Francesca Cunsolo

In 1983 she graduated in Chemistry cum laude from the University of Catania discussing a thesis entitled: “Oxoalgerienol and oxoalgeriendiol: two new metabolites from the brown alga Cystoseira Algeriensis”.

From September 1986 to November 1988 she had two scholarships from the CNR and in December 1988 she started as a permanent researcher at the ISSN-CNR in Catania.

In the period August 2001-April 2002, thanks to the short term mobility program and CNR-NATO Senior Grant, she attended the chemistry laboratory directed by Prof. AD Hamilton at Yale University, collaborating on the synthesis of new surface receptors for biomacromolecules.

The activity, started in the field of natural molecules with the isolation and structural characterization of secondary metabolites, turned to the study and possible applications in the bioorganic field of supramolecular chemistry, with particular attention to the synthesis and conformational pre-organization of calixarene macrocycles.

She has been involved in many research projects and has carried out several teaching and tutoring activities.

Now she is currently involved in the design and synthesis of macroporous polymeric materials and their applications in the biomedical and environmental fields.

Supramolecular Chemistry


Calixarenes


Molecular Recognition


Polyelectrolites


Hydrogel


Macroporous polymers


Cryogel

1) T. Mecca et al. N-methyl-D-glucamine based cryogels as reusable sponges to enhance heavy metals removal from water; Chemical Engineering Journal 399, 125753 (2020)

2) M. Ussia et al. ZnO–pHEMA Nanocomposites: An Ecofriendly and Reusable Material for Water Remediation; ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 10, 46, 40100 (2018)

3) G. Granata et al. Potential Eye Drop Based on a Calix[4]arene Nanoassembly for Curcumin Delivery: Enhanced Drug Solubility, Stability, and Anti-Inflammatory Effect; Mol. Pharmaceutics, 14, 1610 (2017)

4) R. La Spina et al. Chemically modified poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) cryogel for the adsorption of heparin; J. Biomed. Mater. Res. Part B, 102, 1207 (2014)

5) T. Mecca et al. Novel pH responsive calix[8]arene hydrogelators: self-organization processes at a nanometric scale; Chem. Commun., 49, 2530 (2013)

   RESEARCH SITE OF CATANIA

  francesca.cunsolo@cnr.it

   (+39) 095 7338333 – Cell: (+39) 3478071418


ORCID:
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6766-8174

Scopus Author ID: 6602806308