Tiago A. Fernandes

University of Lisbon, Centro de Química Estrutural, Instituto Superior Técnico

Dr. Tiago A. Fernandes is currently a contracted Researcher at Centro de Química Estrutural (CQE), Instituto Superior Técnico (IST,ULisboa). T.A. Fernandes earned his PhD in Chemistry from Technical University of Lisbon (TULisbon, IST, 2013). After completing the PhD, Tiago was Assistant Professor at Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic), followed by several post-doctoral positions (2014-2019) at CQE/IST and Centro de Química e Bioquímica (FCUL, ULisboa), working with Profs. Alex Kirillov, Ana C. Fernandes, and M. José Calhorda. T.A. Fernandes has been associated with Universidade Aberta (UAb, Lisbon, Portugal) since 2016, as Invited Assistant Professor, lecturing courses related to Chemistry and Environmental Sciences. In the last 5 years, he has also been involved in teaching theoretical classes, such as Fundamental Chemistry Concepts, Chemistry and the Environment, Food Chemistry and Biochemistry, Food Preservation Technology and Food Product Packaging, Workplace Safety and Hygiene, and Environmental Technologies. Since 2022, have been teaching the Units of Structural and Analytical Methods and Safety and Best Practices at the Department of Chemical Engineering of IST as an Invited Assistant Professor. He is a co-author of over 65 scientific publications, including 40 research articles in international journals, several conference proceedings and 2 book chapters. His current scientific interests include: 1) Synthesis and characterization of mono- or multinuclear metal complexes, coordination polymers and metal-organic frameworks using aqueous medium self-assembly protocols and Schlenk techniques; 2) Design of new multifunctional bioactive metal-organic frameworks (bioMOFs) and derived materials for antimicrobial (antibacterial and antibiofilm) applications; 3) Development, improvement and tuning of methodologies for degradation of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products that ensure a clean and healthy environment; 4) Use of cutting-edge analytical methods (e.g., LC-ESI-HRMS/MS) to study challenging food chemistry systems.

Chris Franco

University of Lisbon, Centro de Química Estrutural, Instituto Superior Técnico

Dr. Chris Hebert Franco is currently a researcher at CQE, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Portugal. His research is mainly devoted to structural characterization of small molecules, as a chemist with a special passion for crystallography, in last years, he has been working with Coordination Chemistry, Catalysis, Crystal Engineering and Bioinorganic Chemistry, with an emphasis on the synthesis and characterization of MOFs and CPs, single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, topological analysis, and different catalytic applications of these materials. He works with research groups from several academic institutions, including but not limited to Portugal, Brazil, Italy, Spain, and Poland. Dr. Franco has participated in 6 research projects, (co)supervised 5 BSc and 3 MSc students and attended 20 scientific events. He is an author of 40 Peer-reviewed Publications, including: 28 Research Papers, 5 Book Chapters, and 5 publications in conference proceedings. He has been involved in teaching since 2018 and looks forward to continuing his scientific career at a high level.

Adrián Pastor

University of Cordoba

Dr. Adrián Pastor graduated in Chemistry at University of Córdoba (UCO, Spain) in 2014. Subsequently, he studied the Interuniversity master’s degree in fine chemistry, doing his master’s thesis in the Department of Inorganic Chemistry in collaboration with the company Grupo Puma SL, for which he received an Entrepreneur Seed Grant from the UCO. Currently, he is assigned to the FQM-214 group (UCO), in which he developed this doctoral thesis as a FPU national fellowship. Adrián was visiting PhD student at the Chemistry Research Laboratory (University of Oxford, United Kingdom) under the supervision of Prof. Dermot O'Hare, specializing in the synthesis and characterization of Layered Double Hydroxides for their subsequent application in the photocatalytic elimination of gases NOx. He has participated in various science outreach activities and has been awarded several prizes for both research and dissemination activities. His research is focused on Inorganic Chemistry, Environmental Engineering and Photocatalysis, with an emphasis on the synthesis and characterization of layered compounds (Layered Double Hydroxides and clays), new synthetic avenues and combination with other materials, mechanistic studies, and applications. Some applications that he has explored are: (i) heterogeneous photocatalysts for NOx removal, (ii) photocatalytic removal of pollutants in water (pesticides), and (iii) controlled release systems (biocidal agents).