Welcome to our lab.

RESEARCH AREAS

Click to find out about where our research is focused.

PUBLICATIONS

Here is a selection of our most impactful publications.

OUR TEAM

Meet our scientists and know more about their work.

- Latest news -

31-10-2022

DR MARTINHO JOINS COST ACTION COMMITTEE
Head of lab Dr Paulo N. Martinho has been selected to the management committee of COST Action COSY – CA21101. The action aims to lay computational and experimental groundwork into understanding and control of confined molecular systems.

29-09-2022

Shining a light on CO2
Congratulations are in order for Mr Rodrigo Simões, our undergraduate student from Technological Chemistry, who successfully defended his research project on carbon dioxide photoreduction.

03-08-2022

Dr Realista awarded HRSMC fellowship
Dr Sara Realista will visit the Functional Materials group at the Van ‘t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (Amsterdam) and Leiden Institute of Chemistry (Leiden). Dr Stefania Grecea and Dr Dennis GH Hetterscheid will accommodate her for 4 months.

25-07-2022

SER CIENTISTA RESEARCH PROGRAMME

We hosted four high-school students in our lab for what became their first glance at a life as a scientist as they took part in supervised experiments. The programme featured in the national TV’s prime-time news.

- Research interests -

MOLECULAR MAGNETISM

Magnetic properties of coordination compounds for molecular actuators

  • Synthesis of new transition metal complexes with different nuclearities
  • Synthesis of new ligands to modulate the magnetic properties of the compounds
  • Understanding the spin crossover behaviour of the compounds
  • Discovering new single molecule magnets

CATALYSIS

Synthesis of new catalysts and optimisation of catalytic procedures for a sustainable world

  • Synthesis of new molecular catalysts based on transition metal ions
  • Synthesis of new ligands to fine-tune catalysts performance
  • Homogeneous and hetergoneous epoxidation of olefins
  • Homogeneous and heterogeneous CO2 electro- and photoreduction
  • Plasma catalysis for CO2 conversion

MATERIALS

Assemblies of molecular compounds for sustainable devices

  • Functionalisation of conducting and semi-conducting surfaces
  • Modification of silica-based materials
  • Immobilisation and modification of metal-organic frameworks
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- Our team -

Paulo N. Martinho
Sara Realista
Marcos A. Bento
Rafaela T. Marques
Tiago P. Gomes
Duarte Borralho
Paulo N. Martinho
Sara Realista
Marcos A. Bento
Rafaela T. Marques
Duarte Borralho
Tiago P. Gomes

- FORMER MEMBERS -

PostDoc & PhD

  • Dr Marta Saraiva
  • Dr Ana Vicente
  • Joana Hipólito
  • Mohamed Soliman
  • Jiawei Wang

MSc

  • Janaína Almeida
  • Frederico Martins
  • César Reis
  • Bárbara Oliveira
  • Catarina Caetano
  • Ana Rita Reis

Visitors

  • Ramón Arcas
  • Saoussan Elleuchi
  • Ingrid Suzana
  • Hanane Saih
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- Selected publications -

VIEW FULL LIST

2021
– S. Friães, S. Realista, C. S. B. Gomes, P. N. Martinho, B. Royo, “Click-derived triazoles and triazolylidenes of manganese for electrocatalytic reduction of CO2”, Molecules, 2021, 26, 6325, DOI: 10.3390/molecules26216325.

-S. Friães, S. Realista, C. S. B. Gomes, P. N. Martinho, L. F. Veiros, M. Albrecht, B. Royo, “Manganese complexes with chelating and bridging ditriazolylidene ligands: synthesis and reactivity”, Dalton Trans., 2021, 50, 5911-5920, DOI: 10.1039/D1DT00444A.

– M. A. Bento, S. Realista*, A. S. Viana, A. M. Ferraria, P. N. Martinho*, “Cryptand-functionalized highly oriented pyrolytic graphite electrodes”, Sustainability, 2021, 13, 4158. DOI: 10.3390/su13084158.

2020
– J. Pecak, W. Eder, B. Stöger, S. Realista, P. N. Martinho, M. J. Calhorda, W. Linert, K. Kirchner, “Synthesis, characterization, and catalytic reactivity of {CoNO}8 PCP pincer complexes”, Organometallics, 2020, 39, 2594-2601. DOI: 10.1021/acs.organomet.0c00167.

– S. Realista, B. Oliveira, J. Aldeias, V. Fernández-Moreira, M. C. Gimeno, A. S. Viana, M. J. Calhorda, P. N. Martinho*, “Structural and electronic properties in asymmetric binuclear Zn(II) amphiphilic compounds”, J. Coord. Chem., 2020, 73, 634-652. DOI: 10.1080/00958972.2020.1737325

– P. N. Martinho*, F. F. Martins, N. A. G. Bandeira, M. J. Calhorda, “Spin crossover in 3D metal centers binding halide-containing ligands: magnetism, structure and computational studies”, Sustainability, 2020, 12, 2512. DOI:10.3390/su12062512.

2014-2019
– S. Realista, J. C. Almeida, S. A. Milheiro, N. A. G. Bandeira, L. G. Alves, F. Madeira, M. J. Calhorda, P. N. Martinho*, “Co(II) cryptates convert CO2 into CO and CH4 under visible light”, Chem. Eur. J., 2019, 25,11670–11679 (hot paper). DOI: 10.1002/chem.201901806.

– A. I. Vicente, X. Wu, Y. Ortin, L. P. Ferreira, M. D. Carvalho, S. Realista, A. Barker, G. G. Morgan, N. Galamba, P. J. Costa, M. J. Calhorda, P. N. Martinho*, “Directing self-assembly in solution towards improved cooperativity in Fe(III) complexes with amphiphilic tridentate ligands”, Dalton Trans., 2019, 48, 4239-4247. DOI: 10.1039/C9DT00032A.

– P. N. Martinho, I. Kuehne, B. Gildea, G. McKerr, B. O’Hagan, T. Keyes, T. Lemma, C. Gandolfi, M. Albrecht, G. G. Morgan, “Self-Assembly properties of amphiphilic iron(III) spin crossover complexes in water and at the air-water interface”, Magnetochemistry, 2018, 4, 49. DOI: 10.3390/magnetochemistry4040049

– F. F. Martins, A. Joseph, H. P. Diogo, M. E. Minas da Piedade, L. P. Ferreira, M. D. Carvalho, S. Barroso, M. J. Romão, M. J. Calhorda, P. N. Martinho*, “Irreversible magnetic behaviour caused by the thermosalient phenomenon in an iron(III) spin crossover complex”, Eur. J. Inorg. Chem., 2018, 2018, 2976-2983. DOI: 10.1002/ejic.201800605.

– S. Realista, S. Quintal, P. N. Martinho*, A. I. Melato, A. Gil, T. Esteves, M. D. Carvalho, L. Ferreira, P. D. Vaz, M. J. Calhorda, “Electrochemical studies and potential anticancer activity in ferrocene derivatives”, J. Coord. Chem., 2017, 70, 314-327. DOI: 10.1080/00958972.2016.1257125.

– S. Realista, A. J. Fitzpatrick, G. Santos, L. P. Ferreira, S. Barroso, L. C. J. Pereira, N. A. G. Bandeira, P. Neugebauer, J. Hrubý, G. G. Morgan, J. van Slageren, M. J. Calhorda, P. N. Martinho*, “A Mn(III) single ion magnet with tridentate Schiff-base ligands”, Dalton Trans., 2016, 45, 12301-12307. DOI: 10.1039/C6DT02538B.

– S. Realista, P. Ramgi, B. P. Cardoso, A. I. Melato, A. S. Viana, M. J. Calhorda, P. N. Martinho*, “Heterodinuclear Ni(II) and Cu(II) Schiff base complexes and their activity in oxygen reduction”, Dalton Trans., 2016, 45, 14725-14733. DOI: 10.1039/C6DT01903J.

– A. I. Vicente, A. Joseph, L. P. Ferreira, M. D. Carvalho, V. H. N. Rodrigues, M. Duttine, H. P. Diogo, M. E. M. da Piedade, M. J. Calhorda, P. N. Martinho*, “Dynamic spin interchange in a tridentate Fe(III) Schiff-base compound”, Chem. Sci., 2016, 7, 4251-4258. DOI: 10.1039/C5SC04577K.

– A. J. Fitzpatrick, P. N. Martinho, B. J. Gildea, J. D. Holbrey, G. G. Morgan, “Robust room temperature hysteresis in an FeIII spin crossover metallomesogen”, Eur. J. Inorg. Chem., 2016, 2016, 2025-2029. DOI: 10.1002/ejic.201501335.

– S. Realista, A. S. Viana, B. P. Cardoso, A. M. B. do Rego, P. D. Vaz, A. I. Melato, P. N. Martinho*, M. J. Calhorda, “Asymmetric binuclear Ni(II) and Cu(II) Schiff base metallopolymers”, RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 39495-39504. DOI: 10.1039/C5RA03560K.

– B. de P. Cardoso, A. I. Vicente, J. B. J. Ward, P. J. Sebastião, F. V. Chávez, S. Barroso, A. Carvalho, S. J. Keely, P. N. Martinho*, M. J. Calhorda, “Fe(III) SalEen derived Schiff base complexes as potential contrast agents”, Inorg. Chim. Acta, 2015, 432, 258-266. DOI: 10.1016/j.ica.2015.04.026.

– P. N. Martinho*, Ana I. Vicente, Sara Realista, Marta S. Saraiva, Ana Melato, Liliana P. Ferreira, Maria de Deus Carvalho, “Solution and solid state properties of Fe(III) complexes bearing N-ethyl-N-(2-aminoethyl)salicylaldiminate ligands”, J. Organomet. Chem., 2014, 760, 48-54. DOI: 10.1016/j.jorganchem.2013.12.028.

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