Professor Maurizio Prato stands as a preeminent figure in the field of organic chemistry and nanomaterials science, holding dual appointments as Full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Trieste and Ikerbasque Professor at CIC biomaGUNE in San Sebastián. Following his doctoral studies in Chemistry at the University of Padova in 1978, he began his academic career there as Assistant Professor in 1983 before transitioning to the University of Trieste in 1992. His distinguished career trajectory culminated in his appointment as Full Professor in 2000, complemented by his election to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences (Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei) in 2010 and membership in the European Academy of Sciences. Professor Prato has established himself as a global leader through his extensive international collaborations, including visiting professorships at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris and honorary appointments at Xi'an Jiaotong University in China.
Professor Prato's groundbreaking research has generated transformative advances in carbon nanotechnology, particularly through his pioneering work on functionalized carbon nanomaterials for biomedical applications. His seminal 2005 publication on carbon nanotubes in drug delivery has garnered over 2,500 citations and helped establish the field of carbon-based drug delivery systems. With more than 500 publications to his name, his work has accumulated over 67,700 citations according to Google Scholar, reflecting an exceptional h-index of 119 that underscores the profound impact of his contributions. His development of methodologies for the preparation, functionalization, and characterization of engineered carbon nanodots represents a major technical advancement that has enabled numerous applications in biosensing, diagnostics, and imaging. These innovations have bridged traditional disciplinary boundaries, creating new paradigms for integrating complex chemical structures with biological systems.
Beyond his research achievements, Professor Prato has significantly shaped his field through extensive editorial leadership and service to the scientific community. He serves as Associate Editor for prestigious journals including Scientific Reports (Nature Journals) and ChemSusChem (Wiley-VCH), while also contributing to the editorial boards of Chemical Communications and ACS Nano. His mentorship has cultivated the next generation of materials scientists and chemists through his Carbon Nanobiotechnology research group at CIC biomaGUNE. Recognized with numerous awards including the Federchimica Prize, the National Prize for Research from the Italian Chemical Society, and the Ciamician-Gonzalez Prize from the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry, his work continues to evolve with ongoing research focused on developing advanced carbon-based interfaces with enhanced performance in biomedical applications. As evidenced by a dedicated special collection of papers celebrating his contributions, Professor Prato's legacy as an integrator of chemistry, materials science, and biotechnology continues to inspire innovation across multiple scientific disciplines.
