Plenary sessions

 Cinzia Giannini

Director of the Institute of Crystallography (Bari, Italy) 

Structural studies on new materials of technological interest using X-ray scattering techniques.

Title: X-ray scattering — a valuable tool for materials characterisation, medical diagnostics, and (even) a novel method for tissue dating

Abstract: This lecture aims to underscore the versatility and cross-disciplinary relevance of X-ray scattering, highlighting its growing impact from materials engineering to life sciences. X-ray scattering has become an essential technique for characterising materials at the nano- and atomic scale, providing insights into structural organization, morphology, and internal architecture. In materials science, Small- and Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS/WAXS), together with advanced imaging methods like Coherent Diffraction Imaging (CDI) or Ptychography, enable the investigation of complex hierarchical systems such as nanomaterials into polymers, hybrid nano/bio systems, and fibrous materials. These same principles are increasingly being applied in the biomedical field, where X-ray scattering reveals subtle changes in tissue ultrastructure that correlate with pathological conditions. Notably, ongoing research explores its application in tissue dating, a novel approach based on detecting age-related structural modifications at the molecular level. 

Biography: Cinzia Giannini received her PhD in Physics from the University of Bari, focusing her research on structural characterization of advanced materials. Her expertise lies in the application of a broad range of X-ray techniques to investigate materials of technological interest. These include Grazing Incidence Diffraction (GID), X-ray Reflectivity (XRR), Grazing Incidence Small- and Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (GISAXS/GIWAXS), and X-ray Standing Waves (XSW) for the analysis of surfaces, thin films, and multilayer structures. She has also applied Reciprocal Space Mapping (RSM) and High-Resolution X-ray Diffraction (HRXRD) to study hetero-interfaces, multilayers, and lamellar systems deposited via physical methods. Her work extends to Coherent Diffraction Imaging (CDI) and X-ray holography for the structural investigation of non-periodic single objects using coherent radiation. More recently, she has employed scanning X-ray microscopy techniques with SAXS and WAXS contrast for the microscale characterization of hierarchical materials. She currently serves as Director of the Institute of Crystallography, where she leads research in structural analysis and X-ray methodologies, contributing to advancements in materials science and Crystallography.