dr. sc. Andrea Usenik

Title:	Assistant
Location:	218
Public phone number:	+385 1 4606 147
Internal phone number:	6147
E-mail:	E-mail
Department:	Division of Physical Chemistry
Graduation year:	2019
PhD graduation year:	2023
Employed in this institution since:	2019

Consultations

(by agreement via email)

List of select publications

1. J. Požar, M. Alešković, M. Šekutor, V. Tomišić, A. Usenik*, Solvent Isotope Effect on the Thermodynamics of Complexation with Cyclodextrins and Cucurbiturils: An ITC Study in H2O and D2O, Molecules 2026, 31(19), 3483.
2. A. Usenik*, F. Sunjka, K. Kukina Gradečak, L. Klemen, K. Leko, N. Cindro, G. Horvat, I. Piantanida, V. Tomišić, Intrinsic Calix[6]arene Fluorescence for Quantitative Characterization of Group I and Group II Metal Cation Complexation, Analytica 2026, 7(4), 72.
3. A. Usenik*, S. Katovčić, J. Požar, Molecular Recognition of Steroids and Bile Salts by Substituted Cyclodextrins: The Influence of Gonane Isomerism and Rim Functionalization on Complexation Thermodynamics, Molecules 2026, 31(17), 2999.
4. A. Usenik*, S. Katovčić, J. Požar, Thermodynamics and Structural Aspects of Propofol Inclusion in Native and Substituted β-Cyclodextrins in Water, Croat. Chem. Acta 2026, accepted.
5. A. Usenik*, K. Pičuljan, K. Kukina Gradečak, S. Katovčić, G. Talajić, M. Šekutor, J. Požar, Molecular recognition of steroid isomers by cyclodextrins and cucurbiturils: thermodynamic contributions and structural determinants, New J. Chem. 2026, 50, 13451−13462.
6. A. Usenik, I. Nikšić-Franjić, M. Belovari, M. Jurković, L. Klemen, N. Cindro, N. Došlić, I. Piantanida, V. Tomišić, Intrinsic fluorescence of calixarenes: the origin and applications, Anal. Chim. Acta 2025, 1377, 344648.
7. A. Usenik, M. Modrušan, K. Leko, J. Borovec, S. Marinac, L. Hok, N. Cindro, R. Vianello, G. Horvat, J. Požar, T. Hrenar, V. Tomišić, A Combined Thermodynamic and Computational Study of Alkaline Earth Metal Cations Complexation by a Fluorescent Calix[4]arene Receptor, Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(3), 1264.
8. A. Usenik, N. Kallay, V. Tomišić, Motion of ions in solution under the influence of an electric field: microscopic vs. macroscopic view, J. Chem. Educ. 2024, 101(9), 3805−3812.
9. A. Usenik, M. Alešković, S. Roca, I. Markuš, M. Šekutor, J. Požar, Hosting of diamantane alcohols in water and hydrogen-bonded organic solvents: the (non-)classical hydrophobic effect, New J. Chem. 2023, 47, 18745−18755.

Professional memberships

COST Action CA22131 – Supramolecular Luminescent Chemosensors for Environmental Security (LUCES) (since 2025)

Croatian Chemical Society (member since 2014) - office member (IT and social media)
American Chemical Society (member since 2023)
Slovenian Chemical Society (member since 2025)

EuChemS Division of Physical Chemistry observer (since 2026)

EuChemS Task Group on Inclusion and Diversity observer (since 2025)

European Young Chemists' Network (EYCN) Delegate (Croatian Representative), Communications and Membership teams member (since 2024)

CAS Young Scientist (since 2025)

List of select projects

2025. − now - collaborator in the COST Action CA22131 – Supramolecular Luminescent Chemosensors for Environmental Security (LUCES), member of Working group 1 ((Supra)molecular systems as sensors
) and WG4 (Dissemination and Exploitation)

2024 − now - researcher on the Croatian Science Foundation project Thermodynamic, spectroscopic, and structural aspects of calixarene coordination reactions (CalixCORE)

2020 − 2024 - researcher on the Croatian Science Foundation project Coordination Reactions of Macrocyclic Ligands in Solution (MacroSol)

2017. − 2018. ∙ student-volunteer on the Croatian Science Foundation project Razvoj supramolekulskih receptora aniona i kationa (SupraCAR)

2016. − 2017. ∙ student-volunteer on the Croatian Science Foundation project Sinteza, strukturna analiza i biološka evaluacija peptidomimetika i glikokonjugata (PEPTGLYCOSAR)

Past employments

2019 − 2020 - Expert Associate on the project Fizikalno-kemijska karakterizacija lijekova u otopini (Xellia, PI Prof Vladislav Tomišić)

2020 − Assistant