Qi Zhao and his group (University of Dundee) for the biological tests with freshwater bacteria

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to acknowledge the European Community for the financial support in the framework of “AMBIO” project (NMP4-CT-2005-011827).

National and International collaborations:

I thank Prof. J. A. Callow, Dr. M. E. Callow and their group at the Birmingham University not only for the alga assays, but also for the period I spent in their laboratory to learn something more about “Ulva” and “Navicula”; Prof. A.S. Clare (Newcastle University) for the barnacle assays and the opportunity he offered to me to work in his group where I met Andreia, a very nice girl; Dr. P. Willemsen and Dr. C. Rentrop and his team (TNO Science and Industry) for marine bacteria assays and confocal microscopy;

Dr. Qi Zhao and his group (University of Dundee) for the biological tests with freshwater bacteria; Dr. A Glisenti (University of Padova) for XPS measurements on ‘dry’ and ‘wet’

surfaces; Prof. C. K. Ober and Dr. S. Krishnan (Cornell University) for NEXAFS, XPS and AFM measurements and for the helpful discussion; Dr. F. Bartels (BASF) is acknowledged for the underwater AFM measurements; Dr. B. Gallot (CNRS, Lyon, France) for X-ray diffraction studies, and Mr. P. Narducci (University or Pisa) for the SEM analysis.

Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry (University of Pisa):

I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor Prof. G. Galli for trusting in my capabilities and giving me innumerable opportunities, which made me grow both professionally and personally. Of course, I also thank him for driving me in this scientific path and for the fundamental contribution in the work of this thesis.

A special thank to Prof. Emo Chiellini for providing me the possibility to work on an advanced and original research topic.

Prof. R. Solaro is acknowledged for his helpful attitude and the information support.

Thanks to Prof. R. Menicagli for all the precious advices she gave me.

I sincerely thank Dr E. Grillo Fernandes and Dr. M. Pietrini for their invaluable help during all this long experience.

Many thanks to S. Agostini, S. Menghetti and M. Andreucci for their contribution to the preparation and characterization of polymeric materials. I would also thank them and all the other ‘past’ and ‘present’ guys of the Macromolecular lab. for never denying me their helpful assistance and their friendly support.

A hug to Luca to have always been very close to me in achieving this objective.