Dr Martina Lessio

Dr Martina Lessio

Scientia Fellow (Level C)
Science
School of Chemistry

Martina is originally from Torino (Italy), where she completed both her bachelor's and master's degrees in Chemistry. She then moved to Princeton University (United States) where she earned a PhD in Chemistry in 2017 under the mentorship of Professor Emily Carter. During her time at Princeton, Martina used computational chemistry to investigate catalysts for CO2 conversion.

After the completion of her PhD, Martina joined Columbia University (United States) as a Columbia Science Fellow. In this role, Martina was part of a team of scientists teaching the first-year undergraduate course "Frontiers of Science" and conducted research on novel functional materials in the group of Professor David Reichman. Following this experience, Martina moved to Australia to continue her research and teaching career at the University of Sydney, where she was awarded a University of Sydney Fellowship to work on computational modelling of metal-organic frameworks.

In 2020, Martina joined the School of Chemistry at UNSW as a Scientia Lecturer. In this role, she works with her research group to investigate molecules and materials for sustainability applications using computational methods .

Location
School of Chemistry Room 124, Dalton F12
  • Journal articles | 2024
    Lloyd Williams OH; Cox CS; Zhang MY; Lessio M; Rusli O; Donald WA; Jekimovs L; Marshall DL; Pfrunder MC; Poad BLJ; Brotin T; Rijs NJ, 2024, 'Cation induced changes to the structure of cryptophane cages', Dalton Transactions, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d4dt01824a
    Journal articles | 2024
    Thoonen S; Siripanich P; Hua L; Tay HM; Ramkissoon P; Smith TA; Lessio M; Hua C, 2024, 'Enhancing enantioselectivity in chiral metal organic framework fluorescent sensors', Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers, 11, pp. 3877 - 3888, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d4qi00760c
    Journal articles | 2023
    Cox CS; Slavich E; Macreadie LK; McKemmish LK; Lessio M, 2023, 'Understanding the Role of Synthetic Parameters in the Defect Engineering of UiO-66: A Review and Meta-analysis', Chemistry of Materials, 35, pp. 3057 - 3072, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c00215
    Journal articles | 2023
    Papasergio AE; Ugolotti G; Sassoni E; Lessio M, 2023, 'Adsorption of water and organic solvents on the calcite [101¯4] surface: Implications for marble conservation treatments', Applied Surface Science, 616, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2023.156438
    Journal articles | 2023
    Teusner M; Mittal U; Lessio M; Johannessen B; Mata J; Sharma N, 2023, 'Formulation and mechanism of copper tartrate - a novel anode material for lithium-ion batteries', Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 25, pp. 21436 - 21447, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d3cp02030d
    Journal articles | 2023
    Zhang J; Paesani F; Lessio M, 2023, 'Computational insights into the interaction of water with the UiO-66 metal-organic framework and its functionalized derivatives', Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 11, pp. 10247 - 10258, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d3tc01313h
    Journal articles | 2022
    Mittal U; Colasuonno F; Rawal A; Lessio M; Kundu D, 2022, 'A highly stable 1.3 V organic cathode for aqueous zinc batteries designed in-situ by solid-state electrooxidation', Energy Storage Materials, 46, pp. 129 - 137, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ensm.2022.01.004
    Journal articles | 2022
    Wong S; Cao C; Lessio M; Stenzel MH, 2022, 'Sugar-induced self-assembly of curcumin-based polydopamine nanocapsules with high loading capacity for dual drug delivery', Nanoscale, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d2nr01795d
    Journal articles | 2021
    Cox CS; Cossich Galicia V; Lessio M, 2021, 'Computational Insights into As(V) Removal from Water by the UiO-66 Metal-Organic Framework', Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 125, pp. 3157 - 3168, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c09465
    Journal articles | 2021
    Cox CS; Cossich Galicia V; Lessio M, 2021, 'Computational Investigation of Adsorptive Removal of Pb2+from Water by the UiO-66 Metal-Organic Framework: Comparison of Adsorption Sites on Defects and Functionalised Linkers', Australian Journal of Chemistry, 75, pp. 142 - 154, http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/CH21139
    Journal articles | 2021
    Hallam L; Papasergio AE; Lessio M; Veliscek-Carolan J, 2021, 'Phosphate functionalised titania for heavy metal removal from acidic sulfate solutions', Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 600, pp. 719 - 728, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2021.05.047
    Journal articles | 2021
    Yang J; Russell JC; Tao S; Lessio M; Wang F; Hartnett AC; Peurifoy SR; Doud EA; O’Brien ES; Gadjieva N; Reichman DR; Zhu X; Crowther AC; Billinge SJL; Roy X; Steigerwald ML; Nuckolls C, 2021, 'Superatomic solid solutions', Nature Chemistry, 13, pp. 607 - 613, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41557-021-00680-8
    Journal articles | 2018
    Clark ML; Cheung PL; Lessio M; Carter EA; Kubiak CP, 2018, 'Kinetic and Mechanistic Effects of Bipyridine (bpy) Substituent, Labile Ligand, and Brønsted Acid on Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction by Re(bpy) Complexes', ACS Catalysis, 8, pp. 2021 - 2029, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.7b03971
    Journal articles | 2018
    Lessio M; Senftle TP; Carter EA, 2018, 'Hydride Shuttle Formation and Reaction with CO2 on GaP(110)', ChemSusChem, 11, pp. 1558 - 1566, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201800037
    Journal articles | 2017
    Lessio M; Dieterich JM; Carter EA, 2017, 'Hydride Transfer at the GaP(110)/Solution Interface: Mechanistic Implications for CO2 Reduction Catalyzed by Pyridine', Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 121, pp. 17321 - 17331, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b05052
    Journal articles | 2017
    Senftle TP; Lessio M; Carter EA, 2017, 'The Role of Surface-Bound Dihydropyridine Analogues in Pyridine-Catalyzed CO2 Reduction over Semiconductor Photoelectrodes', ACS Central Science, 3, pp. 968 - 974, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.7b00233
    Journal articles | 2016
    Alidoust N; Lessio M; Carter EA, 2016, 'Cobalt (II) oxide and nickel (II) oxide alloys as potential intermediate-band semiconductors: A theoretical study', Journal of Applied Physics, 119, http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4939286
    Journal articles | 2016
    Lessio M; Riplinger C; Carter EA, 2016, 'Stability of surface protons in pyridine-catalyzed CO2 reduction at p-GaP photoelectrodes', Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 18, pp. 26434 - 26443, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c6cp04272d
    Journal articles | 2016
    Lessio M; Senftle TP; Carter EA, 2016, 'Is the Surface Playing a Role during Pyridine-Catalyzed CO2 Reduction on p-GaP Photoelectrodes?', ACS Energy Letters, 1, pp. 464 - 468, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.6b00233
    Journal articles | 2016
    Senftle TP; Lessio M; Carter EA, 2016, 'Interaction of Pyridine and Water with the Reconstructed Surfaces of GaP(111) and CdTe(111) Photoelectrodes: Implications for CO2 Reduction', Chemistry of Materials, 28, pp. 5799 - 5810, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.6b02084
    Journal articles | 2015
    Balantseva E; Berlier G; Camino B; Lessio M; Ferrari AM, 2015, 'Erratum: Surface Properties of ZnS Nanoparticles: A Combined DFT and Experimental Study (Journal of Physical Chemistry C (2014) 118:41 (23853-23862) DOI: 10.1021/jp507963y)', Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 119, pp. 17493, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b06468
    Journal articles | 2015
    Keith JA; Muñoz-García AB; Lessio M; Carter EA, 2015, 'Cluster Models for Studying CO2 Reduction on Semiconductor Photoelectrodes', Topics in Catalysis, 58, pp. 46 - 56, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11244-014-0341-1
    Journal articles | 2015
    Kronawitter CX; Lessio M; Zahl P; Muñoz-García AB; Sutter P; Carter EA; Koel BE, 2015, 'Orbital-Resolved Imaging of the Adsorbed State of Pyridine on GaP(110) Identifies Sites Susceptible to Nucleophilic Attack', Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 119, pp. 28917 - 28924, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b08659
    Journal articles | 2015
    Kronawitter CX; Lessio M; Zhao P; Riplinger C; Boscoboinik A; Starr DE; Sutter P; Carter EA; Koel BE, 2015, 'Observation of Surface-Bound Negatively Charged Hydride and Hydroxide on GaP(110) in H2O Environments', Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 119, pp. 17762 - 17772, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b05361
    Journal articles | 2015
    Lessio M; Carter EA, 2015, 'What Is the Role of Pyridinium in Pyridine-Catalyzed CO2 Reduction on p-GaP Photocathodes?', Journal of the American Chemical Society, 137, pp. 13248 - 13251, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5b08639
    Journal articles | 2014
    Balantseva E; Berlier G; Camino B; Lessio M; Ferrari AM, 2014, 'Surface properties of ZnS nanoparticles: A combined DFT and experimental study', Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 118, pp. 23853 - 23862, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jp507963y
    Journal articles | 2013
    Ferrari AM; Lessio M; Reŕat M, 2013, 'Prediction of electronic (hyper)polarizabilities of titania nanotubes: A DFT periodic study', Computational Materials Science, 68, pp. 280 - 286, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.commatsci.2012.11.002
    Journal articles | 2010
    Ferrari AM; Lessio M; Szieberth D; Maschio L, 2010, 'On the stability of dititanate nanotubes: A density functional theory study', Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 114, pp. 21219 - 21225, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jp1079185
  • Preprints | 2023
    Zhang J; Paesani F; Lessio M, 2023, Computational Insights into the Interaction of Water with the UiO-66 Metal-Organic Framework and Its Functionalized Derivatives, , http://dx.doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv-2023-rk8xp
    Conference Papers | 2018
    Lessio M; Senftle T; Carter E, 2018, 'First-principles investigation of adsorbed hydrogenated N-heterocycles as hydride shuttles for catalytic CO2 reduction on p-GaP photoelectrodes', in ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, LA, New Orleans, presented at 255th National Meeting and Exposition of the American-Chemical-Society (ACS) - Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water, LA, New Orleans, 18 March 2018 - 22 March 2018, https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000435537702099&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1
    Conference Papers | 2016
    Lessio M; Carter E, 2016, 'First-principles investigation of the role of pyridinium and adsorbed dihydropyridine in pyridine-catalyzed CO2 reduction on p-GaP photoelectrodes', in ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000431903805794&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1
    Conference Papers | 2015
    Lessio M; Riplinger C; Munoz-Garcia A; Carter E, 2015, 'Pyridine-catalyzed CO2 reduction on p-GaP photoelectrodes: First-principles investigation of possible reaction mechanisms', in ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000411186504109&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1