In the morning of April 12th, Prof. Mario Santoro and Prof. Federico Aiace Gorelli, from National Institute of Optics, Italy, gave lectures to ISSP researchers.

Prof. Mario Santoro gave a lecture on " Strongly Confined, Simple Molecular Systems at High Pressures ". In his presentation, he talked about a recent part of his research, established experience on high pressure science of simple molecular systems to the amazing world of zeolites. He showed a CO2-SiO2 compound, a disordered silicon carbonate1, obtained by reacting silicalite and nano-confined CO2 at about 20 GPa and 600-1000 K. Then he reported on HP (GPa) polymerization of ethylene, acetylene and CO in the zeolites, leading to novel nanocomposites, all recovered at ambient conditions.

Prof. Federico Aiace Gorelli gave a lecture entitled “Carbon Dioxide at Extreme Eonditions”. In his presentation, he addressed the investigation of the phase diagram of carbon dioxide at extreme pressures and temperatures has resulted in the last decades in the experimental discovery of several crystalline polymorphs, and even amorphous forms (a-carbonia), ranging from molecular solids to fully extended covalent solids with crystal structures similar to those of silicate minerals of pure silica (phase V).

On April 25th, both of them signed the Visiting Professorship Contract with Director Prof. Guangli Kuang. As the visiting professors of Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (CASHIPS), they will pursue their career in Hefei

Professor Mario Santoro in Presentation (Image by WANG Yuan)