Team

Alberto Privitera

Alberto is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Florence and Principal Investigator who explores how light and spin can be harnessed in molecules and materials for quantum technologies and solar energy conversion. He earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Padova in 2018 and has conducted research at the University of Oxford (2017–2020), Turin (2021), Florence (2022–2023), and Northwestern University (2023–2025), alongside additional international research stays. 

He has received multiple awards, including the International EPR Society Young Investigator Award, the Foresight Fellowship, the NEST Prize, and the “Franco Scandola” Young Investigator Award.

Outside the lab, Alberto enjoys climbing, hiking, playing the drums, and - slowly but relentlessly! - studying Russian.

Email: alberto.privitera@unifi.it

Martina Alebardi

Martina obtained her PhD in February 2026 from the University of Perugia under the supervision of Prof. Benedetta Carlotti. Her doctoral research focused on the investigation of singlet fission in the solid state, employing ultrafast spectroscopy across various classes of organic molecules. She is currently working on the study of chirality induced spin selectivity in organic thin films for photovoltaic applications.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, exploring new cities and baking.

Email: martina.alebardi@unifi.it

Angelo Carella

Angelo is a postdoc who obtained his PhD working in the EPR group of the Univeristy of Padova under the supervision of Prof. Marilena Di Valentin and co-supervision of Prof. Michael Wasielewski. His research focused on the study of biomimetic molecular systems employing optical and EPR spectroscopy for applications in solar energy conversion and Quantum Information Science. He is currently working on the study of chirality induced spin selectivity in organic molecules and chromophore-qubit systems.

He likes reading, crosswords, travelling and fun nights out with friends.

Email: angelo.carella@unifi.it

Liam Cribbin

Liam completed his PhD in September 2026 at Trinity College Dublin under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Mathias O. Senge. His doctoral research focused on the synthesis and post-functionalization of planar and nonplanar porphyrins with diverse substitution patterns, with applications in organocatalysis and on-surface synthesis. He is currently working on the development of porphyrin-based architectures toward light controlled interactions in molecular qubits. 

In his spare time, he enjoys playing Gaelic football, running, reading and farming when back in Ireland. 

Email: cribbinl@tcd.ie (temporary)

Soirik Dan

Soirik received his PhD from the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata, India, under the supervision of Prof. Amlan J. Pal. His doctoral research focused on band engineering, spin transport, and chiro-optical phenomena of chiral hybrid thin films. During his research, he used various scanning probe microscopy techniques (e.g., STM, AFM, KPFM, mc-AFM, PFM, and MFM) and fabricated and characterized a range of opto/spin-electronic devices (e.g., solar cells, photodetectors, neuromorphic devices, and spin valves). His current research focuses on the fabrication, morphological, and optoelectronic characterization of chiral thin films and devices, where the CISS effect is combined with charge photogeneration.

Email: soirik.dan@unifi.it

Giulia Pancotti

Giulia completed her PhD in October 2026 at the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) under the supervision of Prof. David B. Amabilino. Her doctoral research focused on chiral organic semiconductors, investigating how molecular structure and supramolecular organisation influence their optical properties, excited-state dynamics and photovoltaic performance. She is currently working on chirality-induced spin selectivity in organic thin films for photovoltaic applications.

Outside the lab, she spends time swimming, playing tennis, exploring new places, and listening to tons of music.

Email: giulia.pancotti@unifi.it

Chiara Baldi

Chiara obtained her Master’s degree in Chemistry in 2024, with a thesis entitled “Design of Molecular Quantum Logic Gates based on Metalloporphyrin Dimers for Potential Solid-Surface Applications.” She is currently a PhD student in Chemical Sciences, carrying out her doctoral research within the project “Paramagnetic Complexes for Optical and Chirality-Induced Spin-Polarization.” Her research activity focuses on the synthesis of porphyrinic complexes aimed at photophysical investigations.

Email: chiara.baldi1@unifi.it

Elena Bonaccorsi

Elena obtained her master’s degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Padua, where she investigated the role of the thioredoxin system in neuronal function. During her thesis research, she gained experience in several biochemical techniques, including functional assays, protein quantification, affinity chromatography, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence coupled with confocal microscopy. She is currently a PhD student in Chemical Sciences at the University of Florence, where her research focuses on the synthesis and functionalization of helicenes, chiral molecules with potential applications in organic spintronics through the Chirality-Induced Spin Selectivity (CISS) effect, and in photodynamic therapy (PDT), through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Email: elenamariaantonia.bonaccorsi@unifi.it

Francesco Parmeggiani

Francesco studied Chemistry at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, where he worked on the spectroscopic characterization of cobalt myoglobin systems. He later completed a Master’s degree in Supramolecular Chemistry at the University of Florence, focusing on thermal evaporation of helicene-based chiral molecules and their surface characterization via CD, XPS, and AFM measurements.

He is currently a PhD candidate working on surface chemistry and spin-dependent electronic transport, with a focus on chirality-induced spin selectivity, molecular thin films, and synchrotron-based XPS studies. His research combines surface-sensitive spectroscopy with scanning probe techniques, particularly AFM and conductive-AFM, for nanoscale morphological and electrical transport measurements.

Email: francesco.parmeggiani@unifi.it