Join SBPMat: message from the president.

Posted on Wednesday 1 de February de 2017

Dear SBPMat members and materials researchers.

We are starting an early payment campaign for the 2017 annuity, with a special discount until March 31. The reason for this personal message is to emphasize the importance of SBPMat having a large and stable number of members.

We have all seen SBPMat’s tremendous progress, in which over these last 15 years it has already carried out international scientific meetings, bringing together students and scientists from Brazil, catalyzing international cooperation, in addition to many other initiatives.

The strength of our Society depends on the contribution of its members, fundamentally with its research performance and participation in our Annual Meetings, but also its effective membership. In any scientific society, membership is its greatest asset. In addition to collecting resources, to help run the society, a large membership helps attain sponsorships.

Our website highlights additional reasons for becoming a member or renewing membership annuity, as well as information on how to go about it.

Farewell and I hope to count on your support.

Osvaldo N. de Oliveira Jr.

SBPMAT President

B-MRS newsletter. Year 4, issue 1.

Posted on Tuesday 31 de January de 2017

Brazilian Materials Research Society (SBPMat) newsletter News update from Brazil for the Materials community
	English edition. Year 4, issue 1.
XVI B-MRS Meeting
The submission deadline for symposium proposals was extended until February 12. Click here. Visit the event website for firsthand information: important dates, plenarists who have confirmed attendance, sponsors who have confirmed participation, cost of registration fees, team contact info. Click here.
Featured paper
A scientific team headed by researchers from the Brazilian Institute for Space Research (INPE) bypassed, applying a simple method, a characteristic of topological insulators that limits the possibilities of studying these promising materials for technological applications. The study was reported in a paper published in APL Materials. See our news story.
People from the community
We interviewed three young PhDs from the Materials community whose doctoral works were recognized in December, in the 2016 Capes Thesis Award: Antonio Cláudio Padilha, Fernanda Fiegenbaum and Flávio Camargo Cabrera. They talked about the award-winning doctoral theses and left messages for students doing research in this area. Here are the interviews.
We also interviewed Gleison Adriano da Silva, recently graduated in Physics from the Federal University of Amazonas, who won the scientific initiation research award from CNPq in 2016, and also other distinctions for his work on the synthesis and characterization of nanostructured semiconductor materials. Learn more about this young researcher and his award-winning work.
Professor Elvira Fortunato (New University of Lisbon, Portugal) will receive the 2017 Czochralski Award, awarded by the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS) together with Polish scientific societies. Click here for more information.
Events
II Escola de Verão: Desenvolvimento de Fármacos e Medicamentos. Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). February 13 – 17, 2017. Site. XXXVII Escola de Verão em Química – UFSCar. São Carlos, SP (Brazil). February 13 – 17, 2017. Site. Pan-American Polymer Science Conference (PanPoly). Guarujá, SP (Brazil). March 22-24, 2017. Site. 9th International Conference on Materials for Advanced Technologies. Suntec (Singapore). June 18 – 23, 2017. Site. XXXVIII Congresso Brasileiro de Aplicações de Vácuo na Indústria e na Ciência (CBRAVIC) + III Workshop de Tratamento e Modificação de Superfícies (WTMS). São José dos Campos, SP (Brazil). August 21-25, 2017. Facebook. IUMRS-ICAM 2017. Kyoto (Japan). August 27 – September 1, 2017. Site. XVI B-MRS Meeting/ XVI Encontro da SBPMat. Gramado, RS (Brazil). September, 10 – 14, 2017. Site.
Featured images
Have you noticed that the background of the SBPMat website has beautiful scientific images? They were provided by the Center for the Development of Functional Materials (CDMF), but the space is open to receive images of all members of the SBPMat community. Write to comunicacao@sbpmat.org.br and propose an image made by you, attaching the file and informing what is shown in the image and what technique was used to carry it out.

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Interviews with the winners of the 2016 Capes Thesis Award in the field of materials.

Posted on Monday 30 de January de 2017

We interviewed three winners of the 2016 Capes Thesis Award who carried out their award-winning research papers in postgraduate programs in Materials. The prize was awarded on December 14, 2016, in Brasilia, at the headquarters of Capes agency, linked to the Brazilian Ministry of Education in charge of promoting high standards for post-graduate courses in Brazil.

The Capes Thesis Award was created in 2005 to distinguish the best doctoral theses in each of the 48 areas of the Brazilian postgraduate programs. The theses defended in Brazil in the year prior to the award announcement can compete for the award. The candidates are registered by the postgraduate programs where the scientific research work was performed. The winners are selected by committees formed by members of the scientific community in each area. The evaluation process considers aspects of originality and relevance for scientific, technological, cultural, social, innovation and value added development to the educational system

In 2016, 774 PhD theses were entered. Of these, 48 were selected to receive awards and 88 received honorable mentions.

Here are the interviews with the winners of the awards in the Materials community.

Interview with Antonio Cláudio Michejevs Padilha, winner of the Capes Thesis Award in the “Interdisciplinary” area

Thesis: “Computational simulation of TiO2-based memristive systems: from the raw material to the device”.

Advisor: Gustavo Martini Dalpian. Co-advisor: Alexandre Reily Rocha.

Institution: Postgraduate Program in Nanosciences and Advanced Materials of the Federal University of ABC.

Antonio Cláudio Padilha graduated in Physics with a bachelor’s degree from the University of São Paulo (USP) in 2007. In 2009, he began the master’s degree in physics at USP, where he studied-developed molecular mechanics/quantum mechanics on pentacene agglomerates and carbon nanotubes, mentored by Professor Maria Cristina dos Santos. He defended his dissertation in 2011 and that same year began his doctorate in Nanosciences and Advanced Materials at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), also in the state of São Paulo, under the guidance of professors Gustavo Martini Dalpian and Alexandre Reily Rocha. In 2015, he spent three months at the National University of Yokohama (Japan), during the “sandwich period”, in the group of Professor Hannes Raebiger. In the Master’s and PhD program, he received a research grant from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP). At the end of 2015, back in Brazil, he defended the thesis awarded by Capes. Since last year, Antonio Padilha is an associate researcher (postdoc) in the Department of Physics of York University (UK), in the group of Professor Keith McKenna. He is the author of 5 articles published in peer-reviewed international journals.

SBPMat Newsletter: – In your opinion, what is the most relevant contribution of the award-winning thesis?

Antonio Cláudio Padilha: – The thesis presents a possible alternative mechanism for the operation of a new electronic device known as a memristor. This device is formed by a thin film of insulating material with metallic electrodes placed around it. When a high charge is applied through the electrodes under certain conditions, the electrical resistance of the insulation material changes. Interestingly, this change is stable, making it possible to store information in this system.

Many authors point out that the charge applied could cause the atoms inside the insulator to be displaced from their original positions. Therefore, new phases would form in certain regions, which due to different structures and/or compositions, consequently would have different electrical resistivities. This could explain the different electrical resistances initially observed in the devices.

The project that gave rise to the thesis had the objective to describe the processes occurring within the device from computational simulations. We performed simulations to understand the properties of some of the oxygen-deficient phases of titanium oxide, and we realized that these phases could trap and release charges. This process could also change the properties of the material, leading to different electrical resistances and thereby explaining, through another mechanism, the function of the memristor.

There is still much discussion regarding which of these two mechanisms provides the best explanation of the experimental results. However, I believe that one mechanism does not necessarily exclude the other. Our work intended to show that there is probably no single ingredient that explains how these devices function and that the entrapment and release of charges may explain in part what is observed experimentally.

SBPMat Newsletter: – Please cite the main results generated from the award-winning thesis (papers, patents, products, startups, other awards, etc.).

Antonio Cláudio Padilha: – From the results presented in the thesis, we published 3 papers in international scientific journals. Of these, I would like to highlight my last work, a cooperation result with Professor Hannes Raebiger, from the University of Yokohama in Japan. He spent 11 months as a visiting professor at UFABC and later received me in his group for a 3-month research internship. This research collaboration resulted in another article that is in the process of being published.

These papers also helped me to win an award entitled “2015 Post Graduate Academic Excellence Award” awarded by the Postgraduate Office of the UFABC. This award took into account not only the volume but also the quality of the journals in which the articles were accepted.

SBPMat Newsletter: – In your opinion, which are the main factors for your outstanding research work at the national level (your thesis)?

Antonio Cláudio Padilha: –Without a doubt, the funding I received from the São Paulo Research Foundation – Fapesp – was fundamental for the success of the project. Fapesp was responsible for financing my PhD grant, the grant for my internship in Yokohama in Japan (BEPE internship) and it was also crucial to acquire the basic equipment, both through the technical reserve of my scholarships as well as through related theme projects. Professor Raebiger’s visit to UFABC was also funded by Fapesp.

Another important factor was the National High-Performance Data Pocessing Center in São Paulo – Cenapad-SP. It provided infrastructure in the form of supercomputers capable of running the simulations we needed, and also great support, the work we were able to carry out leaves nothing to be desired in relation to other countries that have numerous resources for science, technology and innovation.

Finally, the innovative environment of UFABC and the excellent faculty at the university were decisive factors to give visibility to the thesis through the award. I am particularly grateful to my advisors for their dedication, Professors, Gustavo Dalpian (UFABC, currently Visiting Professor at the University of Colorado – United States) and Alexandre Reily Rocha (IFT-Unesp, currently at MTI – United States) and my unofficial advisor Professor Hannes Raebiger (Yokohama University – Japan, visiting professor at UFABC in 2015).

SBPMat Newsletter: – Please leave a message to our readers, many who are undergraduate or graduate students.

Antonio Cláudio Padilha: – The research activity is full of ups and downs. We often find ourselves for weeks or even months insisting on experiments or simulations that give completely different results or even wrong results than what we had expected. This can be very disheartening, and when combine this scenario with the lack of recognition, the feeling many of us have is to give up our career and try our luck in another area.

However, persistence and dedication will inevitably be rewarded and recognized, we must be patient. Despite the difficult times ahead for Brazilian science, nothing will be able to destroy the curiosity and beauty of making new discoveries, inventing new solutions and the impetus to make this country a better place for everyone. This difficult phase for Brazilian science will not go on indefinitely, and when this phase is over, those who have endured the difficulties, in addition to being empowered, will be prepared to take advantage of the opportunities that will arise.

Interview with Fernanda Fiegenbaum, winner of the Capes Thesis Award in the “Materials” area.

Thesis: “New ionic liquids for the production of hydrogen by water electrolysis”.

Advisor: Roberto Fernando de Souza. Co-advisor: Emilse Maria Agostini Martini.

Institution: Postgraduate Program in Materials Science (PGCIMAT) of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS).

Fernanda Fiegenbaum studied Industrial Chemistry at the University of Santa Cruz do Sul (UNISC), in Rio Grande do Sul, between 1998 and 2004. During this period, she carried out research activities in polymer laboratories. In 2005, she joined the Master’s Program in Chemical Engineering (PPGEQ) in the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), where she conducted research in the field of polymers, under the guidance of Professor Nilo Sergio Medeiros Cardozo, financed with a CAPES grant. She defended her dissertation in 2007. In 2011 she returned to UFRGS to continue her academic training in the PGCIMAT doctoral program, with a grant from the Research Support Foundation of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS). Under the supervision of Roberto Fernando de Souza and Professor Emilse M. A. Martini, she developed a research project on the use of new ionic liquids for the production of renewable energies. The thesis was defended in 2015 and that same year Fernanda went to Germany to undertake a postdoctoral internship at the University of Ulm, at the Institute of Electrochemistry. She returned to Brazil and UFRGS in June 2016. She is the author of 4 papers published in peer reviewed international journals and holds a patent application for innovation at INPI.

SBPMat Newsletter: – In your opinion, what is the most relevant contribution of the award-winning thesis?

Fernanda Fiegenbaum: – Currently, finding new environmentally friendly energy sources, that when used do not generate CO2, is an urgent challenge. Hydrogen gas is an energetic vector and its use does not generate pollutants, but it must be produced with a high degree of purity, which has a considerable cost. In my doctoral thesis, I synthesized new ionic liquids based on tetra-alkyl-ammonium-sulfonic acids that were used as electrolytes for the production of hydrogen gas by water electrolysis. The use of this new class of materials showed catalytic effect and compatibility with several materials (carbon, stainless steel) used as low cost electrodes, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing the cost to produce hydrogen gas. Therefore, I believe these results represent the major contribution of my thesis.

SBPMat Newsletter: – Tell us about the main results generated from the award-winning thesis (papers, patents, products, startups, other awards, etc.).

Fernanda Fiegenbaum: – The new acid ionic liquids of the tetra-alkyl-ammonium sulfonic family were patented, BR1020120275333: A process for the production of hydrogen by electrolysis of water using ionic liquids such as tetra-alkyl-ammonium sulfonic acid salts, its derivatives and product.

Four papers were published in high-impact international journals. Moreover, these results were disseminated in several national and international conferences: Greenchemistry 2012, CBCat 2013 and 2015, SBQ 2014, WiCaC 2014 and SIBEE 2015.

SBPMat Newsletter: – In your opinion, what are the main factors that allowed you to carry out outstanding research work at the national level (your thesis)?

Fernanda Fiegenbaum: – There were many factors that enabled the thesis award. But I believe there are some fundamental points.

Foremost and certainly the main factor is with regard to the guidance, support, help and teachings of my advisors, Professors Roberto Fernando de Souza (in memoriam) and Emilse M. A. Martini, which enabled the successful completion of my PhD.

Definitely, my ability to accept new challenges was decisive, for instance, search the literature for the scientific basis on the synthesis of materials and modern techniques of characterization. This search helped increase my understanding about the role of the electrolyte on the process of electrolysis of water and I designed an ionic liquid with the proper properties, but without the undesirable characteristics, such as a toxic and corrosive agent.

The laboratory where I was able to conduct my activities, Laboratory of Reactivity and Catalysis (LRC) of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), has the necessary modern equipment and laboratories adapted to carry out the synthesis, characterization and application of these new ionic liquids. The financial support of various development agencies to the LRC allowed acquiring the reagents and equipment. Moreover, I had access to the high quality infrastructure of the Institute of Chemistry of UFRGS, Center of Microscopy (CME) and CNANO, support agencies of UFRGS and fundamental for high quality scientific production.

Another important factor was the collaboration of colleagues and other professors at LRC, which I portray as a motivating and supportive relationship that was fundamental to develop my thesis.

SBPMat Newsletter: – Please leave a message to our readers, many who are undergraduate or graduate students.

Fernanda Fiegenbaum: – The message I would like to pass on to those who are starting or continuing their studies is that despite the everyday difficulties and stress, at the end of the day, it is extremely gratifying to participate in the scientific construction of solutions to the great challenges in Brazil and the world. Brazil is a country where cutting edge research is carried out and with excellent researchers and laboratories that compete with “first world countries”. However, we must not forget that continuous support is fundamental to value and give continuity to everything that has already been achieved. I end with a quote by Marie Skłodowska-Curie: “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”

Interview with Flávio Camargo Cabrera, who won an honorable mention of the Capes Thesis Award in the “Materials” area.

Thesis: “Natural-rubber-based microfluidic device (lab-on-a-chip)”.

Advisor: Aldo Eloizo Job.

Institution: Post-Graduate Program in Materials Science and Technology (POSMAT) of the Paulista State University “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Presidente Prudente campus (UNESP/PP).

Flávio Camargo Cabrera completed his undergraduate studies in Physics (2006 – 2009) at UNESP/PP, Master’s in Materials Science and Technology (2010-2012) and a PhD in Materials Science and Technology (2012-2015). Starting in the undergraduate scientific initiation up to the doctorate, he developed research projects based on the use of natural rubber, always under the guidance of Professor Aldo Eloizo Job and with FAPESP grants. He is currently associated with POSMAT of UNESP as a CAPES postdoctoral fellow. He is the author of 15 papers published in peer reviewed international journals and one patent application.

SBPMat Newsletter: – In your opinion, what is the most important contribution of the awarded thesis?

Flávio Camargo Cabrera: – The thesis presents a new concept of flexible microfluidic device using natural rubber as an alternative, organic, biocompatible, easy to handle and low cost material, for the preparation of lab-on-a-chip platforms.

The use of new materials opens up a range of new applications based on the properties of these materials. The largest contribution is that it highlights the importance of Materials Science for the development of pre-existing technologies. We believe that with the evolution of preparation techniques and miniaturization, it is possible to develop implantable biological sensors from this new polymeric device concept.

SBPMat Newsletter: – From your perspective, what are the main factors that allowed to carry out a research work highlighted at the national level (your thesis)?

Flávio Camargo Cabrera: – The interdisciplinarity and partnership between the FCT UNESP, Presidente Prudente campus and the Bioelectrochemistry group coordinated by Professor Frank Crespilho of IQSC (Chemistry Institute of USP in São Carlos), was fundamental to undertake the project. In addition, INEO projects (National Institute for Organic Electronics) and FAPESP financing (Proc. 2011/23362-0) provided conditions for developing the project.

SBPMat Newsletter: – Please leave a message to our readers, many who are undergraduate or graduate students.

Flávio Camargo Cabrera: – When we graduate, we are tempted to fight for survival, the ideal to graduate, publish a paper, achieve indices, seek recognition, and others. Not that this is a bad idea, but you should not let this tendency take away your possibility to stop for a moment, a day, a week, to reflect, think about, allow your dreams and ideas to beyond the limit known as impossible and materialize them, it may be we do not solve the big questions of the universe, but we may serve as an incentive so that one day someone can do it.

B-MRS newsletter. Year 3, issue 11.

Posted on Thursday 1 de December de 2016

Brazilian Materials Research Society (SBPMat) newsletter News update from Brazil for the Materials community
	English edition. Year 3, issue 11.
SBPMat (B-MRS) news
XVI B-MRS Meeting/ XVI Encontro da SBPMat City: Gramado (state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil). Final date: 10-14 September 2017 (not 24-28 as previously reported). Call for symposia proposals: Researchers with a doctorate degree associated to institutions in Brazil or abroad can submit symposia proposals on any topic related to Materials Science and Technology. The call is open until January 31, 2017. Submission must be done through the online form.
B-MRS – E-MRS agreement. B-MRS members can have symposium-related participation and organization support at events of the European society. More information here.
B-MRS at events in Asia. The president of B-MRS represented the society at two events in the area of Materials in China. Here he explains the relationship of the Brazilian society with the Asian societies and comments on the event that brought together leaders to discuss the subject of materials for sustainable development, focusing on construction materials, ocean engineering, batteries, among other topics. More information here.
Featured paper
In an article published in Scientific Reports (Nature), a group of researchers from institutions in the Brazilian state of Paraná reports the synthesis, processing, characterization and applications of films of graphene/nickel hydroxide nanocomposites. The team presents an innovative manufacturing method and shows that the nanocomposite outperforms pure nickel hydroxide in batteries, sensors and electrochromism. See our story about the paper.
People from the community
We interviewed the Argentine scientist Galo Soler Illia, who is one of the most cited and awarded researchers in his country, in addition to perhaps being the most famous reference in Nanotechnology among journalists and lay public. Soler Illia made significant contributions to understanding the formation mechanism of (nano) particles and to the synthesis of materials with highly controlled porosity, among other subjects. Currently, in addition to teaching at UBA and being a researcher at CONICET, Soler Illia oversees a nanotechnology research and development institute and is an advisor to the Presidency of Argentina and several institutions in Argentina and Brazil. Learn more about this Argentine scientist and his intensive interaction with Brazil.
Professor Elvira Fortunato, from the University of New Lisbon (Portugal), received the Blaise Pascal 2016 Medal in the Materials Science category on November 19 in Brussels (Belgium). The award of the European Academy of Sciences (EURASC), was bestowed on Professor Fortunato in recognition of “the outstanding originality and creativity of her research in the field”, in which she made contributions such as the invention of the paper transistor and developments in transparent electronics. Established in 2003, the prize had never before been awarded to Portuguese scientists. Elvira Fortunato, who has a close relationship with the Brazilian Materials community, delivered a plenary lecture at the SBPMat Meeting (B-MRS Meeting) this year.
History of materials research in Brazil
In December of this year, Brazil’s first laboratory dedicated to the study of vitreous materials celebrates its 40th year, very satisfied with its achievements. In addition to generating a scientific production of impact, the laboratory was instrumental in the dissemination of glass science, technology and engineering in the country, while creating an international research environment in the city of São Carlos. Find out which laboratory we are talking about and learn about its history and its results.
Reading tips
System based on conductive polymer expands possibilities to study cells and their interaction with the environment (based on paper of Advanced Functional Materials). Here. Atomic scale defects in diamond measure magnetic fields with nano resolution, even at very low temperatures (based on paper of Nature Nanotechnology). Here. Study details how hydrogenation occurs in few layers of graphene and the interesting properties it generates (based on paper of the Journal of the American Chemical Society). Here.
Opportunities
Post-doc fellowship at IPEN (São Paulo, Brazil) for research on hydrogen production. Here.
Events
IV Curso Teórico-Prático de Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura. Araraquara, SP (Brazil). January 30 – February 3, 2017. Site. II Escola de Verão: Desenvolvimento de Fármacos e Medicamentos. Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). February 13 – 17, 2017. Site. 9th International Conference on Materials for Advanced Technologies. Suntec (Singapore). June 18 – 23, 2017. Site. XXXVIII Congresso Brasileiro de Aplicações de Vácuo na Indústria e na Ciência (CBRAVIC) + III Workshop de Tratamento e Modificação de Superfícies (WTMS). São José dos Campos, SP (Brazil). August 21-25, 2017. Facebook. XVI B-MRS Meeting/ XVI Encontro da SBPMat. Gramado, RS (Brazil). September, 10 – 14, 2017. Call for symposia proposals.

People from the community: interview with the Argentinean scientist Galo Soler Illia.

Posted on Wednesday 30 de November de 2016

How many scientific vocations were aroused, and how many domestic accidents were caused, by experimental chemistry games for children (which until some time ago did not follow all the toy safety standards)? The Argentine scientist Galo Juan de Ávila Arturo Soler Illia belongs to this group. He remembers that his interest in science lit up (literally) with a small fire caused by a chemistry lab set in his parents’ home – two lawyers, members of the Radical Civic Union, that was also the party of Galo Soler Illia’s grandfather, President Arturo Umberto Illia, who ruled Argentina from 1963 to 1966, until undergoing a coup.

Today, Galo Soler Illia can be considered one of the best known researchers in the Brazil´s neighboring country, both in the scientific community (he is among the 30 Argentine scientists best positioned in Google Scholar for the citations to his works, and has also received the top national science awards) and among the lay public (in the field of Nanotechnology, he is a very active and didactic presenter in all the media, and is usually an information source for Argentine journalists).

Galo Soler Illia was born in Buenos Aires on May 31, 1970. He completed his primary studies in a private constructivist school, Bayard College. In 1983, he enrolled in the National School of Buenos Aires, a public institution dependent on the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), which among other things was characterized by a high study demand, a wealth of extracurricular activities and better-quality infrastructure than other public schools. In 1988, he graduated from the college with a specialization in Sciences. Both in primary and secondary education he had the opportunity to carry out activities in science labs.

In 1989, Soler Illia began to study in a Chemistry Sciences course at UBA. During the undergraduate course, he began teaching in the Department of Physical, Analytical and Inorganic Chemistry of UBA and doing research in a group of Materials Chemistry and also in a laboratory set up in the house of a friend. In 1993, he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, with a grade point average of 9.13 / 10.

From 1994 to 1998, Soler Illia completed his doctorate in Chemistry, also at UBA, under the guidance of Professor Miguel Angel Blesa. Through research on nanoparticles of mixed metal hydroxides, he generated knowledge about the complex mechanism of particle formation, which would be very useful in his research as a postdoc and as a professional researcher, focused on the synthesis of materials with high control of their characteristics. Concomitantly to the doctorate, he continued to teach, as an assistant, at UBA.

In 1999, he moved to France, together with his wife Astrid Grotewold, also a chemist, and remained there until 2002. Soler Illia did postdoctoral studies at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris), under the supervision of Dr. Clément Sanchez, with a 2-year scholarship from CONICET, the main Argentine entity in support of science and technology. In the post-doc, Soler Illia developed methods to produce highly controlled porosity materials. This period resulted in Soler Illia’s most cited articles so far, with more than 1,800 citations in one of the papers, according to Google Scholar. At the end of his stay in France, Soler Illia also worked on applications of mesoporous thin films for the research and development center of the company Saint Gobain.

Galo Soler Illia returned to Argentina in early 2003, at a time when the country was ending great political instability, which caused the Presidency of the Republic to appoint 5 different people in just 11 days. In addition, the country was still under the effects of the severe economic crisis that had reached its peak in 2001. However, Soler Illia was quickly able to enter the research career at CONICET, working at the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) and without wasting time, founded the Chemistry Group of Nanomaterials, which to date operates in the design and development of nanostructured materials. In 2004, the scientist became a professor of UBA in the department where he studied for his bachelor’s degree and doctorate.

In early 2015, Illia became director of the Institute of Nanosystems (INS) of the National University of San Martín, located in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires. The INS is defined as a space for nanoscience and nanotechnology research, development and creation, whose ultimate goal is to solve priority problems of industry and society in general. At the institute, Soler Illia has a multidisciplinary scientific team of 4 researchers (4 more in 2017), 6 graduate and post-doc students and 1 laboratory technician, and also a management team of 6 professionals.

Currently, in addition to being director of INS, Galo Soler Illia is principal researcher of CONICET and associate professor at UBA. He is a member of advisory boards at the Argentinean Nanotechnology Foundation (FAN) and at the Brazilian National Synchrotron Light Laboratory, and also a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology (Springer). Moreover, Soler Illia has a scientific dissemination column on Nanotechnology in a television broadcast program called “Scientists Made in Argentina”, which airs once a week on the Argentine public channel. Finally, Soler Illia has just been appointed (November of this year) as member of the Argentine Presidential Council 2030, composed of intellectuals from various fields to advise the president of Argentina, Mauricio Macri.

Soler Illia, whose h-index is 44, has produced over 120 papers published in international scientific journals, with about 11,000 citations, according to Google Scholar. He has supervised 7 completed PhD theses and is the author of 2 dissemination books on nanotechnology. He is also the author of 4 patent applications.

His work was recognized with a series of awards for science, technology, innovation and scientific popularization, among them the main Argentinean awards, like Houssay Award (2006 and 2009), from the Secretary and later Ministry of Science and Technology; the KONEX Award (2013) from the eponymous foundation and the Innovar Award (2011 and 2016) from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation. He also received distinctions from the National Academy of Exact Sciences, FAN, Argentinean Association of Physicochemical Research, CONICET, BGH and Dupont companies, among others. In May of this year, Galo Soler Illia was appointed titular scholar of the Argentinean National Academy of Exact Sciences, Physics and Natural Sciences, a select group of only 36 scientists.

Here’s an interview with the Argentine scientist.

SBPMat newsletter: Tell us why you became a scientist and work in the field of materials.

Galo Soler Illia: I always liked Chemistry. This started when I received a chemistry game, I was five years old, and while experimenting with it I burned my parent`s dinner table. Later, during my high school studies I was a bit of a nerd, writing software code for physics classes at my school. Writing code aroused my curiosity to know how things worked and how problems could be solved. I learned a lot. Near the end of secondary education, I decided to study Chemistry because I believed it was a very versatile and wonderful course that had great possibilities in many fields. At that time, I was really interested in Biotechnology, which was a new area. At the time I started my undergraduate studies at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), the area of Materials Chemistry had began to emerge. Still a student, I began teaching as an assistant in the Department of Inorganic, Analytical Chemistry and Physical Chemistry of the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, inspired by the example of young and enthusiastic teachers who were returning from abroad and who propagated an atmosphere of work and demand. Together with my best friends, we set up a laboratory on the terrace of one of my friend’s home. There we grew crystals and planned molecule synthesis. Since we spent all day at university and had some spare time, I found a place to work, without a salary or scholarship, in a Materials Chemistry group that had just begun. Everything was very fast, and before I noticed it I had finished my undergraduate studies and began my doctorate, manufacturing microparticles for catalysts. It was a beautiful time of my life, a time from which I still retain my innate curiosity, my willingness to explore and build materials and a wonderful group of friends, who have become outstanding colleagues now spread out throughout the world.

SBPMat newsletter: In your opinion, what are your main contributions to the Materials area, considering all aspects of your scientific activity?

Galo Soler Illia: I have always been interested in building materials, in the chemist’s task to join atom with atom, to manufacture new architectures. I focused on understanding the physicochemical phenomena that take place during the production of a material. When you know and understand these processes, you go from simply “preparing” a material to being able to design it and synthesize it, however complex it may be. And we can take advantage of the properties of the chemical elements to obtain the properties we desire. I’ll give three examples. In my thesis, I studied the precipitation and aggregation of nanoparticles of mixed metal hydroxides, precursors of catalysts. We discovered a very interesting world and were able to contribute to understanding the complexity behind a dynamic particle formation mechanism: the effects of particle shape and structure, the importance of metals coordination in the formation of a mixed phase, the evolution of surface charge and its effect on the stability of a colloid and much more, which helped me in the future as a solid basis for my research. I was fortunate to be able to work with Miguel Blesa, Alberto Regazzoni and Roberto Candal, three excellent Masters who guided me, stimulated and corrected me.

In my second phase, I worked in Paris in the laboratory of Clément Sanchez. I used what I had learned in order to develop methods to produce highly controlled porosity materials, known as organized mesoporous materials. Again, I became interested in the materials formation mechanisms, which are complex because they require controlling the growth of small inorganic species and their self-assembling with micelles. It is a small physical-chemical symphony, which one must learn to play. We had to use, develop and combine many characterization techniques to understand the phenomena taking place and how they controlled the formation and organization of pore systems, the stability and crystallinity of materials, which among others are important variables in the final performance of these solids.

In my third phase, back in Argentina, I set up a research group at the National Atomic Energy Commission in Buenos Aires, and devoted myself to building more complex architectures based on everything I had learned. My best contributions in this regard refer to the use of forces and interactions at the nanoscale to manufacture many different nanocomposites with designed and surprising optical and catalytic properties. All this required new laboratories, training human resources and the transfer of basic science to technologies. Particularly, over the last years we have worked with companies and aspire to generate nanotechnology in Argentina, extending the knowledge of our laboratory to society.

SBPMat newsletter: Briefly tell us about your interaction with Brazil. Do you come here often for collaborations, events, use of labs, seminars? Have you worked with Brazilian groups or in Brazilian laboratories?

Galo Soler Illia: I returned to Argentina in 2003 and I knew right away about what was being developed in Brazil. Since that time, I began developing projects at the National Laboratory of Synchrotron Light (LNLS), which is a beacon for all those who work in Materials in Latin America. The interaction with the synchrotron staff was very important for us to be able to characterize our materials, and we are amazed to see how the installations have improved over the years. A few months ago I had the opportunity to visit the Sirius building, which is simply stunning and which will be a world reference. I also had the opportunity to visit several universities, teaching courses and collaborating in the education of undergraduate and postgraduate students. Furthermore, we created the School of Materials Synthesis in Buenos Aires, which will have its eighth edition in 2017. This school was designed to generate a community of Latin American scientists qualified with skills in the rational synthesis of materials. We started with many Brazilian students, thanks to the support of the Argentinean-Brazilian Nanotechnology Society, which unfortunately has stopped working. It is truly beautiful to see how students from both countries work together in the laboratories and discuss and present their work in “portunhol” [hybrid mixture of Spanish-Portuguese]. From this school, and with the help of several colleagues, collaborative networks are emerging that will undoubtedly provide us with the technological base for larger joint ventures. I travel to Brazil several times a year and always admire the strength of the country to boost local technological development. I hope that after these difficult times, we may continue growing together.

SBPMat newsletter: We always ask the guest being interviewed in this section to leave a message for the readers who are beginning their scientific careers. What would you say to these junior scientists?

Galo Soler Illia: Looking back, I have three recommendations to young scientists. One is to never lose your imagination and your ability to ask questions; the second is to work hard to find the answers, and the third is to make use of the surprises. Sometimes, we train to develop a path and a strategy and we focus on the rigor to demonstrate and formalize what we find. However, it is crucial to know that this path is full of interesting nooks and turns, and sometimes an aspect we hadn’t taken into account opens up a new and unexplored landscape. Newton said that we, scientists, are sometimes like children on the beach, we find a shell that is prettier than the others and we are happy, but there lies before us the vast ocean of truth. My advice is to continually seek our shells, enjoy them and let us come within reach of understanding the wonders of our universe. And always keep in mind that developing science in our continent is a beautiful challenge that will add richness to our countries and well-being to our brothers.

Participation of B-MRS (SBPMat) at events in China and integration with Asian societies.

Posted on Tuesday 29 de November de 2016

iumrs-ica — Banner of one of the events.

SBPMat (B-MRS), represented by its president Osvaldo Novais de Oliveira Junior, attended two events held in China in October, organized by Asian materials research societies and also by the European society for materials research. The events were the 5th World Materials Summit on Advanced Materials for Sustainable Society Development and the IUMRS International Conference in Asia. The president of SBPMat was invited by the China Materials Research Society (C-MRS) and the International Union of Materials Research Societies (IUMRS). In addition to attending both events, Osvaldo Novais de Oliveira Junior was part of the international advisory committee at the first event, and Professor Roberto Mendonça Faria, former SBPMat president and second vice president of IUMRS, participated in the international advisory committees of both events.

“The Materials research societies in Asia have made great efforts to integrate with each other and with societies from other parts of the world,” states Prof. Novais de Oliveira Junior, highlighting the work of MRS from China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. “For several years there has been a close relationship between SBPMat and these societies, which will be represented at our next meeting in Gramado from September 10 to 14, 2017”, he added.

The summit, held in Rizhao, Shandong Province, from October 18 to 20, was organized by the materials research societies of China (C-MRS), Europe (E-MRS), Korea (MRS-K) and Japan (MRS-J), and also by the Rizhao Science and Technology Association. It is an annual event where scientists, politicians and entrepreneurs are invited by the organization. They come together to present and discuss the subject of advanced materials for the development of a sustainable society, focusing on specific themes in each edition. In 2016, the themes chosen were renewable energies, mainly for motor vehicles, construction materials focusing on sustainability and materials for oceanographic engineering.

According to Professor Novais de Oliveira Junior, the most relevant conclusions of the event regarded the need for international collaborative actions, highlighting the distinctive quality of Materials Science and Engineering to solve crucial problems facing humanity, thanks to the integrated, multifaceted approach and the synergy between experiment, theory and computational simulation this discipline is able to offer. Specifically on the themes of the fifth edition of the event, the president of SBPMat stressed the importance of developing more durable, higher capacity and safer batteries, and the need for sea and building materials research investigations. “As a matter of fact, data regarding maintenance costs of large civil works, such as bridges, viaducts and roads, were presented in the summit, which indicate a great demand for advanced materials, not only to reduce costs, but also to guarantee sustainability,” declared the president of SBPMat. He also mentioned the excellent presentations by European experts in regard to the forms of renewable energy sources that can be extracted from the sea. According to the professor, a document with the main conclusions of the event is being prepared by the participants.

The second event, October 20 to 24, was held in Qingdao also in Shandong province, about 150 km from Rizhao, organized by C-MRS and the Taiwan Materials Research Society (MRS-T). This even consisted of 4 plenary lectures and 27 symposiums on materials for energy and the environment, advanced structural and functional materials, biological materials, and simulation, modeling and characterization of materials.

History of materials research in Brazil: 40 years of the first glass research laboratory in Brazil.

Posted on Tuesday 29 de November de 2016

Brazil’s first laboratory dedicated to the study of vitreous materials completes 40 years in December 2016. This laboratory, which began its activities with only a small muffle furnace with temperature up to 1100 °C, today has 18 ovens, 4 which reach 1750 °C, and also thirty instruments to manufacture and characterize glasses distributed over 500 m2. The anniversary in question is LaMaV´s (Vitreous Materials Laboratory), of the Department of Materials Engineering (DEMa) at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar).

On the 40th anniversary of LaMaV, the team declares it is fully satisfied with its achievements [see box beside]. The pioneering work of the laboratory was essential in generating, disseminating and applying scientific knowledge on glass in the country, in academia and in industry. “We prepared about a hundred masters, doctors and post-docs, who now work as professors and researchers at major institutions such as USP, UFSCar, ITA, UEPG, UEMa, UFBa, PUC, IPT, CEFET, UFF, UNESP, UFLavras, UFABC, CTA, UNIOESTE and in other institutions in Brazil and abroad, and in numerous companies. This is a very important legacy! ” said Edgar Dutra Zanotto, one of the founders of SBPMat and the Materials Research journal, who founded LaMaV and heads it until today.

But the efforts and results of LaMaV go beyond national borders, since it always featured internationality. The laboratory has received students and visiting professors from dozens of countries. Its team has brought to Brazil the most important international conferences on glasses, it participates in the editorial boards of almost all major specialized journals on vitreous materials and has received seven of the most prestigious international awards and honors of the area – in addition to more than 20 national awards, including the Almirante Álvaro Alberto* award. The group research, especially that on nucleation and crystallization of glasses and glass ceramics, is recognized worldwide. “A significant part of active researchers in this area have heard, attended a lecture or read an article or patent resulting from our research. We have indeed put the city of São Carlos and Brazil on the world map of glass research!” adds Zanotto.

LaMaV is currently very active on glass crystallization issues, structural relaxation and residual stress processes, glass ceramics, biomaterials, and mechanical, rheological, electrical and biochemical properties of vitreous materials. “Today we have an impressive laboratory and excellent financing, mainly from FAPESP (the São Paulo State research foundation) but also from Capes, CNPq (federal funding agencies) and some companies. However, the endless bureaucracy of the funding agencies for purchasing materials and equipment, the accountability and also the uncertainties related to the future of universities (e.g., austerity measure PEC 55 and others), coupled with the shortage of secretaries, technicians and engineers (lab managers) to assist in the organization and maintenance of laboratories, have always been and continue to be formidable obstacles,” ponders Zanotto.

The making of…

It all began on December 15, 1976, when Zanotto was hired as assistant professor at DEMa-UFSCar. His main objective was to start glass research work in the department. In 1970, the first undergraduate course in Latin America in Materials Engineering was created, and two years later DEMa was created. By 1976 the department already had research groups in metals, polymers and ceramics, but no one worked with glasses, Zanotto remembers. “The creation of LaMaV was a natural outcome of setting up the undergraduate course in Materials Engineering at UFSCar,” declares Professor Zanotto.

At the end of 1976, Edgar Zanotto was a newly graduated materials engineer (at UFSCar) who had just completed scientific initiation research work under the guidance of visiting Professor Osgood James Whittemore, researcher in the area of ceramic materials of the University of Washington (USA). “My undergraduate research carried out that year, focused on the chemical durability (leach) of candidate glasses for the encapsulation of radioactive waste,” recalls Zanotto. “And, amazingly, this subject is still hot! ”, he adds.

Soon after being hired, Zanotto created LaMaV. The first experiments – carried out by Zanotto himself – consisted of melting glass at low melting point, using a muffle furnace and a platinum crucible (recipient that can be used at high temperatures), borrowed from the chemical analysis laboratory of the university.

In 1977, the founder of LaMaV started the Master’s program in Physics at the Institute of Physics and Chemistry at São Carlos (IFQSC) of USP, under the guidance of Professor Aldo Craievich, who was probably the only scientist active in the glass area in Brazil before 1976. In fact, he is the author of the first two papers on glasses signed by researchers from Brazilian institutions, both published in 1975. During the Master, Zanotto produced and thermally treated glasses (to generate crystallization) at LaMaV, carried out microscopic investigation at the DEMa metallurgy laboratory, and characterized glasses by XRD and SAXS at IFQSC-USP. Zanotto finished his Master’s research work and defended the dissertation a year and a half later. That same year he began his doctorate, also in the area of glasses, at the University of Sheffield (UK), under the supervision of the famous Professor Peter James. In 1982, having defended his doctorate, Zanotto returned to LaMaV.

“In the first 10 to 15 years, isolated work, inexperience and the uncertainties and difficulties associated with the mercurial research funding, in addition to the reduced physical space and little laboratory infrastructure disrupted our activities”, recalls Zanotto. Nearly a decade after the laboratory was created, the second Professor of the group was hired, Oscar Peitl Filho, Zanotto’s former master’s and doctoral student. A few years later, Ana Candida Martins Rodrigues became the third professor of the LaMaV team. Then in 2013, Marcello Andreeta was hired. “Today we are 4 teachers, 1 technician, 1 administrative assistant and about 30 research students and post-docs, 7 from other countries,” says Zanotto.

The year of 2013 was a milestone in the history of LaMaV due to the approval by FAPESP and the beginning of activities of CeRTEV (Center for Research, Technology and Education in Vitreous Materials). Directed by Zanotto, CeRTEV brings together LaMaV (headquarters of the center) and other laboratories from UFSCar, USP and UNESP, to conduct research, development and education activities in the field of vitreous materials, with funding from FAPESP until 2024. “With CeRTEV, we have established one of the largest academic research groups on glass on this planet, with world-class infrastructure, 14 professors and about 60 research students!”, acclaims Zanotto.

“Looking back, if I could return to December 1976, with the experience accumulated over these 40 years, I believe I’d do it all over again, but more efficiently!”, expresses the founder of LaMaV.

Doctoral students from 28 countries attending the "Glass and glass-ceramics school" at LaMaV, August, 2015. — Doctoral students from 28 countries attending the “Glass and glass-ceramics school” at LaMaV, August, 2015.

Featured paper. A lot of science and some serendipity to discover the recipe for a multifunctional nanocomposite.

Posted on Monday 28 de November de 2016

[Paper: One material, multiple functions: graphene/Ni(OH)2 thin films applied in batteries, electrochromism and sensors. Eduardo G. C. Neiva, Marcela M. Oliveira, Márcio F. Bergamini, Luiz H. Marcolino Jr & Aldo J. G. Zarbin. Scientific Reports 6, 33806 (2016). doi:10.1038/srep33806. Link para o artigo: http://www.nature.com/articles/srep33806]

A lot of science and some serendipity to discover the recipe for a multifunctional nanocomposite.

A recently published paper in the journal Scientific Reports, from the Nature group, reports a study carried out in universities of the state of Paraná (Brazil) on a material based on nickel hydroxide Ni(OH)2 – a composite of great technological interest [See box]. The group of authors developed an innovative method to fabricate a material based on nickel hydroxide graphene and nanoparticles, prepared thin films with this material and demonstrated the efficiency of these films when used as rechargeable battery electrodes, glycerol sensors and electrochromic materials.

The work was carried out within the doctoral research of Eduardo Guilherme Cividini Neiva, under the guidance of Professor Aldo José Gorgatti Zarbin, in the Chemistry Post-Graduation Program of the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). Neiva began his research on nickel nanoparticles during his undergraduate years, guided by Professor Zarbin. In the master’s program, still with Zarbin, he developed a preparation route of nickel metal nanoparticles for electrochemical applications. After completing the master’s program, Neiva and Zarbin set out to continue the research in Neiva’s doctorate, including graphene in the preparation of nickel metal based nanoparticles to obtain nickel and graphene nanocomposites with different properties. “Most of my scientific interests focus on the preparation of materials with carbon nanostructures, such as nanotubes and graphene,” states Professor Zarbin, who is the corresponding author of the article in Scientific Reports.

They were surprised by the first laboratory results. In the presence of graphene oxide (as a precursor of graphene in the preparation of the material), the process took a different course. At that time, Neiva and Zarbin saw the potential of these particularities: if well understood, they could be controlled and used to prepare nanocomposites, not only of nickel metal, but also of nickel hydroxide, which would open up new application possibilities. “There is a phrase by Louis Pasteur I like very much, which applies perfectly in this case: “Chance favors the prepared mind,” declares Zarbin.

Based on this, student and advisor created a simple and direct process for the fabrication of graphene and nickel hydroxide nanocomposites. In this innovative process, both components are synthesized together in a one-step reaction. Using this technique, Neiva manufactured the nanocomposites. Pure nickel hydroxide samples were also produced in order to compare them with the nanocomposites.

The samples were studied through a series of techniques: X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetry, field emission scanning electron microscope (FEG-MEV), and also by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images carried out by Professor Marcela Mohallem Oliveira, from the Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR). The comparison between the two materials was favorable to the nanocomposite. “Graphene played a key role in the stabilization of particles at the nanometer scale, increasing the chemical and electrochemical stability of the nanoparticles, and increasing the conductivity of the material, which is fundamental for an improvement in the desired applications,” acknowledges Aldo Zarbin.

Aldo José Gorgatti Zarbin (on the left side) and Eduardo Guilherme Cividini Neiva, the main authors of the paper, standing at the FEG-MEV equipment of the Materials Chemistry Group of UFPR.

The next stage consisted of

processing the nanocomposites and the nanoparticles of pure nickel hydroxide to obtain thin films, a format that allows using them in the desired applications. “The deposition of materials in the form of films, covering different surfaces, is a great technological challenge, even greater when dealing with multicomponent materials and insoluble, infusible and intractable materials (all characteristics of the material reported in this article)”, explains Zarbin.

To overcome this challenge, Neiva used a processing route, known as liquid/liquid interfacial method, developed in 2010 by the research group led by Zarbin, the Materials Chemistry Group of UFPR. This route, besides simple and cheap, explains Professor Zarbin, allows depositing complex materials in the form of homogeneous and transparent films on various types of materials, including plastics. “The route is based on the high energy at the interface of two immiscible liquids (e.g., water and oil), where the material is initially stabilized to minimize this energy, allowing its subsequent transfer to substrates of interest,” he explained.

With the nanocomposites, Neiva obtained thin transparent films of about 100 to 500 nm in thickness, with nanoparticles of about 5 nm in diameter, distributed homogeneously on the graphene sheets. The pure nickel hydroxide, however, generated films formed by porous spherical nanoparticles of 30 to 80 nm in diameter, distributed heterogeneously, forming agglomerates in some regions.

In the final phase of the work, the films deposited on glass and indium tin oxide were tested in three applications, in which the nanocomposite performed better than pure nickel hydroxide. As a material for rechargeable alkaline battery electrodes, the nanocomposite exhibited high energy and high power – two positive points that are not easily found in the same material. The nanocomposite also showed good performance as an electrochemical sensor. In fact, experiments designed by Professors Márcio Bergamini and Luiz Marcolino Jr, also from UFPR, showed that the nanocomposite is a sensitive sensor of glycerol (a compound known commercially as glycerin and used in several industries). Finally, the nanocomposite acted as an efficient electrochromic material. With these characteristics, the films of the UFPR group have a chance to leave the laboratory and be part of innovative products. “This depends on partners who are interested in scaling the method and testing it on real devices,” says Zarbin.

For now, in addition to scientific articles such as the one published in the journal Scientific Reports, the work generated several patents, both on the deposition method of thin films and on their applications in gas sensors, transparent electrodes, photovoltaic devices and catalysts. “And we have now developed a flexible battery, which was only possible thanks to the film deposition technique we developed,”, adds Professor Zarbin.

The work, which was developed within the macro projects “INCT of carbon nanomaterials” and “Nucleus of Excellence in Nanochemistry and Nanomaterials”, received funding from the federal agencies Capes and CNPq, and the Araucária Foundation, an agency for scientific and technological development of the state of Paraná.