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Biography

Federico Rosei FRSC was born in Rome. He received a PhD in Physics from the University of Rome 鈥淟a Sapienza鈥�. He held a professorship in Canada (Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique) before returning to Italy, where he is a professor of industrial chemistry at the University of Trieste. He is a dual citizen of Canada and Italy.

Professor Rosei is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Academia Europaea, the World Academy of Sciences and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, among others. He is Honorary Fellow of the Chinese Chemical Society.

His efforts in research, education and outreach have been internationally recognised by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (Fellowship in Engineering), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Award), the European Academy of Sciences (Blaise Pascal Medal), the TMS (Brimacombe Medal), the American Vacuum Society (Nanotechnology Recognition Award and Recognition for Excellence in Mentoring), the government of Iran (Khwarizmi International Award), the government of China (Chang Jiang Scholar Award), the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (Spirit of Salam Award) and the American Physical Society (John Wheatley Award), among others. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Professor Rosei鈥檚 research focuses on studying structure / property relationships in nanomaterials and their use as building blocks in emerging technologies. He has given over fifty public lectures to lay audiences and co-authored the script of a TED-Ed cartoon on renewable energy technologies, viewed over 2.8 million times.

Always ask yourself if there is a different way of doing experiments, that uses less energy and does not use elements that are rare and/or toxic.

Federico Rosei

Q&A

Can you tell us more about your work?

Compared to the macroscopic world, properties are often different at the nanoscale. Size effects and a high surface-to-volume ratio can fundamentally alter many features. For example gold, which is chemically inert in bulk form, becomes reactive in nanoscale form. Still gold is yellow at the macroscale, whereas a powder of nanoscale gold appears to be red.

In my research, I study the central question: what happens when we change the structure (morphology and composition) of a material at the nanoscale? How do the changes affect the properties? While this inquiry is fundamental at the outset, it has profound implications for a number of technological applications, also in relation to several Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, I have worked on biocompatible materials for applications in the health sector (SDG3), solar technologies, solid state lighting and next generation battery materials for clean and affordable energy (SDG7 and indirectly climate action, SDG13), partnered with industry (SDG9) and addressed quality education (SDG4) in my role as an academic.

In tackling these pursuits, several additional concerns naturally arise. For example, most of the technologies we depend on in rich, modern societies contain multiple elements that are either toxic, or rare, or both. This realisation implies that the primary bottleneck for a sustainable future is responsible production and consumption (SDG12).

In addition to reporting numerous world records of performance (e.g. conversion efficiency, stability) in several solar technologies, my team has also explored novel material compositions that are non-toxic and earth abundant, thus helping reduce dependence from precious elements.

I am also active on several other fronts; I advocate the advancement of science globally, for example by giving public lectures to lay audiences and organising symposia and conferences worldwide. My work in research, education, mentoring, capacity building and knowledge dissemination aims to cross disciplinary and geographical boundaries, and often extends beyond my own immediate interests and pursuits. I co-created 鈥楽urvival Skills for Scientists鈥�, a professional development course designed to help young scientists optimise their choices, co-authored a best-selling book by the same title and have given dozens of lectures on this topic worldwide.

Who or what first sparked your interest in chemistry, and how has that interest evolved over time? 

I consider myself very lucky, as I grew up in a family of scientists and engineers. This sparked my interest in STEM (not only chemistry) at an early age. In many ways, both genetically and due to upbringing, I was sort of predestined to follow this path.

What has been the most rewarding or memorable highlight of your career so far? 

I cannot think of a single episode. I am mostly proud of my record in supervising and training young scientists. This aspect of my job is the one I cherish the most.

What have been the biggest challenges that you have faced over the course of your time in science, and what have you learned from those experiences? 

Two main challenges: the first is the fierce competition. As scientists, we constantly compete for resources, space and people. While inevitable, it's also tiring in the long run.

The other one is managing interpersonal relationships. I have many friends in many countries, on the plus side. But I also met a number of people who were... unreasonable, shall we say.

Thinking back to earlier in your career, are there any words of wisdom that you wish someone had told you? 

Not really. On a more positive side, my dad told me from a young age: "Nothing succeeds, like success". Success builds confidence and when you are more confident, you are more likely to succeed. This motto also taught me to believe in myself.

These are some of the fundamentals I like to share with young scientists: believe in yourself, because if you don't, nobody else will.

What impact would you say that your work is having on your field and/or the wider world? 

My original training is in surface science; while we have reported a few interesting insights, in all honesty I feel we are barely scratching the surface. While we strive to do more and better, perhaps my greatest contribution lies in mentoring, capacity building and disseminating science beyond the research realm.

What future directions or opportunities do you see for your work? 

Niels Bohr is credited with saying, "predictions are difficult, especially about the future". I have no clue, I hope to be surprised.

What do you wish more people understood about your field or the chemical sciences in general? 

That science is powerful and mostly operates on the basis of evidence. It can change the world, for better or worse.

In what ways does creativity influence how you think about or carry out your work? 

Carrying out research is inherently a creative pursuit. It's one of the aspects that makes it interesting, sometimes exciting.

Are there any scientific developments, either recent or on the horizon, that you are excited about? 

The realisation that we need to rethink technology, if we want to pursue a sustainable future.

What does good research culture mean to you, and why does it matter? 

It means giving opportunities to anyone who shows potential and is hardworking; listening to everyone as you never know where the most promising ideas might come from; working hard when it's warranted, yet also relaxing to recharge our energy levels; organising (optional) activities outside of the lab as opportunities to get to know each other better, and as team building exercises. Most of all, doing our work with passion, enthusiasm, curiosity and always behaving ethically.

How can scientists try to improve the environmental sustainability of research? Can you give us any examples from your own experience or context? 

Go green. Always ask yourself if there is a different way of doing experiments, that uses less energy and does not use elements that are rare and/or toxic. Where possible, learn to recycle. Dispose of residue responsibly.

How important would you say collaboration is for producing high-quality science? How has collaboration influenced your work? 

Collaboration is fundamental. I've had the pleasure, even privilege of collaborating with scholars from 40 different countries. We constantly learn from each other, not only in asking scientific questions, but also on a basic human level. As I stated above, I am lucky because I have many friends, in many countries.

If you had unlimited resources, what research question would you most want to explore? 

How can we develop a sustainable future? It's broad and complex and definitely requires unlimited resources.

What is your favourite element and why? 

I have four: H (hydrogen), C (carbon), N (nitrogen) and O (oxygen). The most abundant elements in the (known) universe, which are also the basis for any life form.