In April 2021, he became a Research Fellow (RTD-a) at the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences (DSCF) of the University of Trieste. Then, in October 2023, he joined the same Departement as an Assistant Professor (RTD-b). In Trieste, his research activity is focused on the design and development of novel catalytic organic transformations which address unsolved problems in synthetic chemistry.

Awards and Recognitions: In 2014, he was the recipient of the "XXIV Award Guido Paolucci" as the best student of the School of Sciences at the Università di Bologna in the school year 2012-2013. In 2014, he could secure a highly competitive PhD fellowship awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, connected with the Severo Ochoa Excellence Accreditation program. Moreover, in 2022 he was selected as a "Young Researcher to Watch" by the international journal EurJOC, and in 2024 as "2024 Nanoscale Emerging Investigator" by the international journal Nanoscale. In 2023, he was selected as a Member of the European Cultural Institute "Accademia Marchigiana di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti". In 2024, he has been the recipient of the “Giacomo Ciamician Medal" of the Italian Chemical Society. In 2024, he received the national scientific habilitation to Associate Professorship of Organic Chemistry. In 2025, he was selected as member of the Editorial Board of the international journal Chemistry-Methods (Publisher: John Wiley & Sons).

Areas of Expertise

● Organic Chemistry ● Photochemistry ● Asymmetric Catalysis ● Organocatalysis ● Radical Chemistry

● Materials Science ● Flow Chemistry

Research Overview: ​Our research activity aims at designing and developing novel catalytic organic transformations which address unsolved problems in synthetic chemistry. The final goal is therefore the production of effective, inexpensive and safe catalytic systems that will find widespread use in modern organic synthesis. Research work focuses on:

1. Photocatalysis with Aromatic Compounds: Recently, aromatic compounds have emerged as a reliable class of metal-free photoredox catalysts. Indeed, the great structural variety of these compounds combined with the easy fine-tuning of their electronic properties has unlocked new possibilities for the generation of reactive intermediates under mild operative conditions.

 2. Carbon Dots as Nano-Organocatalysts: Carbon nanodots (CDs) are photo-active carbon-based nanoparticles with sizes below 10 nm. Generally, CDs consist of carbon cores that are surrounded by shells containing numerous polar groups such as carboxylic acids, alcohols, and amines. Our research is focused on the study of CDs synthesis, characterization and modification for their use as (photo)catalysts in organic chemistry.

 3. Catalysis Based on 2D-Materials: Metal-free 2D nanomaterials possess high appeal due to their improved cost-effectiveness and lower toxicity with respect to many inorganic structures. The outstanding electronic characteristics of some metal-free 2D semiconductors have projected them into the world of organic synthesis, where they can function as catalysts to drive the sustainable synthesis of high-value organic molecules.

Selected Publications:

1. G. Filippini, M. Silvi, P. Melchiorre*, “Enantioselective Formal α-Methylation and α-Benzylation of Aldehydes by Means of Photo-Organocatalysis”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2017, 56, 4447-4451. 

2. C. Rosso, G. Filippini*, M. Prato*, “Carbon Dots as Nano-Organocatalysts for Synthetic Applications”, ACS Catalysis, 2020, 10, 8090-8105.

3. G. Filippini*, F. Amato, C. Rosso, G. Ragazzon*, A. Vega-Peñaloza, X. Companyó*, L. Dell’Amico, M. Bonchio, M. Prato*, “Mapping the Surface Groups of Amine-Rich Carbon Dots Enables Covalent Catalysis in Aqueous Media”, Chem, 2020, 6, 3022-3037.

4. G. Filippini, F. Longobardo, L. Forster, A. Criado, G. Di Carmine, L. Nasi, C. D’Agostino, M. Melchionna*, P. Fornasiero*, M. Prato*, “Light-Driven, Heterogeneous Organocatalysts for C-C-Bond Formation Towards Valuable Perfluoroalkylated Intermediates”, Sci. Adv., 2020, 6, eabc9923.

5. C. Rosso, G. Filippini, A. Criado, M. Melchionna*, P. Fornasiero, M. Prato*, “Metal-Free Photocatalysis: Two-Dimensional Nanomaterial Connection toward Advanced Organic Synthesis”, ACS  Nano, 2021, 15, 3621-3630.

6. C. Rosso, S. Cuadros, G. Barison, P. Costa, M. Kurbasic, M. Bonchio, M. Prato, L. Dell’Amico*, G. Filippini*, “Unveiling the Synthetic Potential of Substituted Phenols as Fully Recyclable Organophotoredox Catalysts for the Iodosulfonylation of Olefins”, ACS Catalysis, 2022, 12, 4290-4295.

7. M. Marchi, E. Raciti, S. M. Gali, F. Piccirilli, H. Vondracek, A. Actis, E. Salvadori, C. Rosso, A. Criado, C. D’Agostino, L. Forster, D. Lee, A. C. Foucher, R. K. Rai, D. Beljonne, E. A. Stach, M. Chiesa, R. Lazzaroni, G. Filippini*, M. Prato, M. Melchionna*, P. Fornasiero*, “Carbon Vacancies Steer the Activity in Dual Ni Carbon Nitride Photocatalysis”, Adv. Sci. 2023, 10, 2303781.

8. G. Gentile, M. Morant-Giner, L. Cardo, M. Melchionna, P. Fornasiero, M. Prato, G. Filippini*, “DoE-Assisted Development of a 2H-MoS₂-Catalyzed Approach for the Production of Indole Derivatives”, ChemSusChem, 2023, e202300831.

9. A. Carioscia, E. Cocco, M. E. Casacchia, G. Giuseppe, M. Mamone, G. Giorgianni, E. Incerto, M. Prato*, F. Pesciaioli*, G. Filippini*, A. Carlone*, “Nitrogen-Rich Carbon Dots as Effective Catalysts in the 1,4-Reduction of α,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes via Ion pair Asymmetric Nano-Organocatalysis”, ACS Catalysis, 2024, 14, 13429−13438.

10. L. Morbiato, L. Cardo, E. Sturabotti, P. Gobbo*, G. Filippini*, M. Prato*, “Structure Matters: Tailored Graphitization of Carbon Dots Enhances Photocatalytic Performance”, ACS Nano, 2025, 19, 4887−4900.

11. M. Mamone, G. Gentile, M. Prato*, G. Filippini*, “Phenol-Rich Carbon Dots as Metal-Free Nano-Photocatalysts for [3+2] Cycloaddition Reactions”, ChemSusChem, 2025, e202500521.

For the full list of publications, please, refer to Google Scholar - link: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=pMlMU8MAAAAJ&hl=it&oi=sra

Positions:
- Post-doc positions: We are always looking for passionate researchers. The preferred way to join the group is to apply for external funding together. For instance, European fellowships are often available.
- PhD positions: If you are a talented and well-prepared student with experience in organic synthesis, catalysis and materials science, please contact us. Fellowships are available every year from the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences (DSCF) of the University of Trieste. 
- Master Students: Positions for experimental thesis are usually available over the year. Please contact us in advance (from 5 to 6 months).