Cycle / Years
40th cycle [2024-2027]
Contacts
Supervisor(s)
Prof. Francesco Zinna, Prof. Alessandra Operamolla
Title of the PhD project
Lanthanide complexes as molecular reporters for circularly polarized luminescence-based techniques applied in biological relevant systems
Abstract of the PhD project
Chirality plays a key role in the chemistry of life. Chiral molecules and structures are omnipresent within the cells that constitute every organism. The possibility to distinguish, track and monitor chiral systems in living cells is therefore of capital importance. In this context, one technique that has attracted great interest for studying and tracking chiral species of biological interest is circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) spectroscopy. This technique is often highly sensitive and selective towards specific markers and integrates the more common fluorescence techniques. Moreover, it offers the advantage of producing different signals depending on the enantiomer of the analytes.
This PhD project will focus on the development of lanthanide-based CPL molecular and nanostructured probes to monitor bioanalytes of biological and biochemical interest. Both visible- and NIR-emitting lanthanides (Tb and Eu for the former, Yb and Er for the latter) will be investigated. Further innovative developments of the project will be the preparation of probes suitable for two photon excitation CPL, a technique that allows the CPL emission by irradiation with two low-energy photons. Lastly, the developed probes will be tested for CPL microscopy that allows one to add another dimension (circular polarization) to the confocal microscopy, enabling the specific and selective localization and study of the probe-analyte interaction directly inside the cell.
Academic Fields and Disciplines (SSD), main and secondary
CHIM06
Educational and third mission activities
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International
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Publications
• M. Cei, L. Di Bari, F. Zinna, Circularly polarized luminescence of helicenes: a data-informed insight, Chirality 35, 4, 192-210, 2023
• M. Cei, A. Operamolla, F. Zinna, Interplay of Circularly Polarized Light with Molecular and Structural Chirality: Chiral Lanthanide Complexes and Cellulose Nanocrystals, Adv. Opt. Mater. 2401714, 2024
Oral communications at conferences
• M. Cei, S. Vignolini, F. Zinna, A. Operamolla, Preparation of cellulose nanocrystals by acid-catalysed hydrolysis and optical characterization of their thin films, CIRCC XX PhD Day, Pisa (18th April 2024)
• M. Cei, F. Zinna, A. Operamolla, Synthesis of functionalized nanocellulose and chiroptical properties of nanocellulose and fluorophores-based systems, NTOS 2024, Milan (25th November 2024)
Poster communications at conferences
• M. Cei, R. D’Orsi, S. Vignolini, A. Operamolla, F. Zinna, Cellulose nanocrystals based-materials for circularly polarized luminescence, Chemistry for the Future (CFF) 2023 (28th-30th June 2023), Università di Pisa;
• M. Cei, R. D’Orsi, A. Mtibe, N. Nomadolo, F. Zinna, J. J. Lucejko, S. Giannarelli, A. Ceccarini, M. Jacob John, A. Operamolla, Nanocellulose functionalization for water filtration devices, XLI Convegno Nazionale della Divisione di Chimica Organica della Società Chimica Italiana (10th-14th Sept 2023)
Other achievements
• Winner of GIC Awards 2024 for Best Thesis of the Società Chimica Italiana, 25th November 2024, Milan, Italy.
Funding
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