XII National Meeting on Catalysis and Porous Materials (XII ENCMP)

The XII National Meeting on Catalysis and Porous Materials (XII ENCMP) will be held on June 6 and 7, 2024, in Coimbra, at the Chemistry Department of the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra. The Scientific Programme will address all aspects of Catalysis, including homogeneous and heterogeneous processes. Furthermore, the meeting aims to bring together scientists developing porous materials research including both inorganic and organic frameworks.

https://xii-encmp.events.chemistry.pt/

Chair of the XII Meeting of the Catalysis and Porous Materials Division: Mário J. F. Calvete and Mariette M. Pereira

Mariette Pereira full professor at University of Coimbra was awarded with Honoris Causa Doctorate by the University of Pécs

On November 9, 2023, Maria Miguéns Pereira (Mariette Pereira) was awarded with Honoris Causa Doctorate by the University of Pécs, Hungary. Due to her relevant contribution to the field of Catalysis at the University of Pécs.

Honoris Causa lecture: Catalytic Processes for the Synthesis of Value-Added Compounds: Medicinal Applications

Prix Tremplin Mariano Gago, 2022

Professor Mariette Pereira, together with Professor Éva Jakab Tóth, from the Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, won the 2022 Prix Tremplin Mariano Gago, awarded by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and the French Academy of Sciences. The winning project, entitled "Specific contrast agents for the visualization of biomarkers by magnetic resonance imaging", aims to design and develop new contrast agents to improve the technique of magnetic resonance imaging, allowing for the early detection of tumours, neurological and inflammatory diseases.

Open Day “EducaPlast-UC”

On December 2023, the Chemistry Department welcomed 130 primary and secondary school students to the Department of Chemistry for the "EducaPlast-UC" Open Day. This initiative took place as part of the conclusion of the EducaPlast project - "Pollution by microplastics and the development of bioplastics as an alternative for the future: communicating and involving society", financed by the Environmental Fund under the National Environmental Education Strategy (ENEA). During the Open Day, students and teachers from the Coimbra Centro (AECC), Nisa (Portalegre district) and Condeixa-a-Nova school groups, as partners in the project, had the opportunity to carry out experimental activities in the Chemistry and Life Sciences laboratories and at the Rómulo Centro de Ciência Viva, as well as visiting the research laboratories of the Coimbra Chemistry Center (CQC).

The EducaPlast project, coordinated by Rui Carrilho and Filipa Bessa has reached more than 2,000 primary and secondary school students and around 3,000 academics.

Prémio Provas de Conceito UC 2023

Organized by UC Business - Technology Transfer Division of the University of Coimbra (UC) with the support of Santander Universidades, the UC Proof of Concept Competition awarded the CO2PhotoBioPlas Project, coordinated by Rui Carrilho. This project aims to develop a sustainable method to prepare photosensitive biocomposite plastic materials based on polycarbonate, through an ecological strategy, using carbon dioxide as a renewable, abundant and non-toxic reagent. On December 20, 2023, in the Senate Room of the UC Rectory, representing the team, the PhD student Andreia Gonzalez received the award.

Rafael Aroso researcher at Coimbra University was awarded with Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA-PF)

Researcher Rafael Aroso recently won the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA-PF) for his project entitled "PorphIRON - Design, synthesis and optimization of Fe(III) based porphyrins for use as next-generation MRI probes". The PorphIRON project aims to find alternatives to the gadolinium complexes currently used in clinical practice, developing new contrast agents based on potentially less toxic iron metal complexes. This work will be carried out at the prestigious Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in Orleans, France, under the supervision of Dr. Éva Jakab Tóth.

Olimpíadas da Química Júnior – Sociedade Portuguesa de Química

On March 9, 2024, the Olimpíadas da Química Mais semi-finals for 10th and 11th graders will be held for the first time in the Chemistry Department, under the coordination of Sara M.A. Pinto. As a continuation of what has been done in previous years, on April 13, 2024, the semi-finals of the Olimpíadas da Química Júnior was carried out for the 8th and 9th graders.