Prof. Dr. Luca Pignataro
Full Professor
Department of Chemistry
Via C. Golgi, 19
20133 - Milano
luca.pignataro [at] unimi.it
+39 02503 14090
Curriculum Vitae
Education
- October 1997-March 2003
Master Degree in Industrial Chemistry (Master advisor: Prof. Franco Cozzi).
Full marks (110/110).
Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan (Italy).
Title of the thesis: “Synthesis of chiral phenantrolines and bipyridines as ligands for asymmetric
catalysis” - November 2003-December 2006
PhD in Industrial Chemistry (PhD advisor: Prof. Franco Cozzi).
Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan (Italy).
Title of the thesis: “Novel chiral N-oxides as organocatalysts for the enantioselective allylation of
aromatic aldehydes”
Career
- January 2024
Full professor at the University of Milan (Department of Chemistry). - March 2019
Associate professor at the University of Milan (Department of Chemistry). - March 2016-February 2019
Tenure track assistant Professor (“Ricercatore a Tempo Determinato di tipo B ai sensi della legge
240/2010” - RTD-B) at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Milan. - October 2012-September 2015
Assistant Professor (“Ricercatore a Tempo Determinato di tipo A ai sensi della legge 240/2010” -
RTD-A) at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Milan. - January 2008-January 2009 and February 2010-September 2012
Post-doctoral fellowships (“Assegni di ricerca”) in Prof. Gennari’s research group at the University
of Milan. - February 2009-November 2009
Post-doctoral fellowship (“Assegno di ricerca”) in Prof. Piarulli’s research group at the “Università
degli Studi dell’Insubria” (Como). - January 2007-January 2008
Post-doctoral fellowship in Prof. Leigh’s research group at the University of Edinburgh (UK). - June 2003-February 2004
Compulsory civil service (in alternative to military service) as employed in a non-profit organization
(Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”).
Current research interests
- Homogeneous transition metal catalysis: i) asymmetric catalysis; ii) design and synthesis of
supramolecular catalysts; iii) development of sustainable and efficient reduction methodologies
(iron catalyzed reductions, asymmetric hydrogenation of pyridines and tandem metathesis-hydrogenation
processes). - Synthesis of new peptidomimetics with anti-cancer activity: i) development of new ligands for
integrins and vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs) for inhibiting tumour angiogenesis;
ii) conjugation of the latter ligands with cytotoxic, pro-apoptotic or fluorescent
molecules.