Personale docente

- Laurea Degree in Chemistry (magna cum laude) in 1999, from Parma University.
- PhD Degree in Chemical Sciences in 2003, from Parma University.
- March 2004 - September 2005: Marie Curie Intra-European Fellow (European Commission, 6th Framework Programme) at Université Rennes 1, CNRS-UMR6510 (France).
- November 2005 - February 2015: Assistant Professor at Parma University, Department of Chamistry.
- Since March 2015: Associate Professor at Parma University, Department of Chamistry.

The scientific production of F. Terenziani includes 58 publications in international peer-reviewed journals, 21 publications in international journals without impact factor or in peer-reviewed conference proceedings, 3 book chapters; 65 contributions to international conferences, among which 13 oral communications were personally presented; 6 invited lectures.
ISI: 75 publications; h-index = 28; 2970 citations (Web of Science citation report January 2019).

The research activity of Terenziani is mainly devoted to organic polar and/or polarizable chromophores, i.e. molecules where electron-rich groups and an electron-poor groups are linked by pi-conjugated bridges. Particular interest is devoted to the study of the effects of electron-molecular vibration coupling, of the environment and of intermolecular interactions on spectral properties and non-linear optical responses of materials based on these structures. The investigation is performed on an experimental basis, through spectroscopic techniques, and by the development of original theoretical models.

Main results include the development of essential-state charge-transfer models for polar-polarizable molecules. Linear electron-vibration coupling was introduced in a non perturbative way, and important vibronic/vibrational contributions were predicted in NLO properties (static and dynamic).
Coupling to a classical solvation mode was also added, modeling the absorption and emission solvatochromism of molecules of different symmetry (dipolar, quadrupolar, octupolar), infrared and Raman spectra, as well as time-resolved spectra. The intriguing and non trivial spectroscopic behavior of different classes of molecules was rationalized, introducing the concept of solvent-induced symmetry breaking for quadrupolar [JACS 2006] and octupolar [JPCB 2008, JACS 2010, JPCL 2010] chromophores. Results were compared with predictions from state-of-the-art quantum-chemical predictions, thanks to a collaboration with Dr. Sergei Tretiak (Los Alamos National Laboratory). Common results are also the subject of a Review appeared in Advanced Materials.
Since a few years ago, much attention was devoted to the effects of electrostatic interactions on the properties of polarizable molecules, with the aim to predict the properties of crystals, films, aggregates. Arrays of chromophores with attractive or repulsive Coulomb interactions provided models for collective and cooperative phenomena and showed the limitations of the standard exciton theory. The models were validated against experimental data on different series of multichromophoric assemblies and films, most of all thanks to a collaboration with the group of Dr. Blanchard-Desce. Moreover, theoretical predictions were the starting point for the design of new supramolecular systems with improved properties (Angew. Chem. 2009, PCCP 2014).

A new research field has been opened during last few years, on fluorescent organic nanoparticles. Some of them were tested as contrast agents in 3D TPEF imaging on living tadpoles, setting very good premises for in-vivo angiography measurements [Small 2011]. Also multi-component organic nanoparticles have been prepared and investigated: very efficient excitation energy transfer has been obtained in core-shell fully organic nanoparticles, with a concomitant strong luminescence enhancement thanks to the localization of the excitation at the shell-to-core nanointerface [Small 2013, J. Mater. Chem. C 2015].

The formation of weakly-fluorescent J aggregates has been observed in organic nanoparticles, crystals and films of quadrupolar chromophores. Results have been modeled through an essential-state approach, giving an insight well beyond the standard exciton picture [JPCC 2017, PCCP 2016].
Nanoparticles and films containing organic radicals showed the formation of excimers with peculiar spin multiplicity, whose origin was investigated and rationalized [PCCP 2017].

Another recent project is focused on the design, preparation and characterization of multichromophoric systems of increasing complexity in order to study energy- and charge- flow through a combined theoretical and experimental, in collaboration with some organic chemists in Parma, the European Laboratory for Nonlinear Spectroscopies in Florence, and Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa [ChemPhysChem 2016]. The main challenge from my side is the development of reliable models for the dynamic (non-adiabatic and non-perturbative) description of such processes, and for the calculation of bi-dimensional optical spectra [PCCP 2015].