Prof. Luigi Pasqua

Send e-mail

NanoSiliCal Devices’ Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), he planes designs and supervises hybrid multifunctional organic-inorganic mesoporous silica preparation and characterization for the intracellular release of drugs.

Assistant Professor (2007), Associate Professor (2016), enabled the role of Full Professor (2017) in the field of Materials Science and Technology (SSD ING-IND/22) at Chemical Engineering and Materials Departments, University of Calabria up to 12/31/2012, and, later, at the Department of Environmental and Chemical Engineering of the same University. Prof. Pasqua has broad experience in the design, synthesis and characterization of nanostructured materials. In particular, his research is focused on hybrid multifunctional silica-based mesoporous systems, potentially useful for drug delivery or in sensors field.
He is author of “Update on silica-based mesoporous materials for biomedical applications”, published by iSmithers Rapra Publishing in 2011. He is also co-creator and co-author in several patent applications and publications on the subject

Role in company
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- planning and supervision of preparation and characterization of hybrid multifunctional organic-inorganic mesoporous silica for the intracellular release of drugs;
- characterization of the obtained systems by X-ray diffraction, atomic absorption, thermo-differential and thermogravimetric analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, porosimetry through nitrogen adsorption at 77 K, nuclear magnetic resonance, MAS-NMR, scanning and transmission electron microscopy.
Books and books chapters

Books

Dr. Luigi Pasqua authored the following book: “Update on silica-based mesoporous materials for biomedical applications.” Luigi Pasqua, iSmithers Rapra Publishing 2011 , ISBN: 9781847355072

Book chapters

PASQUA L, C. Morelli, F. Testa, D. Sisci, E. Brunelli, J.B.Nagy, R. Aiello, S. Andò (2009). Chapter 13. Hybrid Mesoporous Silica: A Preliminary Attempt to Engineer a drug Targeting Device. In: Mesoporous Materials: Properties, Preparation and Applications. p. 281-300, Nova Publishers, ISBN: 978-1-60741-051-5

Pasqua L. , Piluso R, Pelaggi I, Morelli C. Hybrid mesoporous silica for drug targeting. Smart Membranes and Sensors: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications. Edited by Annarosa Gugliuzza. Published by John Wiley & Sons-Scrivener Publishing, Publication year: 2014. ISSN 9781118423790
Publications #1
Ceresa, C., Nicolini, G., Rigolio, R., Bossi, M., Pasqua, L., Cavaletti, G.
Functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles: A possible strategy to target cancer cells reducing peripheral nervous system uptake
Current Medicinal Chemistry, 20, 2013, 2589-2600

L.Pasqua, A. Procopio, M. Oliverio, R. Paonessa, R. Prete, M. Nardi, M.F. Casula, F. Testa, J. B.Nagy
Hybrid MCM-41 Grafted by a General Microwave-Assisted Procedure: A Characterization Study
J. POROUS MATERIALS, in press, DOI: 10.1007/s10934-012-9663-1

L. Pasqua, L. Veltri, B. Gabriele, F. Testa, G. Salerno
Progesterone Inclusion into Cyclodextrin-Functionalized Mesoporous Silica
J. POROUS MATERIALS, in press, DOI: 10.1007/s10934-012-9669-8

Preiano` M, Pasqua L, Gallelli L, Galasso O, Gasparini G, Savino R, Terracciano R (2012). “Simultaneous extraction and rapid visualization of peptidomic and lipidomic body fluids fingerprints using mesoporous aluminosilicate and MALDI-TOF MS. “ PROTEOMICS, vol. 12, p. 1-9, ISSN: 1615-9853, doi: 10.1002/pmic.201200204

C. Morelli, P. Maris, D. Sisci, E. Perrotta, E. Brunelli, I. Perrotta, M. L. Panno, A. Tagarelli, C. Versace, M. F. Casula, F. Testa, S. Ando, J. B.Nagy, Pasqua L. (2011). PEG-templated mesoporous silica nanoparticles exclusively target cancer cells. NANOSCALE, vol. 3, p. 3198-3207, ISSN: 2040-3364, doi: DOI: 10.1039/c1nr10253b

F. Casadonte, L. Pasqua,R. Savino and R. Terracciano
“Smart Trypsin Adsorption into N-(2-Aminoethyl)-3-Aminopropyl-Modified Mesoporous Silica for Ultra Fast Protein Digestion”. Chemistry – A European Journal, 2010 in press DOI: 10.1002/chem.201000120

Pasqua L. , Terracciano R. , Casadonte F. , Candeloro P. , Di Fabrizio E. , Urbani A. , Savino R. , ” Enhancing plasma peptide MALDI-TOF-MS profiling by mesoporous silica assisted crystallization”. Talanta, 2010, Vol. 80, n. 4, pp. 1532-1538.

Pasqua L. , Cundari S. , Cavaletti G. , Ceresa C. , ” Recent Development, Applications, and Perspectives of Mesoporous Silica Particles in Medicine and Biotechnology”. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 2009, Vol. 16, n. 23, pp. 3054-3063.

Pasqua L. , Morelli C. , Testa F. , Sisci D. , Brunelli E. , Nagy J. B. , Aiello R. , Ando’ S. , Mesoporous Materials: Properties, Preparation and Applications. Burness L. T. , Cap. Chapter 13, ” Hybrid Mesoporous Silica: A Preliminary Attempt to Engineer a drug Targeting Device”, Hauppauge (NY, USA): Nova Science Pub. Inc.. 2009. pp. —.

Terracciano R. , Pasqua L. , Casadonte F. , Frascà S. , Preianò M. , Falcone D. , Savino R. , ” “Derivatized Mesoporous Silica Beads for MALDI-TOF MS Profiling of Human Plasma and Urine””. Bioconjugate Chemistry, 2009, Vol. 20, n. 5, pp. 913-923.

Aiello R. , Carino I. , Iemma F. , Pasqua L. , Puoci F. , Testa F. , “Special Topics on Materials Science and Technology – An Italian Panorama”,. accepted Cap. -, ” Behaviour of different silica-based mesoporous as matrixes for drug controlled release”, Leiden: Brill. 2009. pp. 7-16.

Procopio A. , Das G. , Nardi M. , Oliverio M. , Pasqua L. , ” A Mesoporous ErIII-MCM-41 Catalyst for the Cyanosilylation of Aldehydes and Ketones under Solvent-free Conditions”. ChemSusChem, 2008, Vol. 1, n. 11, pp. 916-919.

Carino I. , Testa F. , Puoci F. , Pasqua L. , Aiello R. , ” Polymer coated silica-based mesoporous materials for controlled drug release”. Studies in surface science and catalysis, 2008, Vol. 174, n. A, pp. 373-376.

Pasqua L. , Testa F. , Aiello R. , Cundari S. , Nagy J. B. , ” Preparation of bifunctional hybrid mesoporous silica potentially useful for drug targeting”. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 2007, Vol. 103, pp. 166-173.

Pasqua L. , Morelli C. , Testa F. , Sisci D. , Brunelli E. , Aiello R. , Nagy J. B. , ” Preparation and cell inclusion of fluorescent folic acid-functionalized mesoporous silica microspheres potentially useful for drug targeting”. Studies in surface science and catalysis, 2007, Vol. 170, pp. 1956-1961.

Carino I. , Pasqua L. , Testa F. , Aiello R. , Puoci F. , Iemma F. , Picci N. , ” Silica-based mesoporous materials as drug delivery system for methotrexate release”. Drug delivery, 2007, Vol. 14, pp. 491-495.

Vuono D. , Pasqua L. , Testa F. , Aiello R. , Fonseca A. , Koranyi T. , Nagy J. B. , ” Inﬂuence of NaOH and KOH on the synthesis of MCM-22″. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 2006, Vol. 97, pp. 78-87.
Publications #2
Terracciano R. , Gaspari M. , Testa F. , Pasqua L. , Cuda G. , Petricoin E. F. , Venuta S. , Tagliaferri P. , ” Selective Binding and Enrichment for Low Molecular Weight Biomarker Molecules in Human Plasma after Exposure to Nanoporous Silica Particles”. Proteomics, 2006, Vol. 6, pp. 3243-3250.

Pasqua L. , Testa F. , Aiello R. , ” Interfacial Polycondensation Of Mesoporous Silica Particles At The Nanometer Scale”. Studies in surface science and catalysis, 2005, Vol. 158A, pp. 557-564.

Fejes P. , Kiricsi I. , Làzàr K. , Marsi I. , Aiello R. , Frontera P. , Testa F. , Pasqua L. , Nagy J. B. , Korecz L. , ” Spectroscopic Characterization of Fe-BEA zeolites”. Studies in surface science and catalysis, 2005, Vol. 155, pp. 239-248.

Testa F. , Pasqua L. , Frontera P. , Aiello R. , ” Preparation Of Mesoporous Silica Using Low Cost Green Reactants”. Studies in surface science and catalysis, 2004, Vol. 154, pp. 511-519.

Testa F. , Pasqua L. , Frontera P. , Aiello R. , ” Synthesis Of MCM-41 Materials In The Presence Of Cetylpyridinium Surfactant”. Studies in surface science and catalysis, 2004, Vol. 154, pp. 424-431.

Cavallaro G. , Pierro P. , Palumbo F. S. , Testa F. , Pasqua L. , Aiello R. , ” Drug Delivery Devices Based On Mesoporous Silicate”. Drug delivery, 2004, Vol. 11, pp. 41-46.

Ponomoreva O. , Yuschenko V. , Ivanova I. , Pasqua L. , Testa F. , Di Renzo F. , Fajula F. , ” Dehydrogenation Of Ethylbenzene Over Ga- And Fe-containing MCM-41″. Studies in surface science and catalysis, 2004, Vol. 154, pp. 2208-2211.

Vuono D. , Pasqua L. , Testa F. , Aiello R. , Fonseca A. , Koranyi A. , Nagy J. B. , ” Synthesis And Characterization of MCM-22 and MCM-49 Zeolites”. Studies in surface science and catalysis, 2004, Vol. 154, pp. 203-210.

Testa F. , Pasqua L. , Crea F. , Aiello R. , Làzàr K. , Fejes P. , Lentz P. , Nagy J. B. , ” Synthesis of Fe-MFI zeolites in fluoride-containing media”. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 2003, Vol. 57, pp. 57-72.

Pasqua L. , Testa F. , Aiello R. , Madeo G. , Nagy J. B. , ” Surface properties of mesoporous silicate and alumino-silicate modified by reaction with benzoyl chloride”. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2003, pp. 640-645.

Pasqua L. , Testa F. , Aiello R. , Di Renzo F. , Fajula F. , ” Variation of the Pore Properties of Mesoporous Silica after Washing by water and ethanol-water solutions”. Studies in surface science and catalysis, 2003, Vol. 146, pp. 165-172.

Pasqua L. , Testa F. , Aiello R. , ” Reactivity of silica walls of mesoporous materials towards benzoyl chloride”. Studies in surface science and catalysis, 2003, Vol. 146, pp. 497-500.

Pasqua L. , Testa F. , Aiello R. , Madeo G. , Nagy J. B. , ” Modification of silica walls of mesoporous silicate and alumino-silicate by reaction with benzoyl chloride”. Studies in surface science and catalysis, 2002, Vol. 142, pp. 1427-1434.

Aiello R. , Cavallaro G. , Giammona G. , Pasqua L. , Testa F. , Pierro P. , ” Mesoporous silicate as matrix for drug delivery systems of non-steroidal antinflammatory drugs”. Studies in surface science and catalysis, 2002, Vol. 142, pp. 1165-1172.

Aloi D. , Testa F. , Pasqua L. , Aiello R. , Nagy J. B. , ” Improved synthesis procedure for Fe-BEA zeolite”. Studies in surface science and catalysis, 2002, Vol. 142, pp. 469-476.

Pasqua L. , Testa F. , Aiello R. , Di Renzo F. , Fajula F. , ” Synthesis of pure and iron-containing mesoporous silica. Effect of washing and removal of template on the porous structure”. Studies in surface science and catalysis, 2001, Vol. 135, pp. 205-212.

Pasqua L. , Testa F. , Aiello R. , Di Renzo F. , Fajula F. , ” Influence of pH and nature of the anion on the synthesis of pure and iron-containing mesoporous silica”. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 2001, Vol. 44-45, pp. 111-117.

Aiello R. , Testa F. , Crea F. , Diodati G. D. , Terwagne G. , Lentz P. , Nagy J. B. , Pasqua L. , ” SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF Fe AND [Fe,Al]-MCM-22 ZEOLITES”. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 1999, Vol. 30, pp. 187-197.

Aiello R. , Pasqua L. , Testa F. , ” FT-IR spectroscopic studies of the acidic properties of mesoporous molecular sieves by adsorbed carbon monoxide”. Studies in surface science and catalysis, 1998, Vol. 117, pp. 317-324.

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Books

Book chapters