PROF. ORAZIO ANTONIO ATTANASI

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Orazio Antonio Attanasi was born in Lecce on 31st March 1943. He studied at the University of Bologna, where he obtained a doctorate degree in Industrial Chemistry, discussing his experimental thesis with Prof. Luciano Caglioti.

During 1969-70 he worked as Organic Chemistry Assistant at the University of Bologna, and during 1971-75 as Researcher at the National Council of Research (CNR).

In 1972 he taught Analytical Chemistry and from 1973 Organic Chemistry at the University of Urbino.

In 1976 he was named Organic Chemistry Assistant at the University of Urbino, in 1982 he became Associate Professor, and in 1986 Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Urbino.

Between 1974 and 1975 he attended as Visiting Researcher the Technisch-Chemisches Laboratorium of the Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule of Zürich (CH). In 1998 and 2001 he attended as Visiting Professor the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil) and Universidade Federal do Cearà (Brazil).

Attanasi supervised some 80 doctorate theses, most of which of experimental type. He coworked with several italian and foreign research groups. He participated in several courses, meetings, and lectures, organizing and holding several of these.

In 1982 he founded the Center of Natural Organic Compounds at the University of Urbino, becoming Director of the Center till 2010.

In 1987 he founded the Organic Chemistry Institute at the University of Urbino, becoming Director of the Institute till 2010.

He directs chemical researches for national and international, public or private, Institutions and Companies: Ministry of Public Education, Ministry of University and Scientific and Technological Research, Ministry of Industry, National Council of Research (CNR), Finalized Project "Fine Chemistry" of CNR, National Agency for Alternative Energies (ENEA), Mario Negri Institute, Region of Marche, Province of Peasaro, ICoCEA (CNR), Universities [Roma "La Sapienza", Roma "Tor Vergata", Milano, Bologna, Bari, Ancona, Basilicata, Camerino, Chieti, Palermo, Pavia, L'Aquila, Perugia, Lecce, Viterbo, Trieste, Genova, Modena, Cagliari, Siena, Parma, Firenze, ETH Zürich (CH), East Anglia (UK), Florida (USA), Beijing (China), Cearà (Brazil), Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil), Göttingen (D), Rostock (D), Muenchen (D), Innsbruck (A), Prince Edward Island (Canada), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Vitoria (Spain), Benha (Egypt), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Aristotle Thessaloniki (Greece), Zaragoza (Spain)], Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi (ENI-I), Società Italiana Resine (SIR-I), Marchon (I), Oltremare (I), Laboratori Guidotti (I), Menarini (I), Glaxo Wellcome (I), Tecnofilm (I), Industria Chimica Emiliana (I), Società Ossigeno Liquido (I), Piromac Tanfoglio (I), Tecnical (I), Prosio (I), Tribulini (I), Santini (I), Indel B (I), La Meccanica (I), Busco Industrie Riunite (I), Plastifuso (I), Mariani Petroli (I), Tecnocolor (I), Isagro (I), Oxon (I), G.S.C. Group (I), Agrivis (I), CEMA Impianti (I), Ecoenergy (I), Serichim (I), Santini (I), ZaCh System-Zambon (I), Wafer Zoo (I), Agripower (I), Paci Holding (I), Ghergo Industry & Engineering (I), Mailca (I), Nuova Cam (I), Troiani & Ciarrocchi (I), Chimet (I), Terra Bio (I), National Cancer Institute (USA), Diamond Shamrock (USA), SDS Biotech (USA-J), Cyanamid (USA), Rhône-Poulenc (USA), DuPont (USA), Jacobus Pharmaceutical (USA), GRT Laboratories (USA), Novartis (CH), Novartis Pharma (CH), Aventis (F-D), Bayer (F-D), Merck (USA), Dow (USA).

Frequently, he acts for suggesting new products or innovative synthetic procedures, and in general for solving industrial scientific problems especially those related to the by-products. He is designed inventor in some industrial patents.

In 1984, 1989, 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2013 Attanasi was invited by the Nobel Committee for Chemistry to submit proposal for the award of the Nobel Prize.

Since 1984, Attanasi is a member of the United Nations Development Programme, of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and of the Department for the Cooperation to the Development of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Since several years, Attanasi is a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Società Chimica Italiana, and the International Society of Heterocyclic Chemistry. Since 1981 he serves as the Urbino corresponding member for the Divisione di Chimica Organica of the Società Chimica Italiana. Furthermore, he was elected Vice-President (1979-80), President (1981, 2002-04 and 2012-14), Past-President (2005-07) and Member of the Board of Directors (1982-88) of the Sezione Marchigiana of the Società Chimica Italiana. In 2005, Attanasi was named Honorary Lifetime Membership of Indian Society of Chemists and Biologists (ISCB).

In 1986 Attanasi was admitted as a Member of the Editorial Boards of Organic Preparations and Procedures International, Arkivoc and Molecules. He acts often as Referee for Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis, Synthesis, Synlett, Tetrahedron, Tetrahedron Letters, Journal of Organic Chemistry, Organic Preparations and Procedures International, Gazzetta Chimica Italiana, Liebigs Annalen der Chemie, Chemische Berichte, European Journal of Organic Chemistry, Angewandte Chemie, Farmaco, Organic Letters, Chemistry European Journal, Arkivoc, Canadian Journal of Chemistry. He was Co-Editor with Prof. Domenico Spinelli (University of Bologna) of Topics in Heterocyclic Systems - Synthesis, Reactions and Properties (1996), and Co-Editor with Prof. Domenico Spinelli (University of Bologna) of Targets in Heterocyclic Systems - Chemistry and Properties Vol. 1 (1997), Vol. 2 (1998), Vol. 3 (1999), Vol. 4 (2000), Vol. 5 (2001), Vol. 6 (2002), Vol. 7 (2003), Vol. 8 (2004), Vol. 9 (2005), Vol. 10 (2006), Vol. 11 (2007), Vol. 12 (2008), Vol. 13 (2009), Vol. 14 (2010), Vol. 15 (2011), and Vol. 16 (2012) published by the Italian Society of Chemistry and included in the Royal Society of Chemistry book catalogue.

During 1988-90 he acted as Member of the Administration Council of the University of Urbino.

During 1998-2000 he was Director of the EEC Formation Course of "Wood Technologist" at the University of Urbino.

ERASMUS and SOCRATES Agreement with Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Thessaloniki, Greece.

During 2001-09, he acted as local Co-ordinator of Research Project of National Interest (PRIN) of Italian Ministry of Instruction, University and Research (MIUR). During 2006-09, he acted also as national Co-ordinator of PRIN-MIUR.

Since 2006 to 2013, he acted as Dean of the Ph Doctorate in Chemical Sciences and Farmaceutical Sciences of the University of Urbino.

In September 2008, he has been elected Active Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.

In 2010, he has been awarded with “Badge of Honor” Medal by the International Scientific Partnership Foundation (Russia) for tireless work toward the development of science and international scientific collaboration.

In 2010, he has been awarded with Research Prize by the Italian Society of Chemistry for its contribution in the field of Synthetic Organic Chemistry.

In 2011, he received the Certificate of Appreciation from the American Chemical Society for the valuable contribution and dedicated service in the peer review of manuscripts submitted to ACS journals.

In 2012, the work presented at the 4th International IUPAC Conference on Green Chemistry (Foz do Iguacu, Brazil) was selected for the IUPAC Prize.

Attanasi has published some 250 papers on the chemistry of the hydrazine derivatives, heterocyclic compounds containing nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, selenium and/or phosphorous atoms, as well as natural products. He studied new methods for the preparation of organic compounds, the synthesis of unknown organic derivatives (i.e. 1,2-diaza-1,3-dienes, hydrazones, hydrazines, hydrazides, azines, pyrroles, pyrrolines, pyrazoles, pyrazolines, imidazoles, imidazolines, imidazolidindiones (hydantoins), 2-thioxoimidazolinones (2-thiohydantoins), thiazoles, thiazolines, thiazolidines, 2-iminothiazolidinones, selenazoles, selenazolines, 1,3-oxathioles, 1,2,3-triazoles, 1,2,3-thiadiazoles, 1,2,3-selenodiazoles, 1,2,3-diazaphospholes, pyridazines, dihydropyridazines, tetrahydropyridazines, pyrazines, dihydropyrazines, tetrahydropyrazines, piperazines, 1,3-oxazines, 1,4-thiazines, dihydro-1,4-thiazines, tetrahydro-1,4-thiazines, dihydro-1-aza-4-phosphinine, 1,2,4-triazines, tetrahydro-1,2,4-triazines, 1,2,4-oxadiazines, tetrahydro-1,4-diazepinones, 1,4-benzodiazepines and mixed heterocyclic systems). Since 1967 he has taken interest in the cashew nut technologies, with particular respect to the chemistry and industrial utilizations of the "cashew nut shell liquid" (CNSL).

 

Invited Lectures

 

 

See Also

ORGANISERS & SPONSORS

 

 

Agricultural University of Georgia

 

Association of Professional Chemists
of Georgia