Cristina Munzone
Tutor: Carmela BONACCORSO
Dr. Cristina Munzone is a PhD student in “Chemical Sciences” at Laboratory of Molecular Modelling and Heterocyclic compounds (Department of Chemical Sciences) of the University of Catania and she is working on a research project entitled “Design and Synthesis of Push-pull Chromophores for Cell imaging and OPV Devices”. From August 2024 to April 2025, she held the position of Visiting PhD student at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics (Department of Science and Technology) of Linköping University (Norrköping, Sweden), where she has been conducting research on the Doping of Organic semiconductors. Dr. Munzone is a member of the Professor-Students Joint Committee (CPDS) of Department of Chemical Sciences (biennium 2023/2025). She is also a member of the Division of Organic Chemistry of the Italian Chemical Society (SCI).
Education: In 2022, Dr. Cristina Munzone got the second level master Summa cum laude in “Researchers’ training for specific preparation in the field of advanced technologies in drug delivery” at the University of Catania. During this period, she did an internship at the “Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials” (IPCB) of National Research Council (CNR) of Catania, where she worked on the determination of chemical and physical stability of new ophthalmic formulations with antiviral and antimicrobial activity (NuSTeO project – PO FESR Sicilia 2014/2020). In 2021, she got the master’s degree Summa cum laude in “Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry” at the University of Catania, defending an experimental thesis on the design and synthesis of new heteroaromatic systems as potential inhibitors of Cyclooxygenase enzymes.
Research projects: From July 2024, Dr. Munzone participates in the project EYE (“PIAno di inCEntivi per la Ricerca di Ateneo 2024/2026 Pia.ce.ri.”) as a volunteer researcher. From April 2022 she also participates in the project SiFiChrom (“PIAno di inCEntivi per la Ricerca di Ateneo 2020/2022 Pia.ce.ri. – Linea di intervento 3 Starting Grant”) as a volunteer researcher.
[03.04.2025]
Thesis title: Design and Synthesis of Push-pull Chromophores for Cell imaging and OPV Devices
Keywords: Singlet fission, quinoidal derivatives, Cyclooxygenase, imidazopyridine derivatives, fluorescent probes
Abstract: The project is focused on the design and synthesis of imidazopyridine derivatives and para-Azaquinodimethane (pAQM) compounds, as potential chromophores for Cell imaging and Organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, respectively. The ascertained role of Cyclooxygenase-1 as a tumor-associated target in ovarian cancer has supported the design of new imidazopyridines that could be used to fluorescence image-guided surgery. While experimentally probed Singlet fission process of pAQMs has prompted research to understand how insert them into OPVs to boost their efficiency.
Stay abroad: from 17.08.2024 to 19.04.2025, Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology – Linköping University (Norrköping, Sweden).
