Prof. Nicola Della Ca'

Nicola Della Ca’ is a Professor of Industrial Chemistry and Principal Investigator of the SynCat Lab at the University of Parma, where he leads research activities in the field of sustainable catalysis and synthetic methodology.

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In 2005, he obtained his Ph.D. in Chemical Sciences from the University of Parma under the supervision of Prof. Mirco Costa, focusing on catalytic carbonylation reactions. During his doctoral studies, he was a visiting student in the group of Prof. Richard C. Larock at Iowa State University (USA), where he complemented his research with hands-on experience in electrophilic cyclization strategies for the construction of complex molecular frameworks.

He subsequently joined the group of Prof. Marta Catellani, contributing to the development and mechanistic understanding of the now internationally recognized Catellani reactions, a landmark class of palladium-catalyzed multi-component processes in chemical synthesis.

Prof. Della Ca’s research focuses on the development of sustainable and innovative catalytic strategies for the synthesis of high value-added molecules. His scientific interests include C–H activation, carbonylation reactions, and CO₂ fixation and valorization.​

As PI of the SynCat Lab, he coordinates national and international collaborations at the interface of academic research and industrial innovation. He has authored numerous publications in leading international journals and actively contributes to projects focused on green chemistry, climate change mitigation, and circular chemical manufacturing.