1. Design of bio-hybrid polyoxometalates (POMs) with pharmacological activity
Polyoxometalates (POMs) are molecular metal oxides of early series transition metals as Mo, W, V
in their highest oxidation state. POMs have a large structural topology and a rich versatility of
chemical and physical properties. The POMs, indeed, find application in catalysis, materials science
and as potential nano drugs, since they display antiviral, antibacterial, neuroprotective and anticancer
activity. Their biological activity is mainly due to the alteration of the redox processes of the cell and
to the ability to interact with biological macromolecules (proteins and enzymes) containing cationic
groups. A limit to their use is the low selectivity; for this reason, studies are underway to
functionalize these compounds with biomolecules, in order to make POMs more selective.
The project therefore plans to study the interaction between POM and biological targets, and to
optimize the preparation of bio-inorganic hybrid derivatives. In particular, the following steps are
under study:
(i) the covalent functionalization of molybdates and vanadates featuring antitumor activity, with
peptides and other bio-molecules suitable for molecular recognition of biochemical targets;
(ii) recognition of peptides and proteins involved in diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease,
to highlight the inhibitory abilities of polyoxotungstates.
The planned work consists in the synthesis of hybrid derivatives (NMR characterization, ESI-MS,
optical spectroscopies) and in the study of interactions with proteins (UV-vis, CD, Fluorimetry, 2D
NMR). The proposal involves collaborations in the field of synthesis and characterization of peptides
or proteins. The implementation of cytotoxicity tests at other institutions is also planned.
2. Valorization of waste materials
The Italian industry is now facing the challenge of Circular Economy. In particular, the textiles
represent an urgent problem in terms of disposal and recycling, due to the fast fashion trend, which
is related to the production of huge amount of post-consumer textiles.
The project is aimed at discovering new strategies for the separation of valuable materials form
different types of textiles, including cotton or mixed fabrics. While catalytic depolymerization will
be investigated to release monomers of synthetic polymers, deep eutectic solvents (DES) will be
used as alternative, green solvents, to recover cotton fibers, in order to allow their recycling into
clothing production chain, or for different applications. In this latter case, the isolated fibers will be
modified and hybridized to enable their integration into surfaces or to become scaffolds for active
agents (e.g. antibacterial or catalytic nanoparticles).
