Giada Franceschi is a physicist whose research focuses on the surface science of metal oxides and minerals, with a particular emphasis on atomic-scale investigations using scanning probe microscopy in ultrahigh vacuum conditions (pressures below 10−9 mbar). After obtaining her degree in Engineering Physics from the Politecnico di Milano (2016), she completed her Ph.D. at TU Wien (2020), where she studied growth and surface phenomena of complex oxide materials.
After her doctorate, she held a postdoctoral position at FU Berlin, followed by a postdoctoral period again at TU Wien, where she combined ultrahigh-vacuum surface science techniques with atomistic modeling to investigate mineral surfaces under pristine conditions. This work provided mechanistic insights into surface reactivity of common silicate minerals such as muscovite mica, feldspar microcline, and wollastonite. Her postdoctoral research has been instrumental in establishing her as an independent researcher and has paved the way to her current role as a principal investigator supported by an Elise Richter Fellowship (2025−2029) and a FWF Research Group Proposal grant (2026−2031). Her research not only advances the fundamental understanding of mineral and oxide surfaces but also opens new directions for applications in astrochemistry, geochemistry, and energy-related materials, broadening the scope of surface science beyond traditional model systems.

Project: Surface reactivity of silicates at the atomic level
The interstellar medium is largely, but not entirely, empty space. In between stars and planets swarm clouds of molecules and dust grains. These are mostly composed of silicates, carbonaceous materials, and ices such as water, carbon dioxide, and ammonia. New planets, including Earth, form through the gradual accumulation of these interstellar dust grains. During this process, various reactions occur on the surfaces of the grains, shaping the chemistry of the developing planet. Many fundamental questions about these surface reactions on interstellar grains remain unanswered. This proposal aims to address some of them with a focus on interstellar silicates: (i) How do molecules form in outer space, and what is the role of silicate surfaces in promoting reactions? (ii) How was water brought to the Earth, and did silicates incorporate water during Earth`s early formation stages? (iii) How do exoplanet atmospheres form? Specifically, how does ice nucleation occur on dust silicate particles present in exoplanet atmospheres? Addressing the questions above has traditionally involved a combination of astronomical observations and sophisticated modeling techniques. So-called laboratory astrochemistry offers an alternative approach. By experimentally simulating the extreme conditions of outer space (temperatures below -170C and vacuum pressures), one can investigate reactions in a controlled environment and develop models one reaction at a time, contributing valuable insights into the more complex processes measured by astronomical instruments. Here, the boundaries of laboratory astrochemistry will be pushed by using state-of-the-art atomically resolved techniques; these will enable an unprecedented atom-by-atom understanding of the surface structure of interstellar silicates and the reactions thereby occurring. The research lies at the interface between surface physics, mineralogy, atmospheric physics, and astronomy. The selected topics, never studied at this fundamental level before, will help validate current theories on critical gas-silicate reactions in interstellar space and significantly advance our understanding of silicate surfaces.