Prof. Claudia Crestini
Prof. Claudia Crestini is Professor at the Department of Molecular Science & Nanosystems of the Ca' Foscari University of Venice.
Claudia Crestini established the Polyphenols Chemistry & Material Science Laboratory. Today, this is one of the few Italian laboratories with significant R&D activities in the field of sustainable chemistry and materials, with a specific focus in lignin biorefinery, development of new materials and nanomaterials from renewable, polyphenolic biopolymers.
She is author of 14 patents, 2 books and in excess of 148 publications on international refereed journals, and over 180 scientific oral & poster contributions at international conferences, meetings and focused thematic schools. Her papers have been cited over 5000 times and her h-index is 47 (Google scholar). The scientific activity of Prof. Claudia Crestini is focused on different aspects of lignin and tannins Chemistry. She is partner of the RISE EU project B-Lignozymes and of the ITN project BIOCLEAN. she was also partner in the FP7-ENV-2011-ECO-INNOVATION-TwoStage project titled 'New bio-inspired processes and products from renewable feedstocks - BIO-MIMETIC'. She is also member of the Scientific Committee of the European Workshop on Lignocellulosic and Pulps EWLP since 2000.
In 2001 she activated the Italian Meeting on Lignin Chemistry (ITALIC).
Claudia Crestini was nominated and elected member of the International Academy of Wood Science in 2009.
The work is focused at their structural characterization, catalysis, biomimetic catalysis and biotechnology in lignin, lignans and tannins oxidative modifications.
Dr. Crestini has indepentently developed a number of research topics of pivotal significance in the area. Over the years she has dealt with the development of catalytic, biomimetic and biocatalytic systems for the selective oxidation and functionalization natural polyphenols, in particular of lignins and tannins. She has focused her attention on the study of the mechanisms of action of oxidative enzymes on the development of enzyme systems and immobilized multyenzyme, on the synthesis of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts and planning and realization of biomimetic systems aimed at 'oxidation of polyphenolic systems. Furthermore, the development of new analytical techniques designed to characterize the structure of lignin and polyphenols has also been a focal point of her work. Overall, these issues are aim at adding value to a valuable renewable resource since lignin is the second most abundant natural biopolymer on the planet. The development of modern biorefineries has led to a series of processes starting from saccharification of cellulosic and hemicellulosic materials. Therefore, today the use of the residue lignin (about 1kg per liter of bioethanol produced) is the most critical issue for the development of biorefinery processes environmentally and economically sustainable. A possible approach to the enhancement of this biopolymer is its functionalization and / or controlled oxidation, processes that can be realized through the use of catalysis and biocatalysis of oxidation. Recent efforts that have embarked form her past fundamental work have allowed for the development of innovative nanomaterials and hybrid nanomaterials from polyphenols such as nanoparticles, nanocapsules and nanofibers.
Present research activity is mainly directed towards the following topics:
- Development of new materials from lignins: Lignin nanostructures; Lignin nanocapsules and nanoparticles for active controlled release; Lignin nanofibers for biomedical and cosmetic devices, carbon nanoparticles and nanofibers from lignin nanostructures.
- Lignin purification and upgrade via flow processes.
- Development of supported catalysts and biomimetic catalysts for the activation of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide to the selective oxidation and functionalization of natural substances: lignans, terpenes, cardanols, nucleosides, lignins and lignin model compounds.
- Development of immobilized catalysts from metalloporphyrins, methylrhenium trioxide
- Biocatalysis in processes of lignin degradation, with a special focus on the study of manganese peroxidase, laccases and laccase-mediator systems.
- Structural characterization of polyphenolic biomolecules (lignins and tannins) by advanced heteronuclear NMR techniques and quantitative 2D heterocorrelated NMR spectroscopy.
- Study of supramolecular association-dissociation behavior in lignin. Structural characterization of archaeological wood materials. Evaluation of ageing processes. Detection of radical species by 31P- based spin trap systems in oxidative systems: Lipoxygenase, laccase, bleaching solutions.
