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Dive into the research topics where Antonella Caterina Boccia is active.

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Featured researches published by Antonella Caterina Boccia.


Polymer Chemistry | 2011

A Click Chemistry-Based “Grafting Through” Approach to the Synthesis of a Biorelevant Polymer Brush

Andrea Cappelli; Marco Paolino; Giorgio Grisci; Germano Giuliani; Alessandro Donati; Raniero Mendichi; Antonella Caterina Boccia; Filippo Samperi; Salvatore Battiato; Eugenio Paccagnini; Emiliana Giacomello; Vincenzo Sorrentino; Mariano Licciardi; Gaetano Giammona; Salvatore Vomero

A new biorelevant polymer brush showing a polybenzofulvene backbone was synthesized by a “grafting through” approach based on click chemistry and spontaneous polymerization reactions. The easy polymerization of the relatively complex monomer (6-MOEG-9-TM-BF3k) suggests the existence of a particularly efficient recognition process capable of pre-organizing the monomer molecules for the spontaneous polymerization. 13C-NMR spectroscopy as well as UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy suggested for poly-6-MOEG-9-TM-BF3k the features of a vinyl (1,2) π-stacked polymer. The new polybenzofulvene derivative was found to interact with water at room temperature to give clear water solutions, but TEM analysis demonstrated the presence of macromolecular aggregates showing dimensions larger than those suggested by SEC-MALS analysis for the isolated macromolecules. DLS studies confirmed the presence of objects showing average dimensions in the range of 200–300 nm and suggested thermoresponsive colloidal properties for poly-6-MOEG-9-TM-BF3kmacromolecules. Finally, owing to its favourable absorption/emission properties and water solubility, the interaction of poly-6-MOEG-9-TM-BF3k with live cells was studied by fluorescence microscopy experiments, which revealed that the polymer brush was unable to enter live cells and alter cell morphology.


Macromolecular Rapid Communications | 2001

Group 4 Metallocene Catalysts with Hapto-Flexible Cyclopentadienyl-Aryl Ligand

Pasquale Longo; Anna Giulia Amendola; Elvira Fortunato; Antonella Caterina Boccia; Adolfo Zambelli

Catalytic precursors Ti(IV) and Zr(IV) complexes bearing cyclopentadienyl and substituted cyclopentadienyl anionic ligands, bonded to phenyl or substituted phenyl through an isopropylidene bridge have been utilized in the polymerization of propene and styrene and in ethylene-styrene copolymerization. In the presence of trichloro[(1,2,3,4,5-η)-1-(1-methyl-1-phenylethyl)-2,4-cyclopentadien-1-yl]titanium (LTiCl 3 ) we have obtained either partially isotactic (chain-end type) or atactic poly-(propylene), and either atactic or syndiotactic polystyrene depending on the reaction temperature. [1-Methyl-1-naphthylethyl-2-inden-1-yl]titanium(IV) behves like (LTiCl 3 ) in styrene polymerization, while it affords metal-controlled partially isotactic poly(propylene), as well as the corresponding zirconium compounds. The experimental data are tentatively explained by the temperature dependence of coordination of the bridged aryl group of the ligand.


Journal of Materials Chemistry | 2012

Synthesis and characterization of charge-transporting π-stacked polybenzofulvene derivatives

Andrea Cappelli; Marco Paolino; Giorgio Grisci; Germano Giuliani; Alessandro Donati; Raniero Mendichi; Antonella Caterina Boccia; Chiara Botta; Wojciech Mróz; Filippo Samperi; Andrea Scamporrino; Gianluca Giorgi; Salvatore Vomero

Two new benzofulvene derivatives bearing two or three methoxy substituents on the benzene ring were synthesized and induced to polymerize spontaneously in order to investigate the photophysical and electronic properties of the corresponding polymers. The photophysical features of the newly synthesized polymers suggested a high degree of π-stacking both in the solid state and in diluted solutions, and the large Stokes shift was interpreted in terms of an efficient energy transfer within the excimer. Absorption and emission features in the solid state were found to be similar to those in diluted solutions and the stable PL quantum yield was considered a promising feature with regard to the potential applications of the polymers in light emitting devices. Finally, the remarkable hole mobility shown by poly-4,5,6-MO-BF3k along with the enhancing effect of the methoxy substituents in the charge mobility opens up new routes to the development of materials potentially useful in optoelectronics.


Journal of Biotechnology | 2015

Enzymatic and chemical oxidation of polygalactomannans from the seeds of a few species of leguminous plants and characterization of the oxidized products.

Luca Merlini; Antonella Caterina Boccia; Raniero Mendichi; Yves M. Galante

Plant polysaccharides are used in a growing number of applications, in their native or in chemically and/or biochemically modified forms. In the present work, we compare TEMPO-mediated oxidation with laccase of polygalactomannans (PGM) from different species of plant leguminous to chemical oxidation with NaClO/NaBr/TEMPO. We have investigated the gums from: locust bean (Ceratonia siliqua), tara (Caesalpinia spinosa), guar (Cyamopsis tetragonolobus), sesbania (Sesbania bispinosa) and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum). Upon laccase/TEMPO oxidation, PGM viscosity and concentration of reducing groups increased up to five-fold and structured, elastic, stable gels were formed, which could be degraded by hydrolysis with β-mannanase. Conversely, chemical oxidation with NaClO/NaBr/TEMPO caused a rapid, intermediate transition of the gum solutions to compact gels, that immediately reverted to liquid, with a lower viscosity than at the start and an increased concentration of reducing groups, similar to the reaction with laccase. We interpret the above as due to, in the case of laccase, oxidation of primary hydroxyl groups to aldehydes, able to form stable hemiacetalic bonds with free hydroxyl groups. While upon chemical oxidation, primary OHs are only transiently oxidized to aldehydes, followed by rapid oxidation of all carbonyl groups to carboxylates. In either cases, TEMPO appeared to cause a limited splitting of glycosidic bonds of PGM. Native and oxidized PGM were further characterized by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and by rheology.


Macromolecular Rapid Communications | 2002

Polymerization of Phenyl-1,3-butadienes in the Presence of Ziegler-Natta Catalysts

Stefania Pragliola; Marco Cipriano; Antonella Caterina Boccia; Pasquale Longo

2-Phenyl-1,3-butadiene and (E)-1-phenyl-1,3-butadiene were polymerized in the presence of homogeneous Ziegler-Natta catalytic systems. The products were analyzed by means of 13C NMR spectroscopy. Monomer reactivities and polymer structures were compared with those obtained by using the same catalytic systems in the polymerizations of isoprene, (E)-1,3-pentadiene and 1,3-butadiene. The results were tentatively rationalized by considering the stability of the allyl groups resulting after any insertion of the monomer into the growing chain.


Polymer Chemistry | 2014

Ethylene–4-methyl-1-pentene copolymers of complex chain architecture using α-diimine Ni(II) catalysts: synthesis, 13C NMR assignment and understanding the chain-walking mechanism

Simona Losio; Giuseppe Leone; Fabio Bertini; Giovanni Ricci; Maria Carmela Sacchi; Antonella Caterina Boccia

Ethylene (E) and 4-methyl-1-pentene (4M1P) are copolymerized using an α-diimine Ni(II) catalyst with MAO (methylaluminoxane) or Et2AlCl (diethylaluminium chloride) as the cocatalyst. A series of copolymers with a 4M1P comonomer content ranging from 0.94 to 36.73 mol% are obtained. A detailed 13C NMR assignment is presented and this thorough analysis has opened up the first full description of this interesting family of copolymers. Manifold branched copolymers are obtained with no noticeable differences in the branching distribution by using MAO or Et2AlCl. The resonance assignments are correlated with the chain-walking mechanism: branching analysis shows that the total amount of 2,1 insertion of the comonomer, followed by backward migration of the nickel active species along the polymer chain, is higher than that of 1,2 inserted 4M1P.


Journal of Materials Chemistry C | 2014

Highly emissive supramolecular assemblies based on π-stacked polybenzofulvene hosts and a benzothiadiazole guest

Andrea Cappelli; Francesca Villafiorita-Monteleone; Giorgio Grisci; Marco Paolino; Vincenzo Razzano; Giuseppe Fabio; Germano Giuliani; Alessandro Donati; Raniero Mendichi; Antonella Caterina Boccia; Mariacecilia Pasini; Chiara Botta

Two new benzofulvene derivatives bearing a fluorene chromophore in different positions of the phenylindene scaffold were synthesized and induced to polymerize spontaneously. The photophysical investigation evidenced the role of the substitution topology of the monomeric units in the optical properties of the corresponding polymers. In particular, the polymer emission efficiency was found to improve both in solution and in the solid state when the fluorene residue enhances monomer conjugation and rigidity. The ability of this newly synthesized class of polymers to self-organize in supramolecular structures is evidenced through a study on blends with a benzothiadiazole based dye at different concentrations. Aggregation quenching processes of the dye are sharply reduced and complete resonant energy transfer from the polymer to the dye is reached even at 1% dye concentration. The peculiar ability of this new class of π-stacked polymers to self-assemble in such a supramolecular organization suggests their use as platforms for the design of more complex nanostructured films with enhanced optical and optoelectronic properties.


Polymer Chemistry | 2015

Bithiophene-based polybenzofulvene derivatives with high stacking and hole mobility

Andrea Cappelli; Vincenzo Razzano; Marco Paolino; Giorgio Grisci; Germano Giuliani; Alessandro Donati; Raniero Mendichi; Filippo Samperi; Salvatore Battiato; Antonella Caterina Boccia; Andrea Mura; Giovanni Bongiovanni; Wojciech Mróz; Chiara Botta

Four new benzofulvene derivatives bearing bithiophene chromophores at two different key positions of the phenylindene scaffold were prepared in order to evaluate the role of different chromophores in the optoelectronic features of polybenzofulvene derivatives. The results of the photophysical studies showed that the optical properties of the newly-synthesized bithiophene-functionalized polymers were affected by both the polymer enchainment and the substitution topology of the monomeric units. On the other hand, the hole-mobility appeared to be affected to a lesser extent, but the best performances were obtained in poly-6-HBT-BF3k showing the strongest bithiophene side chain packing. This work demonstrates that the optoelectronic properties of polybenzofulvene derivatives can be optimized by a targeted chemical design such as side chain engineering.


Archive | 2014

Reversible Polymerization Techniques Leading to π-Stacked Polymers

Andrea Cappelli; Marco Paolino; Giorgio Grisci; Germano Giuliani; Alessandro Donati; Antonella Caterina Boccia; Filippo Samperi; Raniero Mendichi; Salvatore Vomero

Serendipity has often played a pivotal role in research and, in harmony with this function, it has had a fundamental responsibility in the discovery of the thermoreversible spontaneous polymerization of benzofulvene derivatives. After a decade from the discovery of poly-BF1, the present chapter narrates the history of polybenzofulvene derivatives from the discovery to the latest developments. Now that more than 50 polymers belonging to this family have been synthesized and the relevant studies have been published in the most important journals dealing with polymer science, the spontaneous polymerization of benzofulvene monomers and the special features of the corresponding polymers appear to become a well-established topic. The chapter provides an in-depth analysis of the literature on the subject, from the preparation methods to the characterization of polybenzofulvene derivatives, the study of their properties, and the evaluation of the possible applications.


Polymers | 2018

Structural Manipulation of the Conjugated Phenyl Moiety in 3-Phenylbenzofulvene Monomers: Effects on Spontaneous Polymerization

Marco Paolino; Giorgio Grisci; Annalisa Reale; Vincenzo Razzano; Germano Giuliani; Alessandro Donati; Raniero Mendichi; Daniele Piovani; Antonella Caterina Boccia; Alessandro Grillo; Gianluca Giorgi; Andrea Cappelli

Spontaneous polymerization is an intriguing phenomenon in which pure monomers begin their polymerization without initiators or catalysts. Previously, 3-phenylbenzofulvene monomers were found to polymerize spontaneously after solvent removal. Here, eight new 3-substituted benzofulvene monomers 1a–h were synthesized in order to investigate the effects of differently substituted aromatic rings in position 3 of the benzofulvene scaffold on spontaneous polymerization. The newly synthesized monomers maintained the tendency toward spontaneous polymerization. However, monomer 1a, bearing an ortho-methoxy substituted phenyl, polymerized hardly, thus producing low polymerization yields, inhomogeneous structure, and low molecular weight of the obtained polymeric material. This result suggested the importance of the presence of hydrogen atoms in the 2′-position to achieve productive interactions among the monomers in the recognition step preluding the spontaneous polymerization and among the monomeric units in the polybenzofulvene backbones. Moreover, this study paves the way to modify the pendant rings in position 3 of the indene scaffold to synthesize new polybenzofulvene derivatives variously decorated.

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Filippo Samperi

International Centre for Theoretical Physics

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Claudio De Rosa

University of Naples Federico II

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