Members news

Carlos Frederico de Oliveira Graeff, a B-MRS member, has been appointed Director of the Executive Board of the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) for a three-year term. A full professor in the Physics Department at UNESP Bauru, Graeff has extensive management experience in research and education. He has served as Coordinator of Higher Education at the São Paulo State Secretariat of Science, Technology, and Innovation; Coordinator of the Materials Area at CAPES; Provost of Research at UNESP; and Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Materials Science and Technology at UNESP, among several other positions. Graeff has also served as a visiting researcher at institutions in France, Switzerland, Germany, and China. He holds a CNPq research productivity grant at the highest level (1A).

Papers by the community

Scientists from the Brazilian Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), along with colleagues from the US and Spain, have developed a new way to store hydrogen efficiently and at low cost. They produced nanoparticles composed of a palladium core (a precious metal with an affinity for hydrogen) and a nickel oxide shell (which is much cheaper than palladium). They then studied in detail what happened to the nanoparticles when they came into contact with hydrogen. Using advanced characterization techniques, they observed that, as hydrogen is adsorbed, the palladium core splits into multiple pieces, increasing the nanoparticle’s total adsorption surface area and thus enabling a more efficient and cheaper material. Go to the paper.

A group of researchers from The University of São Paulo (USP) and the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), along with colleagues from France, reviewed the presence of micro- and nanoplastics in water, the ways to eliminate these pollutants, and the possibilities of transforming them into high-value raw materials. They found that 81% of the scientific papers published in the last five years on the subject used the photocatalytic process to partially or completely eliminate these pollutants. The review paper highlights the challenges to continue developing this promising technology within sustainability standards. Go to the paper.

Researchers from Rio de Janeiro universities UERJ, PUC-Rio, and UFF teamed up to optimize the synthesis of graphene films on ASTM A36 steel substrates—a material widely used in civil construction, military vehicles, and steel pipes, among other applications. The authors systematically studied how graphene synthesis conditions affect the properties of the material. The work demonstrated the importance of controlling production parameters, particularly surface preparation and deposition time. The coating produced using the proposed route had 67% lower friction coefficient than uncoated steel. Go to the paper.

A new book on Quantum Mechanics, written in English by Professor Mario Reis (UFF), has just been released by the renowned publisher AP, now part of the Elsevier group. The work is aimed at undergraduate and graduate students in Physics, Chemistry, Materials, and related fields, as well as researchers seeking to stay up-to-date on the applications of Quantum Mechanics. The book constantly connects theory to experimental examples. Furthermore, each chapter concludes with applications that allow the reader to understand the practical utility of the concepts. The work also offers a set of exercises with solutions and commentary. See the book.

To share a prominent scientific article with significant participation of authors from the B-MRS community, write to comunicacao@sbpmat.org.br.

XXIII B-MRS Meeting
Salvador (BA), September 28 to October 2nd, 2025

Important dates. Regular registration is open by September 8th. After this date, registration will be charged without any discount. Please note that payment of the registration fee is required in order to reserve your spot on a short course. Find out more about registration fees.

Special sessions. The 7th Meeting of BRICS Working Group on Material Science and Nanotechnology will be held during the XXIII B-MRS Meeting. See the activities that will be carried out.

Program at-a-glance. The general schedule of the event is available. See here.

Accommodation. The list of hotels in Salvador that offer special discounts for event participants can be found here.

Short courses. Each participant of the event can participate in a short course, at no extra cost, on September 28 (Sunday). There are 9 options on techniques for preparation and analysis of materials, technological entrepreneurship and scientific writing. The reservation of places is already open in the system and spots are limited. Learn more.

Plenary lectures. Seven renowned scientists will be delivering the event’s plenary lectures, including the memorial lecture, the Arana Varela award, and the international plenary lectures. See here.

Venue. The event will be held at the Salvador Convention Center, in the capital of Bahia. Learn more.

Chairs. Prof. Luiza Amim Mercante (UFBA) and Prof. Daniel Souza Corrêa (Embrapa Instrumentação) are the chairs of the event.

Exhibitors. 26 companies and startups will be present in our booth exhibition. See here.

Opportunities

– Vacancies for Postdoctoral Researcher and Application & Systems Integration Engineer at the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (Portugal) in TMR sensor design for biomedical applications. Applications are open until September 7th.

– Position for a researcher holding a Master or PhD degree in materials science and related fields to work in R&D at a fuel cell startup based in Estonia. Learn more.

– The 4th São Carlos School on Glasses and Glass-Ceramics, to be held in São Paulo and São Carlos (Brazil) from April 27 to May 1, 2026, offers 50 grants to cover registration, accomodation, and lunch. Interested parties should apply as soon as possible, before October 30. Learn more.

– Discover Materials (Springer Nature) launched a call for papers for the special issue “Additive Manufacturing of Emergent Functional Materials”. The editors of this issue are organizers of Symposium L of the XXIII B-MRS Meeting, entitled “Design of functional materials for additive manufacturing: synthesis, processing, properties, and applications.” Submissions are open until December 31st. Learn more.

To publicize an opportunity for our community, write to comunicacao@sbpmat.org.br.

Upcoming events

– Webinar “The Magic of Moiré Quantum Matter”. Speaker: Prof Pablo Jarillo-Herrero (MIT). September 25, 2025. Free registration.

– XXIII B-MRS Meeting. Salvador (BA, Brazil). September 28 to October 2, 2025. Site.

– 11th International Symposium on Sensor Science (I3S 2025). Barcelona (Spain). November 17 to 19, 2025. Site.

– Brazilian Young Researchers in Soft Matter. Campinas (SP, Brazil). November 21, 2025. Site.

– Materials Research Meeting (MRS2025). Yokohama (Japan). December 8 to 13, 2025. Site.

– 19th International Conference on Advanced Materials (ICAM). Accra (Ghana). December 9 to 12, 2025. Site.

– 7th International Conference on Applied Surface Science. Chengdu (China), June 1 to 4, 2026. Site.

– 13th International Conference of the African Materials Research Society (AMRS 2026). Nairobi (Kenya). December 5 to 10, 2026. Site.

To publicize an event for our community write to comunicacao@sbpmat.org.br.

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B-MRS Elections 2025

The process has begun, which will culminate in the election of our next Executive Board and the renewal of four members of our Deliberative Council. Members in good standing are eligible to run. Voting will take place through the B-MRS online member´s area from September 25th to October 20th of this year. Learn more.

Papers by the community

A team of researchers from UNESP, CBPF, UFABC, and HZB (Germany) used a material from the MXene class to optimize perovskite solar cells, whose performance is limited by the low stability of the perovskite materials that make up their main layer. By incorporating MXene as a perovskite additive, these scientists were able to produce solar cells with high efficiency (up to 22.84%) in converting sunlight into electricity, with good performance maintained for four times longer than devices without the additive. Incorporated early in the perovskite preparation process, the additive generated several effects that led to this positive result, such as mitigating defects that typically appear during perovskite formation. Go to the paper.

Researchers from UFPB, UFRN, and UERN have developed new catalysts capable of improving the efficiency of a reaction involved in water splitting—a process that can be used to generate green hydrogen. The team synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles and nanocomposites containing cobalt to synergistically harness the properties of both metals in order to increase the materials’ electrocatalytic activity. The nanostructures were obtained from MOFs—porous structures that combine metallic and organic elements. In tests, the new catalysts demonstrated good stability and high electrocatalytic performance. Go to the paper.

Researchers from IFUSP and UFMG, along with collaborators from England and Germany, discovered that barium bismuthate, whose atomic structure is well-ordered, conducts heat as poorly as glass, whose amorphous structure hinders the movement of heat carriers through the material. After performing thermal conductivity experiments that detected the phenomenon, the authors used computer simulations to try to explain it. The low thermal conductivity was explained by a combination of internal dynamic instabilities that hinder the mobility of phonons (vibrations of the atomic lattice that transport heat). The discovery opens up possibilities for the material’s application in thermal insulation and thermoelectric devices, for example. Go to the paper.

To share a prominent scientific article with significant participation of authors from B-MRS community, write to comunicacao@sbpmat.org.br.

Members news

Professor Valtencir Zucolotto (IFSC-USP), a B-MRS member, is the coordinator of a new research center dedicated to developing diagnostic systems and advanced therapies based on nanomedicine for use in cancer and rare diseases. Emerging from the work of the Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology Group, led by Zucolotto, the center is now one of FINEP’s Thematic Centers and has initial funding of R$12 million, valid until 2028. The center will focus primarily on three research lines: theranostic nanomedicine (nanoparticles that detect and eliminate tumors), nanovaccines (which teach the immune system to recognize and attack tumor cells), and nanotoxicology (analysis of the risks and impacts of nanoparticles on the body and the environment, ensuring safety in clinical applications).

XXIII B-MRS Meeting
Salvador (BA), September 28 to October 2, 2025

Short courses. Each participant of the event can participate in a short course, at no extra cost, on September 28 (Sunday). There are 9 options on techniques for preparation and analysis of materials, technological entrepreneurship and scientific writing. The reservation of places is already open in the system and spots are limited. Learn more.

At-a-glance program. The general schedule of the event is available. See here.

Accommodation. The list of hotels in Salvador that offer special discounts for event participants can be found here.

Special sessions. The 7th Meeting of BRICS Working Group on Material Science and Nanotechnology will be held during the XXIII B-MRS Meeting. More information soon

Plenary lectures. Seven globally renowned scientists will deliver the plenary lectures of the event. See the names here.

Venue. The event will be held at the Salvador Convention Center, in the capital of Bahia. Learn more.

Chairs. Prof. Luiza Amim Mercante (UFBA) and Prof. Daniel Souza Corrêa (Embrapa Instrumentação) are the chairs of the event.

Exhibitors. 26 companies and startups have already confirmed their participation in our booth exhibition. See here.

Upcoming events

– XV Método Rietveld de Refinamento de Estrutura. Fortaleza (CE, Brazil). August 4 to 8, 2025. Site.

– Workshop sobre Espectroscopia de Fotoelétrons Excitados por Raios-X (WEFERX). São Pedro (SP, Brazil). September 1 to 5, 2025. Site.

– Symposium “Progress in understanding fundamental, functional material and health aspects of melanins, polydopamine and related polyindole quinone materials” at the E-MRS 2025 Fall Meeting. Warsaw (Poland). September 15 to 18, 2025. Site.

– XXIII B-MRS Meeting. Salvador (BA, Brazil). September 28 to October 2, 2025. Site.

– 11th International Symposium on Sensor Science (I3S 2025). Barcelona (Spain). November 17 to 19, 2025. Site.

– Brazilian Young Researchers in Soft Matter. Campinas (SP, Brazil). November 21, 2025. Site.

– Materials Research Meeting (MRS2025). Yokohama (Japan). December 8 to 13, 2025. Site.

– 19th International Conference on Advanced Materials (ICAM). Accra (Ghana). December 9 to 12, 2025. Site.

– 13th International Conference of the African Materials Research Society (AMRS 2026). Nairobi (Kenya). December 5 to 10, 2026. Site.

To publicize an event for our community, write to comunicacao@sbpmat.org.br.

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Papers by the community

Researchers from CNPEM, in partnership with UFABC, have developed a sustainable material that can be used to package delicate electronic components, such as chips and transistors, protecting them from damage caused by electrostatic discharges. The new material (a cryogel) also hinders the spread of flames and was developed using cellulose and carbon black – materials that can be prepared from agro-industrial waste. The invention, which can replace current antistatic packaging based on petroleum-derived plastics, has been the subject of a patent application. The article reporting the study was featured on the cover of Advanced Sustainable Systems. Go to the paper.

An article featured on ACS Nano´s cover presents an overview of the development and application of oncology nanovaccines. The review was entirely produced by researchers from IFSC-USP. These vaccines are based on nanoparticles that transport tumor antigens and immunological adjuvants directly to the body’s defense cells to teach the immune system to recognize tumor cells and activate a long-lasting response against cancer. Nanoparticles can be designed to fulfill several functions in this process, from protecting the vaccine components and releasing them in a controlled manner, to modulating the desired immune response in order to respond precisely to the type of cancer, stage of the disease and patient profile. Go to the paper.

Researchers from Unesp, UFABC and CNPEM have developed a nanomaterial with increased capacity for detecting ethyl acetate (a volatile compound naturally produced by bacteria and fungi, the detection of which is important, for example, to ensure the quality of some foods). The new sensor is made up of nanorods of indium oxide, a semiconductor characterized by its strong interaction with gaseous molecules. To boost the sensor, the scientific team developed a method that additions two phases of indium oxide: the cubic and the rhombohedral one. The combination of the phases generated a synergistic effect, in which the defects in the material increased its reactivity towards ethyl acetate, improving the performance of the device. The article was featured on the cover of ACS Applied Nano Materials. Go to the paper.

Researchers from institutions in Minas Gerais and São Paulo have teamed up to understand phenomena that impair the performance of solar cells and LEDs based on mixed halide perovskites. These materials are low-cost and highly efficient at converting sunlight into electricity. However, they are not able to maintain their properties over time. In this new research, the scientific team used a combination of experimental and computational techniques to study films formed by mixed halide perovskite nanocrystals. The authors were able to understand in detail the migration of halides that occurs in these materials, causing changes in their structure and instabilities in their performance. Go to the paper.

To share a prominent scientific article with significant participation of authors from B-MRS community, write to comunicacao@sbpmat.org.br.

XXIII B-MRS Meeting
Salvador (BA), September 28 to October 2, 2025

Important dates. Early bird registration is open until August 11th, with discounts of up to 33%. Please note that payment of the registration fee is required in order to reserve your spot on a short course. Find out more about registration fees.

Short courses. Each participant of the event can participate in a short course, at no extra cost, on September 28 (Sunday). There are 9 options on techniques for preparation and analysis of materials, technological entrepreneurship and scientific writing. The reservation of places is already open in the system and spots are limited. Learn more.

Student Awards. Works approved for oral or poster presentation by undergraduate, master’s or doctoral students are eligible to compete for the Bernhard Gross Awards and ACS and RSC Prizes. To participate, it is necessary to submit an extended abstract by July 15th. Learn more.

Early Career Woman Scientist Prize. Women who have defended their doctorate between 2016 and 2025 and whose work has been approved for oral presentation at the event can compete for this award by submitting an extended abstract by July 15. Learn more.

Science Popularization Award. All event participants who have abstracts approved for presentation can compete for this new award by creating a short, original video that explains their research topic to a lay audience. The video must be submitted by July 30. Learn more.

At-a-glance program. The general schedule of the event is available. See here.

Accommodation. The list of hotels in Salvador that offer special discounts for event participants can be found here.

Special sessions. The 7th Meeting of BRICS Working Group on Material Science and Nanotechnology will be held during the XXIII B-MRS Meeting. More information soon.

Plenary lectures. The names of the renowned scientists who will deliver the seven plenary lectures of the event have already been confirmed. See here.

Venue. The event will be held at the Salvador Convention Center, in the capital of Bahia. Learn more.

Chairs. Prof. Luiza Amim Mercante (UFBA) and Prof. Daniel Souza Corrêa (Embrapa Instrumentação) are the chairs of the event.

Exhibitors. 26 companies and startups have already confirmed their participation in our booth exhibition. See here.

Upcoming events

– 14th International Symposium on Polyelectrolytes (ISP 2025). Campinas (SP, Brazil). July 13 to 18, 2025. Site.

– XV Método Rietveld de Refinamento de Estrutura. Fortaleza (CE, Brazil). August 4 to 8, 2025. Site.

– Workshop sobre Espectroscopia de Fotoelétrons Excitados por Raios-X (WEFERX). São Pedro (SP, Brazil). September 1 to 5, 2025. Site.

– Symposium “Progress in understanding fundamental, functional material and health aspects of melanins, polydopamine and related polyindole quinone materials” at the E-MRS 2025 Fall Meeting. Warsaw (Poland). September 15 to 18, 2025. Site.

– XXIII B-MRS Meeting. Salvador (BA, Brazil). September 28 to October 2, 2025. Site.

– 11th International Symposium on Sensor Science (I3S 2025). Barcelona (Spain). November 17 to 19, 2025. Site.

– Brazilian Young Researchers in Soft Matter. Campinas (SP, Brazil). November 21, 2025. Site.

– Materials Research Meeting (MRS2025). Yokohama (Japan). December 8 to 13, 2025. Site.

To publicize an event for our community, write to comunicacao@sbpmat.org.br.

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Papers by the community

In an article highlighted by Nano Letters on the cover of its 25th anniversary issue, a team from UFSCar and CNPEM introduced the concept of Mem-Emitter. The term refers to an optical memory based on the synergy between two properties of some materials: the ability to “remember” past activities and the ability to emit light. In this pioneering article, the authors demonstrate the operation of a Mem-Emitter formed by ultrathin heterostructures based on transition metal dichalcogenides. The technology could enable innovative applications in neuromorphic computing, photonic networks, adaptive sensors and optical communication. Go to the paper.

A gas sensor that solves a problem of power grid transformers was developed by a team from CTI Renato Archer, Unicamp, Unesp and the energy company CPFL. Through nanoengineering work, the researchers created a filter to remove contaminants in the sensor, which allowed them to measure the presence of hydrogen gas in mineral oil, in real time and with extremely high sensitivity. The device enables early detection of serious failures in transformers. The work opens up possibilities for developing sensors immersed in oil for industrial processes and critical systems. Go to the paper.

A new glow-in-the-dark liquid has been featured on the front cover of Chemistry – A European Journal. It is an organic material with low toxicity and flammability that can be used in OLEDs and other organic electronic devices as a light emitter. This is the first example in the scientific literature of a liquid that exhibits delayed fluorescence in blue and phosphorescence at room temperature in orange. The study was conducted by scientists from UFSC, USP and institutions in France and the United Kingdom. Go to the paper.

To share a prominent scientific article with significant participation of authors from B-MRS community, write to comunicacao@sbpmat.org.br.

XXIII B-MRS Meeting
Salvador (BA), September 28 to October 2, 2025

Accommodation. The list of hotels in Salvador that offer special discounts for event participants can be found here.

Short courses. Each participant of the event can participate in a short course, at no extra cost, on September 28 (Sunday). There are 9 options on techniques for preparation and analysis of materials, technological entrepreneurship and scientific writing. The reservation of places is already open in the system and places are limited. Learn more.

Important dates for authors. Notifications of approval, modification or rejection of abstracts will be sent by June 6th. Authors may submit corrected abstracts, if necessary, until June 17th. Final notification of approval of the works will be sent by June 30th.

Awards. The deadline for submitting extended abstracts to compete for the awards for students and early career women is July 15th. To participate, the work must have been accepted for presentation at the event. Learn more.

Special sessions. The 7th Meeting of BRICS Working Group on Material Science and Nanotechnology will be held during the XXIII B-MRS Meeting. More information soon.

Plenary lectures. The names of the renowned scientists who will deliver the seven plenary lectures of the event have already been confirmed. See here.

Venue. The event will be held at the Salvador Convention Center, in the capital of Bahia state. Learn more.

Chairs. Prof. Luiza Amim Mercante (UFBA) and Prof. Daniel Souza Corrêa (Embrapa Instrumentação) are the chairs of the event.

Exhibitors. 26 companies and startups have already confirmed their participation in our booth exhibition. See here.

News from our members

Prof. Elson Longo da Silva, founding member and former president of B-MRS, is ranked first in Brazil in the field of Chemistry according to his scientific productivity and impact. Prepared by the international platform Research.com, this ranking is based on the D index, which considers the number of publications and citations of a researcher in a given discipline. With 1,333 publications and 51,451 citations collected in November of last year, Longo has a D index of 122. Elson Longo is Professor Emeritus at UFSCar, director of the Center for Development of Functional Materials and Professor Honoris Causa at UFPB. His long scientific career is marked by very high productivity and by training of human resources impacting academia and industry.

Prof. Monica Alonso Cotta, member, former scientific director and former president of B-MRS, was approved as the Provost of Undergraduate Studies at Unicamp for the period 2025 – 2029. A tireless advocate for women’s participation in science, Monica was the first woman to hold the presidency of B-MRS and the directorship of the Gleb Wataghin Institute of Physics (IFGW) at Unicamp. Now, she joins the group of five provosts of her university, four of whom are women. Cotta has a distinguished role as a scientific manager at national and international levels. She is currently the coordinator of the Physics and Astronomy Advisory Committee of CNPq, executive editor of the journal ACS Applied Nano Materials, member of the International Scientific Advisory Board of the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (Canada) and honorary advisor of the international VinFuture Prize (Vietnam).

Opportunities

– Postdoctoral fellow at UFABC in a project involving nanoparticles combined with gaseous transmitters for biomedical and agricultural applications with a 24-month scholarship from FAPESP. Applications open until June 3. Learn more.

– The submission of scientific articles for a special issue on functional materials for a sustainable world in the journal Sustainable Chemistry One World (Elsevier) is now open. The guest editor of the issue is Ieda Maria Garcia dos Santos (UFPB), a member of B-MRS. There is no cost for publication. Submissions are open until August 31, 2025. Learn more.

To follow all opportunities in real time, enter our Linkedin group.

To publicize an opportunity, write to comunicacao@sbpmat.org.br.

Upcoming events

– 21st International Conference on Diffusion in Solids and Liquids (DSL2025). Naples (Italy). June 23 to 27, 2025. Site.

– 14th International Symposium on Polyelectrolytes (ISP 2025). Campinas (SP, Brazil). July 13 to 18, 2025. Site.

– Symposium “Progress in understanding fundamental, functional material and health aspects of melanins, polydopamine and related polyindole quinone materials” at the E-MRS 2025 Fall Meeting. Warsaw (Poland). September 15 to 18, 2025. Site.

– XXIII B-MRS Meeting. Salvador (BA, Brazil). September 28 to October 2, 2025. Site.

– 11th International Symposium on Sensor Science (I3S 2025). Barcelona (Spain). November 17 to 19, 2025. Site.

– Brazilian Young Researchers in Soft Matter. Campinas (SP, Brazil). November 21, 2025. Site.

– Materials Research Meeting (MRS2025). Yokohama (Japan). December 8 to 13, 2025. Site.

To publicize an event for our community, write to comunicacao@sbpmat.org.br.

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