Maria Pia Donzello

Full professor
Biography
Maria Pia Donzello graduated in Chemistry at the University of Rome "La Sapienza" with the vote of 110/110 with honors. Thesis title: "Porphyrazine-type Macrocyclic Systems: Bimetallic Nitrides, Sandwich Molecules and Diazepine-Type Derivatives” (Supervisor: Prof. Claudio Ercolani; Experimental degree thesis). Qualified to practice the profession. Enrolled in the Professional Register of Chemists PhD in "Materials science", title obtained at "La Sapienza" in January 2001 and carried out at the Department of Physics of Roma Tre, on the topic "Study of fundamental molecule-surface interactions", with Prof. Giovanni Stefani; thesis title: "Study and characterization of the electronic structure of copper phthalocyanine thin films by means of elastic and inelastic electron collision measurements". From January 2004 to September 2015 she was a permanent researcher, SSD CHIM/03 at the Department in Chemistry In December 2013 she obtained the National Scientific Qualification (2012 session) to cover the role of Associate Professor in SC 03/B1. In July 2015 (D.R. n. 2103 of 13-7-2015) she was the winner of the evaluation procedure for the coverage of n. 1 full-time associate professor position to be filled by call pursuant to art. 24, paragraph 6, law 240/2010 - SC 03/B1, SSD CHIM/03, at the Department of Chemistry - Faculty SMFN. Since October 2015 she has been an associate professor at the Department of Chemistry. In December 2017 she obtained the National Scientific Qualification (Call 2016-2018, third quarter) to cover the role of Full Professor in SC 03/B1. Her scientific activity is based on synthesis work, chemical-physical characterization and applications of tetrapyrrolic systems of the porphyrin, phthalocyanine and porphyrazine type.
Research activity
Scientific area: 
Inorganic chemistry
Research activity: 
The research activity is based on the design, synthesis, general chemical-physical characterization, and study of the photophysical and photochemical properties of new classes of porphyrazine macrocycles, mono and multimetallic, having innovative structural characteristics which give potential for applications in sectors bordering on the biochemical/biomedical area. For some of the classes of the porphyrazine macrocycles studied, their activity as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy (PDT), an anticancer treatment modality of wide application today, has been proven. Subsequent studies have also highlighted possible developments in the same sector for an expansion of bi-multimodal application studies, exploiting the synergistic effect of different treatment modalities for the cure of tumors. In this context, recent works have been oriented towards the exploration of a possible use of some of these macrocycles in BNCT (boron neutron capture therapy), a radiation-type anticancer therapy based on the use of molecules having a high boron content, with application prospects in the field of PDT/BNCT type bimodality.
Teaching

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