Professor Luisa Bicelli in Peraldo, after graduating in Industrial Chemistry in 1950 from the University of Milan, graduated in Physics in 1953 from the same University, attended the Industrial Chemistry Institute at the Politecnico di Milano as a scholarship holder from 1951 and subsequently the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Electrochemistry and Metallurgy at the Politecnico di Milano as assistant since 1955, Full Professor since 1959, assistant since 1962 and Aggregate Professor of Physical Chemistry since 1969. In 1973 she became Full Professorof Physical Chemistry and then Full Professor, then of Physical Chemistry of Solid Materials, again at the Politecnico di Milano.
She oversaw Physical Chemistry II study progamme from 1961, then the Physical Chemistry of Solid Materials programme from 1992, as well as the Electrochemistry and Electrochemical Technologies programme in 1972. She has been Dean’s delegate of the Faculty of Engineering for Chemical Engineering since 1997 and supervisor of numerous degree and doctoral theses of students from variousfaculties in Milan. Since 1970 she has been director of the Centere for the Study of Electrode Processes of the CNR (National Research Council) at the Department of Applied Physical Chemistry, now known as the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta". From 1978 to 1993, she was a member of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Marine Corrosion of Metals of the CNR in Genoa. Professor Bicelli went into retirement from 1 November 2002.
Professor Bicelli's scientific activity was carried out in the field of metal electrochemistry, and concerned in particular the electrodeposition of metals, alloys and semiconductors, hydrogen development and permeation processes in metals, and innovative materials for solar cells and lithium batteries. Of particular interest have been her studies of recent years on structural defects in metal electrodeposits, the electrodeposition of semiconductor intermetallic compounds, and research using photoelectrochemical techniques into the processes of hydrogen damage in mechanically and heat-treated steels. In these and other areas, she has published about 220 papers, which have appeared in international and national journals of Physical Chemistry, and has obtained 4 patents. She is internationally known for her published papers and lectures given upon invitation. She collaborated with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to present nominations for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1991.
Extract from the 2003 nomination statement