In the 1980s the National Group of Raman Spectroscopy and Nonlinear Effects (GNSR) was formed by a group of Italian spectroscopists with the aim of promoting and fostering scientific research in the field of Raman spectroscopy and nonlinear optical techniques. Over the years, the GNSR has been characterized as an open and informal environment that has fostered scientific discussion and fruitful exchange of ideas through its periodic conferences.

 

We recall here some recent editions of the GNSR conferences, with their respective organizers:

 

13. Rome 1993, Giorgio Mattei

14. Catania 1995, Giuseppe Compagnini

15. Padua 1998, Renato Bozio

16. Milan 2000, Chiara Castiglioni

17. Reggio Calabria 2001, Giacomo Messina, Saveria Santangelo

18. Perugia 2003, Sergio Catalliotti, Assuntina Morresi, Paola Sassi

19. Cosenza 2005, Enzo Cazzanelli

20. Catania 2007, Giuseppe Compagnini

21. Milan 2009, Matteo Tommasini

 

In 2009, the GNSR became part of the Italian Chemical Society, taking the name of Interdivisional Group of Raman Spectroscopy (GISR), associated with the Divisions of Physical Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry. Six GISR conferences were organized, after which GISR evolved into VISPEC, as detailed below:

 

1. Florence 2010, Maurizio Becucci, Giulietta Smulevich

2. Bologna 2012, Maria Grazia Giorgini, Armida Torreggiani

3. Parma 2014, Alberto Girlando

4. Padua 2016, Renato Bozio, Moreno Meneghetti

5. Trieste 2017, Barbara Rossi, Claudio Masciovecchio

6. Brescia 2019, Ivano Alessandri (last GISR and 1st VISPEC)

7. Perugia 2023, Paola Sassi (2nd VISPEC, under SIOF patronage)

 

On average, each conference saw the presentation of about 30 oral contributions and a similar number of posters.

 

The community has hosted numerous national and international guests at its conferences, experts in various aspects of spectroscopy, as can be appreciated in the list of authors of invited contributions on specific topics:

 

2007 Catania:

H. Kuzmany, Raman of CNTs

 

2009 Milan:

K. Müllen, graphene molecules

J.L. Brédas, modelling of advanced organic materials

H.G.M. Edwards, Resonance Raman - carotenoids

 

2010 Florence:

in this edition GISR joined EUCMOS, the European Congress on Molecular Spectroscopy

 

2012 Bologna:

B. Pettinger, TERS

P. Foggi, Non-linear vibrational spectroscopy

G. Lanzani, Organic photonics in life sciences & technology

 

2014 Parma:

R.P. Van Duyne, SERS

L.A. Nafie, vibrational optical activity

A. Brillante, polymorphism & lattice phonons Raman Microscopy

D. Comoretto, organic & hybrid photonic crystals

 

2016 Padua:

G. Cerullo, ultrafast spectroscopy

L.M. Liz-Marzán, synthesis of nanoparticles; SERS

J. Hauer, 2D electronic spectroscopy

S. Schlücker, functionalization of nanoparticles for biomedical applications

 

2017 Trieste:

T. Scopigno, fs-stimulated Raman

I. Lednev, deep-UV Raman of proteins

P. Colomban, Raman for cultural heritage

J. Popp, Raman for medicine

 

2019 Brescia:

V. Barone, theoretical spectroscopy

M. Ceotto, molecular dynamics and spectroscopy

J.R. Lombardi, SERS: theory+experiments

G. Pezzotti, Raman probing mechanical stress in ceramics

A. Pucci, SEIRA

P. Biagioni, Mid IR plasmonics

E. Cortés, SERS probing dynamics of atomic defects

M. Petrov, Non-metallic resonant nanostructures

 

2023 Perugia:

G. Compagnini, Synthesis and applications of plasmonic nanoparticles

G. Cerullo, Novel approaches to broadband coherent Raman microscopy

S. Kazarian, Advances in FTIR spectroscopic imaging

K. Elsayad, Brillouin microspectroscopy

C. Miliani, Vibrational spectroscopy for cultural heritage materials

B. Mizaikoff, Mid-IR photonics

 

In 2019, during the GISR-VISPEC congress in Brescia, the group welcomed Paolo Biagioni's suggestion to initiate a dialogue with SIOF, to expand the community and start a fruitful scientific exchange with colleagues practicing optics and spectroscopy from a Physics background. The meeting between SIOF and VISPEC developed through fruitful contacts between the SIOF leadership and the VISPEC coordinators (M. Tommasini, I. Alessandri).

 

VISPEC was officially introduced as SIOF working group during the latest VISPEC conference organized in Perugia in 2023 by Paola Sassi with the patronage of SIOF.