Center for Colloid and Surface Science

Florence, Italy

CSGI is a Research Center for Colloids and Nanoscience, established in Dec 1993 in Firenze (Italy). In 1995 CSGI began its scientific activity, devoted to basic research and to the development of high-tech new processes, and is supporting the activities of the small and medium size business industrial companies, that cannot afford the financial costs of an independent research activity.

In the last 18 years, CSGI has sponsored several different research programs, mainly supported by European Union grants, and partly also by other international and national Institutions, such as the Italian “Articolo 10, Law 46/1982”, PRIN, PNR, FISR, FIRB, CNR, and so forth.

CSGI has signed numerous contracts that involve about 75 national and international industrial companies, and some highly qualified research Centers. Such lively activity has brought to several International Patents and research agreements. Some of the main projects that have been managed by CSGI are:

Acronym	Title
Amna	Addressable Molecular Node Assembly – a Generic Platform of Nanoscale Functionalised Surfaces Based on a “Digitally Addressable” Molecular Grid
Leapfrog	Leadership for European Apparel Production from Research along Original Guidelines
Manudirect	Direct ultraprecision manufacturing
Bearings	New generation of aeronautical bearings for extreme environmental constraints
Polytect	Polyfunctional Technical Textiles against Natural Hazards

CSGI has reached a very qualified standard, and its level has been acknowledged abroad, in several fields. For example, CSGI is a leader in a number of applications of Nanotechnology, in the conservation of cultural heritage, and in the production of nanophasic powders for the production of special materials for aeronautics, high resistance coatings, etc.

CSGI is active also in the training of specialized researchers, has granted several fellowships, PhD supporting programs, post-doc grants, and other education projects, and has organized several national and international Meetings. In particular, during the year 2010, CSGI has issued 10 PhD scholarships, 42 fellowships, and 7 post-doc grants, and is actively participating in two European Master Programs: EMASCO-COSOM (European Master in Supramolecular and Colloidal Chemistry) and IMES (International Master on Bioenergy and Environment).

The CSGI financial plan is solid, with a strong growth of its financial assets, mainly due to EU funding.

Fields of Interest

Nanostructured and ultrafine materials.
Structure and dynamics of supramolecular assemblies (monolayers, micelles, liposomes, microemulsions, Langmuir-Blodgett films, host-guest systems).
Nanophasic ternary oxides.
Structural analysis of biomolecules in solution, interaction processes, recognition of ligands with macromolecular surfaces, theoretical and experimental analysis of cellular metabolism, interactions between metals and ligands, characterization of the interaction sites.
Formulation of nanophasic systems.
Innovative processes for the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage (stone materials, wood materials, paintings, frescoes, paper, photographic material)

Relevant instrumentation

Small and wide Angle X-Ray Scattering
Static and Dynamic Light Scattering
Access to European and North American Facilities for Small Angle Neutron Scattering
Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Thermal Analysis5.Rheology
FTIR, UV-vis Spectrophotometry, Fluorescence, Circular Dichroism
Zeta-potential
Optical Microscopy, SEM, EDAX
Atomic Force Microscopy
Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy
Surface Area BET Apparatus
Dynamic and Static Tensiometry
Langmuir Film Balance, Langmuir-Blodgett Instruments, QCM

The CSGI Team

The CSGI team includes Prof. Pierandrea Lo Nostro, Prof. Piero Baglioni, Dr. Moira Ambrosi. The team is specifically oriented to the formulation of different complex fluids for different applications, based on the physico-chemical properties of the active ingredients and on the desired behavior of the final product.