3. Doctor of Philosophy, Chemistry, Georgetown University, Department of Chemistry, Washington, DC, USA, September 2013 – December 2019; Doctoral thesis: „Solid State Synthesis and Study of Porous Materials“ Advisor: Dr. K. Travis Holman (Georgetown University); Co-advisor: Dr. Tomislav Friščić (McGill University, now University of Birmingham)

          2. Master of Science, Chemistry, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, Zagreb, Croatia, October 2010 – October 2012; Master's thesis: „Mechanochemical synthesis of metalloorganic compounds of copper(ii) with aromatic amines and their reactivity in the solid state“, Advisor: Dr. Branko Kaitner

          1. Bachelor of Science, Chemistry, October 2007 – September 2010; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, Zagreb, Croatia.

Scholarship of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange – Ulam Programme – Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Warsaw (2020)

Bepina Sabalić Kunin fellowship – PhD, Georgetown University (2013-2015, 2017- 2018)

The Ludo Frevel Crystallography Scholarship, IUCr – PhD, Georgetown University (2017)

The Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) grant – PhD, Georgetown & McGill Universities (2015)

CCDC award for the best presentation by a young scientist at the 28th Croatian-Slovenian Crystallographic Meeting, Poreč, Croatia (2022)

Mettler-Toledo Outstanding Oral Presentation at the 6th Crystal Engineering and Emerging Materials Workshop of Ontario and Quebec, Montreal, QC, Canada (2019)

Xerox 1st Place Award for Oral Presentations; CSC Materials Awards committee at the 99th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition, Halifax, NS, Canada, (2016)

2019 ACS Outreach Volunteer of the Year for the Washington DC section (2019)

Medal of the Department of Chemistry for excellence in studies (2012)

Rector's award for the original research work „Schiff bases derived from mesalazine and aromatic amines: mechanochemical and vapour digestion solid-state synthesis“; University of Zagreb, Croatia (2012)

Martinez, V.; Stolar, T.; Karadeniz, B.*; Brekalo, I.*; Užarević, K.* “Advancing mechanochemical synthesis by combining milling with different energy sources“, Nat. Rev. Chem. 2023, 7, 51–65. (Perspective review article) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41570-022-00442-1

Muratović, S.; Martinez, V.; Karadeniz, B.; Pajić, D.; Brekalo, I.; Arhangelskis, M.; Mazaj, M.; Mali, G.; Etter, M.; Friščić, T.; Krupskaya, Y.; Kataev, V.; Žilić, D.*; Užarević, K.* “Low-Dimensional Magnetism in Multivariate Copper/Zinc MOF-74 Materials Formed via Different Mechanochemical Methods”, Inorg. Chem. 2022, 61, 18181–18192. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c02898

Brekalo, I.; Martinez, V.; Karadeniz, B.; Orešković, P.^†; Drapanauskaite, D.; Vriesema, H.; Stenekes, R.; Etter, M.; Dejanović, I.; Baltrusaitis, J.*; Užarević, K.* “Scale-Up of Agrochemical Urea-Gypsum Cocrystal Synthesis Using Thermally Controlled Mechanochemistry”, ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 2022, 10, 6743–6754. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.2c00914

Brekalo, I.; Yuan, W.; Mottillo, C.; Lu, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Casaban, J.;  Holman, K. T.*; James, S.L.*; Duarte, F.; Williams, P. A.; Harris, K. D. M.*; Friščić, T.* “Manometric real-time studies of the mechanochemical synthesis of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks”, Chem. Sci. 2020, 11, 2141. https://doi.org/10.1039/C9SC05514B

Brekalo, I.; Deliz, D. ^†; Barbour, L. J.; Ward, M. D.*; Friščić, T.*; Holman, K. T.* “Microporosity of a Guanidinium Organodisulfonate Hydrogen Bonded Framework“, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 1997. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201911861

Brekalo, I.; Kane, C. M.; Ley, A. N.; Ramirez, J. R.; Friščić, T.*; Holman, K. T.* “Use of a “Shoe-Last” Solid-State Template in the Mechanochemical Synthesis of High-Porosity RHO-Zinc Imidazolate” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 32, 10104-10108. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.8b05471

Zbornik sažetaka s konferencije

• Solid-State Science & Research 2021 : Book of Abstracts and Programme / Biliškov, Nikola ; Brekalo, Ivana ; Martinez, Valentina (ur.). Zagreb: Institut Ruđer Bošković, 2021

Izvorni znanstveni rad

• Zgrablić, Goran; Senkić, Ana; Vidović, Noa; Užarević, Krunoslav; Čapeta, Davor; Brekalo, Ivana; Rakić, Mario | Building a cost-effective mechanochemical Raman system: improved spectral and time resolution for in situ reaction and rheology monitoring // PCCP. Physical chemistry chemical physics, 27 (2025), 11; 5909-5920. doi: 10.1039/d4cp04757e

  doixlink.rsc.orgpubs.rsc.orgfulir.irb.hr

• Grgurić, Toni; Razum, Marta; Martinez, Valentina; Zgrablić, Goran; Senkić, Ana; Karadeniz, Bahar; Etter, Martin; Brekalo, Ivana; Arhangelskis, Mihails; Pavić, Luka et al. | Green and Scalable Preparation of Highly Conductive Alkali Metal-dhta Coordination Polymers // Inorganic chemistry, 63 (2024), 52; 24587-24600. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.4c03714

  doipubs.acs.org

• Ye, Chumei; Lampronti, Giulio I.; McHugh, Lauren N.; Castillo-Blas, Celia; Kono, Ayano; Chen, Celia; Robertson, Georgina P.; Nagle-Cocco, Liam A. V.; Xu, Weidong; Stranks, Samuel D. et al. | Mechanochemically-induced glass formation from two-dimensional hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites // Chemical science, 15 (2024), 19; 7198-7205. doi: 10.1039/d4sc00905c

  doipubs.rsc.orgxlink.rsc.org

• Xu, Yizhi; Chodkiewicz, Michal L.; Woinska, Magdalena; Trzybinski, Damian; Brekalo, Ivana; Topić, Filip; Wozniak, Krzysztof; Arhangelskis, Mihails | Hirshfeld atom refinement of metal–organic frameworks for accurate positioning of hydrogen atoms and disorder analysis // Chemical communications, 59 (2023), 8799-8802. doi: 10.1039/D3CC01369C

  doidoi.org

• Muratović, Senada ; Martinez, Valentina ; Karadeniz, Bahar ; Pajić, Damir ; Brekalo, Ivana ; Arhangelskis, Mihails ; Mazaj, Matjaž ; Mali, Gregor ; Etter, Martin ; Friščić, Tomislav et al. | Low-Dimensional Magnetism in Multivariate Copper/Zinc MOF-74 Materials Formed via Different Mechanochemical Methods // Inorganic chemistry, 61 (2022), 45; 18181-18192. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c02898

  doipubs.acs.org

• Brekalo, Ivana ; Martinez, Valentina ; Karadeniz, Bahar ; Orešković, Patrik ; Drapanauskaite, Donata ; Vriesema, Hein ; Stenekes, Robert ; Etter, Martin ; Dejanović, Igor ; Baltrusaitis, Jonas et al. | Scale-up of agrochemical urea-gypsum cocrystal synthesis using thermally controlled mechanochemistry // ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 10 (2022), 20; 6743-6754. doi: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.2c00914

  doipubs.acs.orgdx.doi.org

• Brekalo, Ivana ; Deliz, David E. ; Kane, Christopher M. ; Friscic, Tomislav ; Holman, K. Travis | Exploring the Scope of Macrocyclic "Shoe-last" Templates in the Mechanochemical Synthesis of RHO Topology Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks (ZIFs) // Molecules, 25 (2020), 3; 633, 21. doi: 10.3390/molecules25030633

  doiwww.mdpi.com

• Brekalo, Ivana ; Deliz, David E. ; Barbour, Leonard J. ; Ward, Michael D. ; Friščić, Tomislav ; Holman, K. Travis | Microporosity of a Guanidinium Organodisulfonate Hydrogen‐Bonded Framework // Angewandte Chemie. International edition, 59 (2020), 5; 1997-2002. doi: 10.1002/anie.201911861

  doi

• Brekalo, Ivana ; Kane, Christopher M. ; Ley, Amanda N. ; Ramirez, Joseph R. ; Friščić, Tomislav ; Holman, K. Travis | Use of a “Shoe-Last” Solid-State Template in the Mechanochemical Synthesis of High-Porosity RHO-Zinc Imidazolate // Journal of the American Chemical Society, 140 (2018), 32; 10104-10108. doi: 10.1021/jacs.8b05471

  doi

• Brekalo, Ivana ; Yuan, Wenbing ; Mottillo, Cristina ; Lu, Yuneng ; Zhang, Yuancheng ; Casaban, Jose ; Holman, K. Travis ; James, Stuart L. ; Duarte, Frédéric ; Williams, P. Andrew et al. | Manometric real-time studies of the mechanochemical synthesis of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks // Chemical science, 11 (2020), 8; 2141-2147. doi: 10.1039/c9sc05514b

  doipubs.rsc.org

• Nemec, Vinko ; Lisac, Katarina ; Liović, Marin ; Brekalo, Ivana ; Cinčić, Dominik | Exploring the Halogen-Bonded Cocrystallization Potential of a Metal-Organic Unit Derived from Copper(II) Chloride and 4-Aminoacetophenone // Materials, 13 (2020), 10; 2385, 10. doi: 10.3390/ma13102385

  doiwww.mdpi.com

• Cinčić, Dominik ; Brekalo, Ivana ; Kaitner, Branko | Effect of atmosphere on solid-state amine–aldehyde condensations: gas-phase catalysts for solid-state transformations // Chemical communications, 48 (2012), 95; 11683-11685. doi: 10.1039/c2cc36357g

  doipubs.rsc.org

• Cinčić, Dominik ; Brekalo, Ivana ; Kaitner, Branko | Solvent-Free Polymorphism Control in a Covalent Mechanochemical Reaction // Crystal growth & design, 12 (2012), 1; 44-48. doi: 10.1021/cg2013705

  doipubs.acs.org

Pregledni rad (znanstveni)

• Martinez, Valentina ; Stolar, Tomislav ; Karadeniz, Bahar ; Brekalo, Ivana ; Užarević, Krunoslav | Advancing mechanochemical synthesis by combining milling with different energy sources // Nature Reviews Chemistry, 7 (2023), 51-65. doi: 10.1038/s41570-022-00442-1

  doiwww.nature.com

Sažetak izlaganja sa skupa

• Užarević, Krunoslav ; Martinez, Valentina ; Stolar, Tomislav ; Brekalo, Ivana ; Karadeniz, Bahar | Thermal control of milling reactors for new advances in preparative mechanochemistry // 10th International Conference on Mechanochemistry and Mechanical Alloying - Book of Abstracts / Delogu, Francesco ; Colacino, Evelina (ur.).. | 2022. str. 72-72

  income2022.it

• Talajić, Gregor ; Brekalo, Ivana ; Topić, Edi ; Cindro, Nikola ; Užarević, Krunoslav | Cyclobutanetetraamino acid derived homochiral metal- organic frameworks // 27th Croatian Meeting of Chemists and Chemical Engineers and 5th Symposium Vladimir Prelog : Book of Abstracts. | Zagreb, 2021. str. 247-247

• Brekalo, Ivana ; Martinez, Valentina ; Karadeniz, Bahar ; Drapanauskaite, Donata ; Vriesema, Hein ; Stenekes, Robert ; Etter, Martin ; Dejanović, Igor ; Baltrusaitis, Jonas ; Užarević, Krunoslav | Scale-up of agrochemical urea-gypsum cocrystal synthesis using thermally-controlled mechanochemistry // The European Powder Diffraction Conference EPDIC 17: Book of Abstracts / Popović, Jasminka; Štefanić, Zoran (ur.). | Zagreb: Croatian Association of Crystallographers, 2022. str. 48-48

  hukcac.wixsite.com

• Žilić, Dijana ; Muratović, Senada ; Martinez, Valentina ; Karadeniz, Bahar ; Pajić, Damir ; Brekalo, Ivana ; Arhangelskis, Mihails ; Mazaj, Matjaž ; Mali, Gregor ; Friščić, Tomislav et al. | Magnetism of copper(II)/zinc(II)-MOF-74 compounds obtained over three different synthetic pathways // 8th European Conference on Molecular Magnetism : Book of Abstracts. | Rennes, 2022. str. 113-113

  filesender.renater.fr

• Martinez, Valentina ; Brekalo, Ivana ; Karadeniz, Bahar ; Orešković, Patrik ; Drapanauskaite, Donata ; Dejanović, Igor ; Baltrusaitis, Jonas ; Užarević, Krunoslav | Scalable thermally-controlled mechanochemical synthesis of urea-gypsum agrochemical cocrystal // 10th International Conference on Mechanochemistry and Mechanical Alloying - Book of Abstracts. | Cagliari: Universita degli Studi di Cagliari, 2022. str. 111-111

• Brekalo, Ivana ; Cinčić, Dominik ; Kaitner, Branko | Imines solid-state synthesis: the catalytic effect of gas-phase in grinding and ageing experiments // 23. Hrvatski skup kemičara i kemijskih inženjera - Knjiga sažetaka / Hadžiev, Andrea ; Blažeković, Zdenko (ur.).. | Hrvatsko društvo kemijskih inženjera i tehnologa (HDKI) ; Hrvatsko kemijsko drustvo, 2013. str. 114-114

• Brekalo, Ivana ; Cinčić, Dominik ; Kaitner, Branko | Gas-solid interconversion of metaloorganic salts and coordination compounds of copper(II) with aromatic amines // The twenty-second Croatian-Slovenian crystallographic meeting, Book of abstracts / Štefanić, Zoran (ur.). - Zagreb. | Zagreb, 2013. str. 43-43

• Brekalo, Ivana ; Cinčić, Dominik ; Kaitner, Branko | METALOORGANSKE SOLI I KOORDINACIJSKI SPOJEVI BAKRA(II) I AROMATSKIH AMINA // Knjiga sažetaka. | Zagreb: Hrvatsko društvo kemijskih inženjera i tehnologa (HDKI), 2012. str. 182-182

• Cinčić, Dominik ; Brekalo, Ivana ; Kaitner, Branko | Seeding-assisted grinding: solvent-free polymorphism control in a covalent mechanochemical reaction. | 2012

• Brekalo, Ivana ; Cinčić, Dominik ; Kaitner, Branko | Mechanochemical synthesis of metaloorganic salts and coordination compounds of copper(II) // Book of Abstracts and Programme. | Zagreb: Hrvatska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti (HAZU) ; Hrvatska Kristalografska Zajednica, 2011. str. 20-20

• Cinčić, Dominik ; Brekalo, Ivana ; Kaitner, Branko | NAFTALDIMINSKA SCHIFFOVA BAZA: SINTEZA I IZOLACIJA TRI POLIMORFA BEZ PRISUSTVA OTAPALA // XXII. hrvatski skup kemičara i kemijskih inženjera ; Knjiga sažetaka. | Zagreb: Hrvatsko društvo kemijskih inženjera i tehnologa (HDKI) ; Hrvatsko kemijsko društvo, 2011. str. 120-120

• Brekalo, Ivana ; Cinčić, Dominik ; Kaitner, Branko | SUPRAMOLEKULSKO SAMOUDRUŽIVANJE KOMPLEKSA BAKRA(II) U ČVRSTOM STANJU: MEĐUSOBNO DJELOVANJE KOORDINATIVNE I VODIKOVE VEZE // XXII. hrvatski skup kemičara i kemijskih inženjera ; Knjiga sažetaka. | Zagreb: Hrvatsko društvo kemijskih inženjera i tehnologa (HDKI) ; Hrvatsko kemijsko društvo, 2011. str. 119-119

• Brekalo, Ivana ; Cinčić, Dominik ; Kaitner, Branko | SOLVENT-FREE ORGANIC SYNTHESIS AND SOLVENT-FREE CONTROLLABLE POLYMORPHS: CONCOMITANT AND CONFORMATIONAL POLYMORPHISM IN (Z)-2-[2-HYDROXY-1- NAPHTHYL)METHYLENEAMINO]BENZONITRILE // Nineteenth Slovenian-Croatian Crystallographic Meeting ; Book of Abstracts. | Ljubljana: Fakulteta za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo Univerze v Ljubljani, 2010. str. 23-23

• Brekalo, Ivana ; Cinčić, Dominik ; Stilinović, Vladimir ; Kaitner, Branko | Schiffova baza ili ne? // VIII. susret mladih kemijskih inženjera 2010. : Knjiga sažetaka. | Zagreb: Fakultet kemijskog inženjerstva i tehnologije Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, 2010. str. 88-88

Neobjavljeni prilog sa skupa

• Užarević, Krunoslav ; Karadeniz, Bahar ; Martinez, Valentina ; Stolar, Tomislav ; Brekalo, Ivana | Green and rational synthesis of porous MOFs and their non-conventional forms via mechanochemistry // 7th Annual UK Porous Materials Conference | Liverpool, Ujedinjeno Kraljevstvo, 04.06.2024-05.06.2024

• Brekalo, Ivana; Lisac, Katarina; Ramirez, Joseph R.; Pongrac, Petra; Zhu, Yizhi; Ferguson, Michael; Arhangelskis, Mihails; Friščić, Tomislav; Holman, K. Travis | Mechanochemical and Computational Exploration of the Effect of Liquid Additives on the Topological Outcome of Zinc Imidazolate Syntheses // From Molecules to Materials: 1st Workshop on Benchmarking Solid State Properties | Varšava, Poljska, 09.09.2024-11.09.2024

• Brekalo, Ivana; Lisac, Katarina; Ramirez, Joseph R.; Pongrac, Petra; Zhu, Yizhi; Ferguson, Michael; Arhangelskis, Mihails; Friščić, Tomislav; Holman, K. Travis | The Use of Computationally Informed Mechanochemistry in the Synthesis of New Zinc Imidazolate Forms // International symposium on inclusion compounds | Poznań, Poljska, 01.09.2024-06.09.2024

• Brekalo, Ivana; Ramirez, Joseph R.; Pongrac, Petra; Zhu, Yizhi; Ferguson, Michael; Arhangelskis, Mihails; Friščić, Tomislav; Holman, K. Travis | Mechanochemical and computational exploration of the templation of Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks // Quebec opportunities in Science, Engineering, and Medicine through Crystal Engineering | Sherbrooke, Kanada, 21.06.2024-21.06.2024

• Brekalo, Ivana; Ramirez, Joseph R.; Pongrac, Petra; Zhu, Yizhi; Ferguson, Michael; Arhangelskis, Mihails; Friščić, Tomislav; Holman, K. Travis | The Use of Computationally Informed Mechanochemistry in the Synthesis of New Zinc Imidazolate Forms // Crystal engineering Gordon research conference | Sjedinjene Američke Države, 23.06.2024-28.06.2024

• Brekalo, Ivana; Ramirez, Joseph R.; Pongrac, Petra; Zhu, Yizhi; Ferguson, Michael; Užarević, Krunoslav; Arhangelskis, Mihails; Friščić, Tomislav; Holman, K. Travis | Mechanochemical and Computational Exploration of the Effect of Liquid Additives on the Topological Outcome of Zinc Imidazolate Syntheses // MOFSIM2024 | , 10.04.2024-12.04.2024

• Užarević, Krunoslav ; Karadeniz, Bahar ; Martinez, Valentina ; Brekalo, Ivana ; Stolar, Tomislav | Mechanochemistry for clean and rapid synthesis and transformation of functional MOFs // 8th International Conference on Metal-Organic Frameworks and Open Framework Compounds | Dresden, Njemačka, 04.09.2022-07.09.2022

  dechema.dedechema.de

• Užarević, Krunoslav ; Žilić, Dijana ; Muratović, Senada ; Martinez, Valentina ; Karadeniz, Bahar ; Klaser, Teodoro ; Skoko, Željko ; Pajić, Damir ; Brekalo, Ivana | The magnetism of solvatomorphic copper(II)- intermediates in the synthesis of mixed-metal MOF- 74 materials // 28th Croatian-Slovenian Crystallographic Meeting | Poreč, Hrvatska, 07.09.2022-11.09.2022

  cscm28.hazu.hr

• Brekalo, Ivana ; Martinez, Valentina ; Karadeniz, Bahar ; Drapanauskaite, Donata ; Vriesema, Hein ; Stenekes, Robert ; Etter, Martin ; Dejanović, Igor ; Baltrusaitis, Jonas ; Užarević, Krunoslav | Scale-up of agrochemical urea-gypsum cocrystal synthesis using thermally-controlled mechanochemistry // Crystal Engineering Gordon Research Conference | Newry, Sjedinjene Američke Države, 01.01.2022-01.01.2022

• Brekalo, Ivana ; Deliz, David E. ; Barbour, Leonard J. ; Ward, Michael D. ; Friščić, Tomislav ; Holman, K. Travis | The single crystal-to-single crystal transformations and porosity of guanidinium 1,4-benzenedisulfonate // The twenty-eighth Croatian-Slovenian Crystallographic Meeting – CSCM28 | Poreč, Hrvatska, 07.09.2022-11.09.2022

  cscm28.hazu.hr

Diplomski rad (sveučilišni)

• Brekalo, Ivana | Mehanokemijska sinteza metaloorganskih spojeva bakra(II) s aromatskim aminima i njihova reaktivnost u čvrstom stanju / Kaitner, Branko (mentor); Cinčić, Dominik (neposredni voditelj) . | Zagreb, Prirodoslovno-matematički fakultet, Zagreb, 2012