Staff Profile

I completed my undergraduate Chemistry degrees at the University of Messina (Italy) in 2006, under the supervision of Prof. Sebastiano Campagna, with a study on the photophysical properties of polypyridine platinum(II) complexes. I then moved to the University of Münster (Germany) where I obtained, in 2010, my PhD in the group of Prof. Luisa De Cola, working on the synthesis and the photochemical characterisation of hybrid architectures based on the use of zeolite L crystals as host units for organic and organometallic chromophores.

I continued research on host-guest luminescent materials at the University of Eastern Piedmont, in Alessandria (Italy), as postdoctoral fellow within the group of Prof. Leonardo Marchese, broadening my expertise through the study of composite systems based on mesoporous silica, seeking applicative opportunities for the design and fabrication of light-emitting devices and sensors.

I joined the School of Chemistry at Newcastle University in March 2014 as Lecturer in Physical Chemistry.

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Teaching

CHY1211 - Fundamentals of Physical Chemistry: Chemical Kinetics

CHY3201-3206-8841 - Advanced Physical Chemistry: Energetics and Dynamics

CHY8428 - Energy and Materials: Supramolecular Photochemistry

MChem and MSc project supervision

My research interests lie in the area of supramolecular photochemistry, ranging from the design to the spectroscopical study of organic and inorganic light harvesting systems.

Within this field, host-guest assemblies represent an interesting opportunity for combining the manifold properties of different chromophores and investigating the photoinduced processes that occur in complex architectures, in order to obtain multifunctional materials for optoelectronic applications.

• Gangemi CMA, Salerno TMG, Barattucci A, Cucinotta F, Bonaccorsi P, Calabrese G, Poma P, Rizzo MG, Campagna S, Puntoriero F. A Curcumin-BODIPY Dyad and Its Silica Hybrid as NIR Bioimaging Probes. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2022, 23(17), 9542.
• El-Zubir O, Martinez PR, Dura G, Al-Mahamad LLG, Pope T, Penfold TJ, Mackenzie LE, Pal R, Mosely J, Cucinotta F, McGarry LF, Horrocks BR, Houlton A. Circularly polarised luminescence in an RNA-based homochiral, self-repairing, coordination polymer hydrogel. Journal of Materials Chemistry C 2022, 10(18), 7329-7335.
• Michaels H, Golomb MJ, Kim BJ, Edvinsson T, Cucinotta F, Waddell PG, Probert MR, Konezny SJ, Boschloo G, Walsh A, Freitag M. Copper coordination polymers with selective hole conductivity. Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2022, 10(17), 9582-9591.
• Sani U, Alatawi OM, Halawani NM, Gould JA, Knight JG, Cucinotta F. Hybridising inorganic materials with fluorescent BOPHY dyes: A structural and optical comparative study. Frontiers in Chemistry 2022, 10, 921112.
• Lolli F, Thomas JJ, Kurtis KE, Cucinotta F, Masoero E. Early age volume changes in metakaolin geopolymers: insights from molecular simulations and experiments. Cement and Concrete Research 2021, 144, 106428.
• Santana Vega M, Munro L, Gowland DCA, Martinelli J, Djanashvili K, Cucinotta F. The search for panchromatic light-harvesting systems: Ternary and binary antennae based on self-organised materials. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry 2021, 405, 112872.
• Scalzone A, Bonifacio MA, Cometa S, Cucinotta F, De Giglio E, Ferreira AM, Gentile P. pH-Triggered Adhesiveness and Cohesiveness of Chondroitin Sulfate-Catechol Biopolymer for Biomedical Applications. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 2020, 8, 712.
• Sani U, Tungulin D, Bizzarri C, Cucinotta F. Turning weak emitters into outstanding luminescent materials using rigid host media. RSC Advances 2020, 10(5), 2841-2845.
• Vega MS, Martinez AG, Cucinotta F. Facile strategy for the synthesis of Gold@Silica hybrid nanoparticles with controlled porosity and janus morphology. Nanomaterials 2019, 9(3), 348.
• Rivera Tito HA, Hernandez-Sosa G, Cucinotta F, Huang X, Quintana Caceda ME. Photoluminescent graphene oxide porous particles in solution under environmental conditions produced by hydrothermal treatment. Materials Today Communications 2019, (ePub ahead of Print).
• Cucinotta F, Jarman BP, Caplan C, Cooper SJ, Riggs HJ, Martinelli J, Djanashvili K, LaMazza E, Puntoriero F. Light-Harvesting Antennae using the Host–Guest Chemistry of Mesoporous Organosilica. ChemPhotoChem 2018, 2(3), 196-206.
• Bagnall AJ, SantanaVega M, Martinelli J, Djanashvili K, Cucinotta F. Mesoscopic FRET Antenna Materials by Self‐Assembling Iridium(III) Complexes and BODIPY Dyes. Chemistry - A European Journal 2018, 24(46), 11992-11999.
• Rizzo F, Cucinotta F. Recent Developments in AIEgens for Non-doped and TADF OLEDs. Israel Journal of Chemistry 2018, 58(8), 874-888.
• Farras P, Cucinotta F. Recent advances in artificial photosynthetic systems at Newcastle University. Comptes Rendus Chimie 2017, 20(3), 272-282.
• Pérez-Barrado E, Marsal LF, Aguiló M, Cesteros Y, Díaz F, Pallarès J, Cucinotta F, Marchese L, Pujol MC, Salagre P. Thiol-capped CdTe quantum dots hosted in saponites. RSC Advances 2016, 6(106), 104793-104798.
• Jarman BP, Cucinotta F. Photoactive Amphiphiles for the Assembly of Supramolecular Architectures. Faraday Discussions 2015, 185, 471-479.
• Estevao BM, Cucinotta F, Hioka N, Cossi M, Argeri M, Paul G, Marchese L, Gianotti E. Rose Bengal incorporated in mesostructured silica nanoparticles: structural characterization, theoretical modeling and singlet oxygen delivery. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2015, 17(40), 26804-26812.
• Perez-Barrado E, Salagre P, Marsal L, Aguilo M, Cesteros Y, Diaz F, Pallares J, Cucinotta F, Marchese L, CintaPujol M. Ultrasound-assisted Reconstruction and Delamination Studies on CaAl Layered Double Hydroxides. Applied Clay Science 2015, 118, 116-123.
• Gianotti E, Estevao BM, Cucinotta F, Hioka N, Rizzi M, Reno F, Marchese L. An Efficient Rose Bengal Based Nanoplatform for Photodynamic Therapy. Chemistry - A European Journal 2014, 20(35), 10921-10925.
• Cucinotta F, Guenet A, Bizzarri C, Mróz W, Botta C, Milián-Medina B, Gierschner J, De Cola L. Energy Transfer at the Zeolite L Boundaries: Towards Photo- and Electroresponsive Materials. ChemPlusChem 2014, 79(1), 45-57.
• Martínez Casado FJ, Ramos Riesco M, Rodríguez Cheda JA, Cucinotta F, Fernandez-Martinez A, Garrido L, Matesanz E, Marchese L. Short Lead(II) Soaps: from Weakly Fluorescent Crystals to Strongly Phosphorescent and Structurally Varied Vitreous Phases. A Thermal, Structural and Spectroscopic Study. Journal of Materials Chemistry C 2014, 2(44), 9489-9496.
• Cucinotta F, Carniato F, Devaux A, De Cola L, Marchese L. Efficient Photoinduced Energy Transfer in a Newly Developed Hybrid SBA-15 Photonic Antenna. Chemistry - A European Journal 2012, 18(48), 15310-15315.
• Martínez Casado FJ, Cañadillas-Delgado L, Cucinotta F, Guerrero-Martínez A, Ramos Riesco M, Marchese L, Rodríguez Cheda JA. Luminescent Lead(II) Complexes: New Three-Dimensional Mixed Ligand MOFs. CrystEngComm 2012, 14, 2660-2668.
• Ramachandra S, Popovic Z, Schuermann K, Cucinotta F, Calzaferri G, De Cola L. Förster Resonance Energy Transfer in Quantum Dot-Dye-Loaded Zeolite L Nanoassemblies. Small 2011, 7(10), 1488-1494.
• Cucinotta F, Carniato F, Paul G, Bracco S, Bisio C, Caldarelli S, Marchese L. Incorporation of a Semiconductive Polymer into Mesoporous SBA-15 Platelets: Toward New Luminescent Hybrid Materials. Chemistry of Materials 2011, 23(11), 2803-2809.
• Mech A, Monguzzi A, Cucinotta F, Meinardi F, Mezyk J, De Cola L, Tubino R. White light excitation of the near infrared Er³⁺ emission in exchanged zeolite sensitised by oxygen vacancies. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2011, 13, 5605-5609.
• Tsuwi J, Berger R, Labat G, Couderc G, Behrnd NR, Ottiger P, Cucinotta F, Schuermann K, Bertoni M, Viani L, Gierschner J, Cornil J, Prodi-Schwab A, De Cola L, Wübbenhorst M, Hulliger J. Alignment and Relaxation Dynamics of Dye Molecules in Host-Guest Inclusion Compounds as Probed by Dielectric Spectroscopy. The Journal of Physical Chemistry A 2010, 114(26), 6956-6963.
• Leenen MAM, Cucinotta F, Pisula W, Steiger J, Anselmann R, Thiem H, De Cola L. Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-based copolymers applied in bottom-contact field-effect transistor. Polymer 2010, 51(14), 3099-3107.
• Osio Barcina J, Herrero-García N, Guerrero-Martinez A, Cucinotta F, De Cola L, Contreras-Carballada P, Williams RM. Efficient Photoinduced Energy Transfer Mediated by Aromatic Homoconjugated Bridges. Chemistry - A European Journal 2010, 16(20), 6033-6040.
• Leenen MAM, Cucinotta F, Viani L, Mavrinskiy A, Pisula W, Gierschner J, Cornil J, Prodi-Schwab A, Thiem H, Müllen K, De Cola L. Electronic Properties and Supramolecular Organization of Terminal Bis(alkylethynyl)-Substituted Benzodithiophenes. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 2010, 114(45), 14614-14620.
• Devaux A, Cucinotta F, Kehr S, De Cola L. Functionalization and Assembling of Inorganic Nanocontainers for Optical and Biomedical Applications. In: P. Samorí and F. Cacialli, ed. Functional Supramolecular Architectures for Organic Electronics and Nanotechnology. Wiley-VCH, 2010, pp.283.
• Leenen MAM, Viani L, Cucinotta F, Pisula W, Thiem H, Anselmann R, De Cola L. Synthesis, Characterization and Field-Effect Transistor Performance of Poly[2,6-bis(3-alkylthiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b;4,5-b']diselenophene]s. Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics 2010, 211(21), 2286-2291.
• Leenen MAM, Meyer T, Cucinotta F, Thiem H, Anselmann R, De Cola L. Synthesis, Characterization and Field-Effect Transistor Performance of Poly[2,6-bis(3-tridecanoxythiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b;4,5-b']dithiophene. Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry 2010, 48(9), 1973-1978.
• Sambri L, Cucinotta F, De Paoli G, Stagni S, De Cola L. Ultrasound-Promoted Hydrogelation of Terpyridine Derivatives. New Journal of Chemistry 2010, 34(10), 2093-2096.
• Cucinotta F, Popovic Z, Weiss EA, Whitesides GM, De Cola L. Microcontact Transfer Printing of Zeolite Monolayers. Advanced Materials 2009, 21(10-11), 1142-1145.
• Cucinotta F, Di Pietro ML, Puntoriero F, Giannetto A, Campagna S, Cusumano M. Luminescence Properties of Pt(II) Complexes containing Polypyridine Ligands with Extended Aromatic Moieties. Dalton Transactions 2008, (35), 4762-4769.