Description

The Institute for Chemical-Physical Processes (IPCF) was created on 1st January, 2002, within the reorganization of the scientific network (Legislative Provision No. 15647/13.09.2000). The first administrative head office was based in Pisa and became operative on 2nd January. The first Director was Massimo Martinelli (IPCF Research Director).
It brings together the research expertise of six pre-existing CNR research units, namely:
o ICAS - Institute of Instrumental Analytical Chemistry (Pisa)
o ICQEM - Institute of Quantum Chemistry and Molecular Energetics (Pisa)
o IFAM - Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics (Pisa)
o ITS - Institute of Spectroscopic Techniques (Messina)
o CFILM - Center for Chemico-Physical Studies on Light-Matter Interactions (Bari)
o GNSM - National Group of Structure of Matter (Pisa Division)

In 2008 with Administrative Provision No. 004/24.01.2008 Dr. Alessandro Lami (IPCF Research Director) became Acting Director.
On 1st July 2008 Prof. Vincenzo Barone became Director of IPCF (Administrative Provision No. 045/13.06.2008) (Professor of Chemistry-Physics at the University of Naples Federico II and President of the Chemistry-Physics Division of the Italian Chemical Society ).
On 1st January 2009 with Administrative Provision No. 190/22.12.2008 Dr. Alessandro Lami (IPCF Research Director)becomes Acting Director..
On 14th January, 2010 with Administrative Provision No. 001/14.01.2010 Dr. Caterina Enrica Maria Ghio (Research Director of the IPCF) becomes Acting Director..
On 29th January 2010 with Administrative Provision No. 012/29.01.2010 the Deed of Association of the IPCF with its administrative head office based in Pisa with four Organizational Support Units listed below was revised.:
o U.O.S of Messina
o U.O.S of Bari
o U.O.S. of Cosenza
o U.O.S. of Roma

The Institute carries out interdisciplinary research on chemical-physical systems and processes characterized by self-aggregation and self-organization phenomena due to cooperative behaviors on a meso- and macroscopic scale. These systems, scientifically known as "soft matter", i.e. they are easily deformable in response to external stress (mechanical, thermal, electrical, magnetic, optical, etc.) which are: supramolecular structures, polymers, liquid crystals, colloids, disordered and mesomorphic systems , nanostructured materials, biological and biomimetic systems, biological and non-biological interfaces.
The scientific activities include:
o the study of self-organization, superficial interactions, relaxation, transport phenomena;
o the general study of radiation-matter interaction: structure, dynamics, transformations, reactivity;
o the design and execution of materials with different levels of complexity, including multi-phase, with predetermined properties (mechanical, thermal, optical, magnetic, electrical);
o the development of theoretical-computational models and techniques;
the development of new experimental methodologies.

Starting from 1st February2010 with Administrative Provision No. 035/25.02.2010 a number of employees of the INFM Scientific Responsibility Center were assigned to IPCF.
On 15th July 2010 with Administrative Provision No. 079/14.07.2010 Dr. Cirino Salvatore Vasi (Research Director of the IPCF) became Acting Director.
On 19th November, 2010 with Administrative Provision No. 105/19.11.2010 the Deed of Association of the IPCF with its head office based in Messina was re-established with the following Organizating Support Units:
o U.O.S of Bari
o U.O.S. of Cosenza
o U.O.S. of Pisa
o U.O.S. of Roma

The research activities remain unchanged.
After about 13 years of permanency in the Department of Physical Sciences and Technology of Matter (DSFTM), given that both the Institute's scientific activities and the number of researchers had become almost equal between Physical Sciences and Chemical Sciences, on 15th January, 2015 with Administrative Provision No. 001/15.01.2015 the Deed of Association was remade and the IPCF became an Institute belonging to the Department of Chemical Sciences and Materials Technologies (DSCTM). The institute carries out interdisciplinary research in the Chemical-Physics field. The activities are motivated by both scientific curiosity, and an orientation towards enhancement and technological transfer and to the relative training of the following topics: soft matter, complex materials and systems, nanostructured composites, biomimetic systems, innovative methodologies and multidisciplinary applications.

The activity includes:
o the study of self-organization, surface interactions, relaxation, transport;
o the design and execution of materials with different levels of complexity, even multi-phase, with predetermined properties (mechanical, thermal, optical, magnetic, electrical);
o the development of theoretical-computational models and techniques;
o the development of new experimental methodologies and the design and implementation of innovative instruments.

The Institute is divided into the following Organizational Support Units:

o Bari, at the Department of Chemistry, University of Bari
o Pisa, at the CNR Research Area of Pisa

On 4th March 2015 with Administrative Provision No. 016/04.03.2015 the Deed of Association was re-established leaving the activities of competence of the Institute unchanged.

The detached branch units are:

o Bari, at the Department of Chemistry, University of Bari
o Pisa, at the CNR Research Area of Pisa