Componenti del gruppo di ricerca

Andrea Melchior (Associated PI Unit 3)

Associate Professor in Chemical Foundations of Technologies at UniUD since 2015. Previously assistant professor at UniUd (2009-), Visiting Scholar at the University of Sevilla, Spain (sabbatical 2009-11), Postdoctoral fellow at CEA Grenoble, France (2005) and UniUd (2004,2006-2009). PhD in Chemical and New Materials Technologies at UniuD (2004). He is author or co-author of 90 publications in peer reviewed journals indexed in Scopus/ISI. He possesses an H-index of 24 (Scopus, November 2022) with an average of 4.3 publications per year. He is author or co-author of more than 35 oral contributions (7 invited) and more than 40 posters at national and international congresses. His research lies in the area of solution chemistry of metal ions and their complexes related to environmental and medical application issues. Current fields of research: 1) structure and thermodynamic properties of metal complexes in solution relevant for bioanalytical applications: a) rare earths complexes for imaging and luminescent sensing; b) metal complexes in ionic liquids for separations and recovery of raw materials; 2) metal complexes with anticancer activity: interactions with biomolecules and materials studied by computational tools; 3) (nano)materials for drug capture and release by means of experimental and theoretical studies.
In this project, he will be mainly involved in the theoretical study of the structural and electronic features of the new curcumin derivatives which will be synthesized, of the lanthanide complexes and their interaction with biological targets. The consolidated collaboration with UniVr (see publications) and the integration with UniCam competences is a strong starting point and ensures the achievement of the milestones planned in TheCURA.

Marilena Tolazzi (team component Unit 3)

Full Professor in Chemical Foundations of Technologies at UniUD since 2007, previously Associate Professor (1998-2007) and Assistant professor (1983-). Her research focuses in the study of thermodynamics of complex formation and equilibria studies in aqueous and non-aqueous solutions with an extensive experience on lanthanide complexes related to environmental (separations) and medical (imaging) fields. She is author or co-author of 107 publications in peer reviewed journals indexed in Scopus/ISI. She possesses an H-index of 26 (Scopus, November 2022) with an average of 3-4 publications per year. In this project, she will be mainly involved in the study of ligand protonation and complex formation equilibria of lanthanide complexes containing the curcumin derivatives by means of potentiometric, spectrophotometric and calorimetric techniques. The application of such techniques allowed to define the speciation of the complexes developed by UniVR, during the 10-year collaboration with UniUd, both in non-aqueous and aqueous solutions as well as the thermodynamics of interaction with biomolecular targets.

Maria Cracchiolo (team component Unit 3)

PhD student in Energy and Environment Engineering Science at UniUD since November 2021 under the supervision of A. Melchior. Her research focuses on the study of the interaction of anticancer metal complexes with biological targets and materials by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. She is the main author of 1 poster at an international conference. In this project, she will be mainly involved in the theoretical study of lanthanide complexes and curcumins in solution, their dynamics and interactions with biological targets and interfaces (e.g. lipid bilayers) by means of DFT and/or MD calculations.

Martina Sanadar (team component Unit 3)

Dr. Martina Sanadar, a Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Udine in Italy, holds a Master of Science degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies from the University of Trieste in Italy (2018) and a Master of Science degree in Pharmacy from the University of Trieste (2016). She received her Ph.D. title, cum laude, in Environmental & Energy Engineering Science from the University of Udine in 2022. Her research endeavors have resulted in the publication of 12 papers, the delivery of 14 oral presentations, the presentation of 12 posters, and the delivery of 2 invited lectures. This prolific output has led to an h-index of 5 (WoS) and a total of 53 citations. In recognition as a young coordination chemist with an expert in thermodynamics and complexation phenomena in solution, Dr. Sanadar was awarded the “Fernando Pulidori Prize” in 2022. She specializes in solution thermodynamics and calorimetry. Her expertise extends to metal speciation in ionic liquids, studied through spectroscopic methods. Additionally, she is well-versed in rare earth element solution chemistry, focusing on speciation and complex formation in aqueous solutions.