Degree: Master

Bio

My name is Alexandre Costa Patrocínio Macedo Alves and I have a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Chemistry which were completed in 2019 and 2021, respectively, in Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto. Currently, I am in the second year of a PhD in Chemistry, under the supervision of Prof. Luís M. N. B. F. Santos and José C. S. Costa, in Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto with a PhD Research Grant (ref. 2022.11108.BD), awarded by FCT. My Bachelor's degree project was based on Physical-Chemistry of Semiconductor Materials and Nanotechnology and during this period I developed a big research interest, mainly in the production of organic thin films through physical vapor deposition methods. I had the chance to increase my skills in experimental and analytical techniques as well as my abilities of reflection and curiosity with this work. My Master's degree thesis was based on Physical-Chemistry of Materials/Nanotechnology which improved my knowledge in thin films production, namely micro-and nanosystems constituted by ionic liquids and metal nanoparticles. With this thesis, it was possible to prove and show a new process of metal nanoparticles synthesis (silver and gold) in thin ionic liquids films. I was the author of several oral presentations about the research work done during my Bachelor's and Master's degree projects. In my first year of the Bachelor's degree I won an award from Universidade do Porto and Sociedade Portuguesa de Química ("Caloiros não pagam propinas").

My current PhD thesis "Nanoconfinement of Ionic Liquids in Porous Materials" includes the construction and testing of a new gas line apparatus, the study of ionic liquids incorporated in porous materials, formation and stabilization of metal nanoparticles in ionic liquids, and gas adsorption studies of Ionic liquids/porous materials + the combination of both.

Projects
This CIQUP member does not yet have any projects linked with him.
Publications
Total 3 publications.
1. Confined Silver Nanoparticles in Ionic Liquid Films, Alves, ACPM Santos, LMNBF Bastos, M; Costa, JCS in MOLECULES, 2023, ISSN: 1420-3049,  Volume: 28, 
Article,  Indexed in: crossref, scopus, unpaywall, wos  DOI: 10.3390/molecules28073029 P-00Y-5FQ
Abstract This work reports the formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by sputter deposition in thin films of three different ionic liquids (ILs) with the same anion (bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide) and cation (imidazolium), but with different alkyl chain lengths and symmetries in the cationic moiety ([C(4)C(1)im][NTf2], [C(2)C(2)im][NTf2], and [C(5)C(5)im][NTf2]). Ionic liquid (IL) films in the form of microdroplets with different thicknesses (200 to 800 monolayers) were obtained through vacuum thermal evaporation onto glass substrates coated with indium tin oxide (ITO). The sputtering process of the Ag onto the ILs when conducted simultaneously with argon plasma promoted the coalescence of the ILs' droplets and the formation, incorporation, and stabilization of the metallic nanoparticles in the coalesced IL films. The formation/stabilization of the AgNPs in the IL films was confirmed using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. It was found that the IL films with larger thicknesses (600 and 800 monolayers) were better media for the formation of AgNPs. Among the ILs used, [C(5)C(5)im][NTf2] was found to be particularly promising for the stabilization of AgNPs. The use of larger IL droplets as capture media was found to promote a better stabilization of the AgNPs, thereby reducing their tendency to aggregate.
2. The impact of the cation alkyl chain length on the wettability of alkylimidazolium-based ionic liquids at the nanoscale, Costa, JCS Alves, A Bastos, M Santos, LMNBF in PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS, 2022, ISSN: 1463-9076,  Volume: 24, 
Article,  Indexed in: crossref, scopus, wos  DOI: 10.1039/d2cp01868c P-00W-KJM
Abstract Ionic liquids (ILs) have been widely used for energy storage and conversion devices due to their negligible vapor pressure, high thermal stability, and outstanding interfacial properties. Notably, the interfacial nanostructure and the wettability of thin ionic liquid films on solid surfaces are of utmost relevance in nanosurface science and technology. Herein, a reproducible physical vapor deposition methodology was used to fabricate thin films of four alkylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ILs. The effect of the cation alkyl chain length on the wettability of ILs was explored on different surfaces: gold (Au); silver (Ag); indium-tin oxide (ITO). High-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to evaluate the morphology of the produced micro- and nanodroplets and films. SEM and AFM results revealed an island growth for all the ILs deposited on ITO and Ag surfaces, with a lower minimum free area to promote nucleation (MFAN) in Ag and higher wettability for ILs having larger non-polar domains. The low wettability of ITO by the studied ILs was highlighted. For long-chain ILs, nucleation and growth mechanisms were strongly conditioned by coalescence processes. The results also supported the higher affinity of the ILs to the Au surface. The increase in the length of the cation alkyl chain was found to promote a better film adhesion inducing a 2D growth and higher wetting ability.
3. Morphology, Structure, and Dynamics of Pentacene Thin Films and Their Nanocomposites with [C(2)C(1)im][NTf2] and [C(2)C(1)im][OTF] Ionic Liquids, Campos, RM; Alves, ACPM Lima, MAL; Farinha, AFM; Cardoso, JPS; Mendes, A; Costa, JCS Santos, LMNBF in CHEMPHYSCHEM, 2020, ISSN: 1439-4235,  Volume: 21, 
Article,  Indexed in: crossref, scopus, wos  DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202000431 P-00S-B33
Abstract In this study, a homogeneous thin film growth of pentacene onto indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass surfaces is explored using a high-resolution and reproducible vapor deposition methodology. Moreover, vacuum thermal evaporation of ionic liquids (ILs) ([C(2)C(1)im][NTf2] and [C(2)C(1)im][OTF]) onto ITO, gold/palladium (AuPd) and pentacene surfaces were performed. A greater wettability behavior of ILs is observed for surfaces containing AuPd. Sequential and simultaneous depositions of ILs and pentacene were explored. Simultaneous depositions lead to the formation of nanocomposites films, consisting of IL micro- and nanodroplets covered by pentacene layers. Plasma surface treatment was used to induce the ILs droplets coalescence and explore the dynamics and phase separation of the nanocomposites. The [C(2)C(1)im][OTF] droplets were found to be completely covered with pentacene, which suggests a great affinity between cation-anion pairs and the aromatic moiety. Pentacene films and their nanocomposites with ILs exhibit a typical optical band gap ofE(gap)=1.77 eV, indicating that the nanocomposite phase domains are large enough to behavior as the bulk.