Vito Lippolis is Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Cagliari, Italy. He graduated with honours in Chemistry from the University of Pisa and, in the same year, obtained a Diploma in Chemistry from the Scuola Normale Superiore (Pisa). He subsequently earned his PhD at the University of Nottingham under the supervision of Professor Martin Schröder, receiving the “J. J. Turner Prize for PhD Thesis Excellence”. Professor Lippolis is the author of approximately 380 papers in international peer-reviewed journals and six book chapters. His research lies at the interface of coordination chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, and the chemistry of main-group elements, with a particular emphasis on the design of functional molecular systems and their practical applications.
His research interests include supramolecular chemistry and the crystal engineering of molecular frameworks; the coordination chemistry of macrocyclic ligands for the development of optical molecular sensors, ionophores, and receptors for heavy metal ions and anions, as well as luminescent materials based on metallophilic interactions; and the study of non-covalent interactions involving chalcogen donor molecules and dihalogens, with a particular focus on halogen and chalcogen bonding.
He is actively engaged in the international chemical community through scientific collaborations, conference organisation, and advisory roles. He serves as a permanent member of the Advisory Board of the International Conference on Selenium and Tellurium Chemistry (ICCST), which he chaired in 2019, and of the International Advisory Boards of both the SeSRedCat Network (Selenium and Sulfur Redox & Catalysis) and the HalChem International Meeting on Halogen Chemistry.
Professor Lippolis has also contributed to editorial initiatives of the Royal Society of Chemistry, serving as Guest Editor of the themed collection “Selenium & Tellurium Chemistry at the Beginning of the 3rd Millennium: A Celebration of ICCST” in the New Journal of Chemistry.
In 2023, he co-edited the volume “Chalcogen Chemistry: Fundamentals and Applications”, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in the chemistry of chalcogen elements and their applications.
Research areas:
- Molecular recognition and sensing
- Macrocyclic ligands and coordination chemistry
- Main group elements in particular halogens and chalcogens
- Non covalent interactions in particular halogen and chalcogen bonds
Browse a selection of Vito’s RSC publications:
Tailoring cyclic polyamines for inorganic/organic phosphate binding
Carla Bazicalupi, Aandrea Bencini and Vito Lippolis
Chem. Soc. Rev., 2010, 39, 3709-3728
Carla Bazzicalupi, Aandrea Bencini, Stefano Puccioni, Barbara Valtancoli, Paola Gratteri, Alessandra Garau and Vito Lippolis
Chem. Commun., 2012, 48, 139-141
Carla Aragoni, Massimiliano Arca, Andrea Bencini, Claudia Caltagirone, Alessandra Garau, Francesco Isaia, Mark E. Light, Vito Lippolis, Carlos Lodeiro, Marta Mameli, Riccardo Montis, M. Cristina Mostallino, Anna Pintus and Stefano Puccioni
Dalton Trans., 2013, 42, 14516-14530
A fluorescent ratiometric nanosized system for the determination of PdII in water
Massimiliano Arca, Claudia Caltagirone, Greta De Filippo, Mauro Formica, Vieri Fusi, Luca Giorgi, Vito Lippolis, Luca Prodi, Enrico Rampazzo, M. Andrea Scorciapino, Massimo Sgarzi and Nelsi Zaccheroni
Chem. Commun., 2014, 50, 15259-15262
Carla Aragoni, Enrico Podda, Massimiliano Arca, Anna Pintus, Vito Lippolis, Claudia Caltagirone, Ricardo H. Bartz, Eder J. Lenardão, Gelson Perin, Ricardo F. Schumacher, Simon J. Coles and James B. Orton
New J. Chem., 2022, 46, 21921-21929
Laura Coconubo-Guio, Sonia Moreno, Giacomo Picci, Miguel Monge, José M. López-de-Luzuriaga, M. Elena Olmos, Claudia Caltagirone and Vito Lippolis
New J. Chem., 2026, 50, 9368–9376
Submit to RSC Advances today! Check out our author guidelines for information on our article types or find out more about the advantages of publishing in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal.
Keep up to date with our latest Popular Advances, Reviews, Collections & more by following us on Bluesky. You can also keep informed by signing up to our E-Alerts.





















