Maria Priscila Quinonez Angulo

I am a Chemical Engineer with a Bachelor's degree from Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (2014), a Master's degree in Chemistry from Instituto Tecnológico de Tijuana (2017), and a Doctorate in Chemistry from the same institution (March 2022) with Honorable Mention for my dissertation on "Synthesis, Kinetic Study, and Applications of Smart Copolymers containing amino groups and My research work includes some indexed publications in national and international journals, focusing on polymer synthesis, characterization, and polymerization mechanisms. Currently, I am conducting a postdoctoral research project at Centro De Física Aplicada Y Tecnología Avanzada (UNAM), focusing on sustainable polymerization kinetics of eutectic ring-opening systems for designing biocompatible and biodegradable academic achievements have earned me recognition as a candidate for the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (SNI) in the area of Biology and Chemistry, starting from January 2023.

EDUCATION

B. Sc. (Chemical Engineer) Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa 2014
M.S (Chemistry Science) TecNM, Instituto Tecnológico de Tijuana 2017
Ph.D. (Chemistry Science) TecNM, Instituto Tecnológico de Tijuana 2022

RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS

Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Colloid and Surface Chemistry, Catalysis

Scopus Publications

Boosting the Solubility and Bioactivity of Flavonoids in Nontoxic Betaine-Based Natural Eutectic Solvents
Luis Alfonso Jiménez-Ortega, Karla Juarez-Moreno, Priscila Quiñonez-Angulo, Josefina León-Félix, Pedro de Jesús Bastidas-Bastidas, Cristóbal Chaidez, Jean Pierre González-Gómez, Josué D. Mota-Morales, José Basilio Heredia
ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, 2025
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide This study presents a green and efficient method for solubilizing hydrophobic bioactive flavonoids using natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDES), emphasizing the use of the complete NaDES–flavonoid systems for enhanced functionality. Among the investigated NaDES, betaine:glycerol (1:2 molar ratio) with 20 wt % water achieved the highest solubility for quercetin (3.36 mg/mL), rutin (5.95 mg/mL), naringenin (5.82 mg/mL), and naringin (13.32 mg/mL). NaDES-containing flavonoids were structurally characterized using 1 H NMR and FTIR spectroscopies and thermally analyzed by DSC, revealing a high thermal stability. The NaDES–quercetin system exhibited not only the highest antioxidant activity but also cooperative and significant antibacterial effects against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, achieving 91.3% and 94.8% reduction, respectively. Both the neat NaDES and the flavonoid-containing systems were noncytotoxic to 3T3-L1 fibroblasts and HaCaT keratinocytes at concentrations up to 100 μg/mL. NADES-containing flavonoids inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in a time- and dose-dependent manner, while the NADES–quercetin system promoted wound healing in fibroblasts in vitro at lower concentrations. The complete NaDES–flavonoid systems, exemplified by hydrated betaine-glycerol NaDES with quercetin solubility increased by 23,850-fold compared to water, exhibit markedly enhanced bioactivities and hold significant promise for sustainable pharmaceutical applications, based on AGREE and AGREEprep scores.
Enhanced Cell Proliferation and Maturation Using Carboxylated Bacterial Nanocellulose Scaffolds for 3D Cell Culture
Elizabeth Mavil-Guerrero, José Manuel Romo-Herrera, Priscila Quiñonez-Angulo, Francisco J. Flores-Ruiz, Edén Morales-Narváez, J. Félix Armando Soltero, Josué D. Mota-Morales, Karla Juarez-Moreno
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 2025
Developing scaffolds for three-dimensional (3D) cell culture and tissue regeneration with biopolymers requires the creation of an optimal nanobiointerface. This interface must possess suitable surface chemistry, biomechanical properties, and fibrillar morphology across nano- to microscale levels to support cell attachment and growth, enabling a biomimetic arrangement. In this study, we developed a hydrogel scaffold made from bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) functionalized with carboxylic acid groups (BNC-COOH) through a reactive deep eutectic solvent (DES), offering a sustainable approach. The surface properties and fibrillar structure of BNC-COOH facilitated the formation of hydrogels with significantly enhanced water uptake (1.4-fold) and adhesion force (2.3-fold) compared to BNC. These hydrogels also demonstrated tissue-like rheological properties in both water with G' exceeding G″, suggesting predominantly elastic (solid-like) characteristics and viscosities in the range of 8- 15 Pa·s. The BNC-COOH hydrogel scaffold demonstrated excellent biocompatibility, supporting significant cell growth and anchorage for the 3D growth of mammalian cells and enhancing preadipocyte growth by up to 7.3 times. Furthermore, the BNC-COOH hydrogel facilitates the maturation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes into mature adipocytes, inducing typical morphology changes, such as decreased filopodia extensions, rounded cell shape, and lipid droplet accumulation without any additional chemical induction stimulus. Therefore, we demonstrated that a reactive DES composed of oxalic acid and choline chloride represents a mild reaction medium and a suitable approach for designing biocompatible 3D hydrogel scaffolds with improved physicochemical properties and biological activities for 3D cell culture.
Ring-opening polymerization of emulsion-templated deep eutectic system monomer for macroporous polyesters with controlled degradability
Martín Castillo-Santillan, Priscila Quiñonez-Angulo, Dina Maniar, José Román Torres-Lubian, María C. Gutiérrez, Théophile Pelras, Albert J. J. Woortman, Qi Chen, María Guadalupe Pérez-García, Katja Loos, Josué D. Mota-Morales
Rsc Applied Polymers, 2024
Multifunctional macroinitiators in the ROP of a DESm allow fine-tuning the properties of the resulting polyesters. This capability enables control over the degradability, Mn, and polymer architectures of macroporous polyesters for oil sorption.
PEGMAs with short and long side chains: what is the effect in the formation of stars and brushes by RAFT polymerization?
Priscila Quiñonez-Angulo, Claude St. Thomas, Hortensia Maldonado-Textle, Ángel Licea-Claveríe, Enrique Saldívar-Guerra, Iván Zapata-González
Reaction Chemistry and Engineering, 2023
PEGMA RAFT polymerization presents diverse kinetic characteristics, such as initiation rate (acceleration or inhibition), retardation effect, and dispersity, according to the length of the PEG side chain.
Low-Temperature and Solventless Ring-Opening Polymerization of Eutectic Mixtures of l-Lactide and Lactones for Biodegradable Polyesters
Martín Castillo-Santillan, Dina Maniar, María C. Gutiérrez, Priscila Quiñonez-Angulo, José Román Torres-Lubian, Katja Loos, Josué D. Mota-Morales
ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 2023
Biodegradability is one of the key features for reducing the negative environmental impact of plastic waste disposal; therefore, designing biocompatible polymeric biomaterials with programmable life cycles is urgently needed. Herein, deep eutectic solvent monomers (DESm) composed of l -lactide and various lactones of different molecular weights were formulated to obtain polyesters at low temperatures with the aid of organocatalysts and under solventless conditions. The introduced DESm expand the range of eutectic mixtures capable of undergoing ring-opening polymerization (ROP) to include mixtures of l -lactide with δ-valerolactone and δ-hexalactone. Extending the toolbox for DESm preparation will allow for the design of polyesters with tailored molecular weight and crystallinity, which are conducive to programmable degradability. ROP of DESm carried out at low temperatures and under solventless conditions holds promise for a sustainable framework for preparing biodegradable polymers for biomedical applications.
The influences of monomer structure and solvent on the radical copolymerization of tertiary amine and PEGylated methacrylates
Priscila Quiñonez-Angulo, Robin A. Hutchinson, Ángel Licea-Claveríe, Enrique Saldívar-Guerra, Iván Zapata-González
Polymer Chemistry, 2021
This work presents a meticulous and rigorous investigation of reactivity ratios of commonly used monomers (PEGMA, DEAEMA, and DMAEMA) with high importance for stimuli-responsive materials; a copolymerization mini-library with 9 systems is reported.
Ethylene polymerization via zirconocene catalysts and organoboron activators: An experimental and kinetic modeling study
Luis Valencia, Francisco Enríquez-Medrano, Ricardo López-González, Priscila Quiñonez-Ángulo, Enrique Saldívar-Guerra, José Díaz-Elizondo, Iván Zapata-González, Ramón Díaz de León
Processes, 2021
Forty years after the discovery of metallocene catalysts, there are still several aspects that remain unresolved, especially when the “conventional” alkylaluminum activators are not used. Herein, we systematically investigated the synthesis of polyethylene (PE) via three different zirconocene catalysts, with different alkyl substituents, activated via different organoboron compounds. The polymerization behavior, as well as the properties of the materials, were evaluated. The results demonstrate that the highest catalytic activity is shown by bis(cyclopentadienyl)dimethylzirconium activated by trityl tetra(pentafluorophenyl)borate. Additionally, it was found that toluene is the optimum solvent for these systems and at these reaction conditions. Moreover, to validate our experimental results, a comprehensive mathematical model was developed on the basis of thermodynamic and kinetic principles. The concentration of ethylene transferred to the solvent phase (toluene) in a liquid–vapor equilibrium (LVE) system was estimated based on Duhem’s theorem. Arrhenius expressions for the kinetic rate constants of a proposed kinetic mechanism were estimated by a kinetic model, in which the rate of polymerization was fitted by a least-square optimization procedure and the molecular weight averages by the method of moments. The simulations of the coordination polymerization suggest the presence of two types of active sites, principally at low temperatures, and the reactivation of the deactivated sites via a boron-based activator. However, the effect of the temperature on the reactivation step was not clear; a deeper understanding via designed experiments is required.
A kinetic study, thermal analysis and kinetic modeling on homo and copolymerization of 2-(N,N-diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate and PEGMA
Priscila Quiñonez-Angulo, Jesús Ruiz-Villegas, Ángel Licea-Claveríe, Alejandro Ramirez-Jiménez, Valentín Miranda-Soto, Iván Zapata-González
European Polymer Journal, 2018
Synthesis of flocculants based on responsive polymers and its use in solids removal from river water and wastewater
Revista Mexicana De Ingeniera Quimica, 2015

Publications

Gálvez-Limón, H. M.; Félix-Alcalá, D. V; Quiñonez-Angulo, M. P.; Ochoa-Rivera, C. A.; Picos-Corrales, L. A. Tratamiento de Aguas Vía Floculación Usando Materiales Ambientalmente Amigables: Ensayos En México. Rev. Ing. y Tecnol. UAS 2021, 4, 20–32. (