Alessio Mezzi obtained his PhD in Material Engineering in 2003. Since 2011, he has been a researcher at the Institute for the Study of Nanostructured Materials of the Italian National Research Council (ISMN-CNR), Italy. His research activities are mainly addressed to studying analytical methodologies (XPS, AES and UPS) and developing innovative materials. The fields of application include thin films for gas sensing devices, anti-wear and anti-corrosive coatings, metallic alloys, composite materials, bio-compatible materials, and superconductive and magnetic materials. In the last few years, he has acquired sound experience in the principal methods of physical and chemical deposition of thin and thick films, such as Reactive Plasma Spray, PVD, MOCVD, and PE-CVD.