New Materials for Electrochemical Devices

The main interests comprised in this line of research involve the development and application of platforms based on silica, carbon (carbon nanotubes, graphene and graphene oxide), conducting polymeric materials and diverse composites in sensoring devices and electrochemical biosensoring. The studies focus on processes of obtainment of materials with differentiated properties, the characterization of electrochemical interfaces and the application of the devices that were developed. Currently, ongoing projects are directed to the synthesis of nanostructures of noble metals supported on mesoporous silicas and different types of matrices based on carbon (graphene oxide, carbon nanotubes and porous carbon) aiming the obtainment of materials with electrocatalytic properties of interest for the fabrication of new electrochemical devices. The localized electrodeposition of metallic nanowires and of conducting polymers for the construction of electrodes and the employment of these as electrochemical sensors are also a part of this line of research and aim the exploration of the differentiated properties of the nanomaterials in the sensoring of electroactive species. Finally, this line of research also aims the obtainment of molecularly imprinted polymers based on silanes by using the sol-gel process, aiming their application in electrochemical sensors for the specific recognition and determination of molecules of interest.