Researcher ID :  http://www.researcherid.com/rid/E-4549-2013

Carmen Freire was born in 1976 in Venezuela. In 1994 she concluded high school at Escola Secundária José Estevão (Aveiro), and, motivated by an enormous interest in Chemistry, started her graduation in Industrial Chemistry at the University of Aveiro (UA).

After concluding her graduation in 1998, she started her PhD work, “Eucalyptus globulus Low Molecular Weight Organic Compounds: Behavior During Wood Kraft Pulping and Pulp Bleaching”, at the Chemistry Department of the University of Aveiro. In early 2003, she embraced a post-doctoral project on “Surface Chemical Modification of Cellulose Fibers for Novel Paper and Composite Materials”, developed jointly between the Department of Chemistry of UA and the EFPG (presently Pagora), Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble a forefront research group in the domain of Macromolecular Materials from Renewable Resources. During this period, she got a solid background and knowledge on the development and characterization of natural polymers-based materials.

Since 2006, as a Auxiliary Reseracher (from January 2006 to June 2011) and now as a Principal Researcher (FCT Researcher), she has leaded the research on materials and composites from cellulose and other polysaccharides within the Macromoleular and Lignocelulosic materials group at CICECO/UA (Centro de Materiais Cerâmicos e Compósitos).

Main achievements:

• 89 articles in SCI journals (July 2013).
• 2 National patents and 1 European patent.
• More than 80 communications in International Conferences
• Referee for several high impact factor international journals in the areas of biomacromolecules, polysaccharides, green and sustainable chemistry and materials in general
• Concluded the supervision of 1 PhD, 3 Post-Docs, 11 Master theses,

Her research interests are centred on the Chemistry of polymers from renewable resources (caracterization and application), development of new sustainable composite materials, nanostructured biomaterails and genneraly on the chemistry of natural compounds.

Member of the Lignocellulosic and Macromolecular Materials Group

Supervisor or co-supervisor of 3 Pos-doctorate students, 2 PhD student and 2 Master students.

Armando Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Ana Barros-Timmons, Luisa Serafim, Iola Duarte  and Filipe Figueiredo (University of Aveiro),

Paula Alexandrina Marques (University of Aveiro)

Isabel Marrucho (University of Aveiro and ITQB)

Fátima Duarte (CEBAL, Beja)

Catarina Rosado (University Lusófona, Lisbon)

Isabel Almeida e Paulo Costa (Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Oporto)

Fernando Dourado e Miguel Gama (University of Minho)

Pedro Fardim  (Abo Akademi, Finland)

Ana Alonsa Varona (UPV, San Sebastian)

Patrizia Sadocco (SSCCP, Stazione Sperimentale Carta, Cartoni e Paste per Carta, Italy)

 last 5 years

- Andrea Figueiredo, Ana Alonso-Varona, Susana Fernandes, Teodoro Palomares, Eva Rubio, Ana Barros, A. J D Silvestre, Carlos Neto and C. S R Freire, “Biocompatible Bacterial Cellulose–Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) Nanocomposite Films", BioMed Research International, in press

- Liliana C. Tomé, M. Ali Aboudzadeh, Luís Paulo N. Rebelo, Carmen S.R. Freire, David Mecerreyes, Isabel M. Marrucho, Polymeric ionic liquids with mixtures of counter-anions: new straightforward strategy for designing pyrrolidinium-based CO2 separation membranes, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, in press

- R.M.A. Domingues, A.R. Guerra, M. Duarte, C.S.R. Freire, C.P. Neto, C.M. Silva, A.J. D. Silvestre, “Bioactive triterpenic acids: from agroforestry biomass residues, to promising therapeutic tools”, Mini Reviews in Organic Chemistry, in press.

- Susana C.M. Fernandes, Patrizia Sadocco, Jessica Causio, Armando J.D. Silvestre, Iñaki Mondragon, Carmen S.R. Freire, “Synthesis and characterization of antimicrobial transparent pullulan films prepared by chemical grafting of an aminopropyl silane derivative”, Food Hydrolcolloids, in press.

- Liliana C. Tomé, Susana C. M. Fernandes, Denilson Silva Perez, Patrizia Sadocco, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Isabel M. Marrucho, Carmen S. R. Freire, The role of nanocellulose fibers, starch and chitosan on multipolysaccharide based films, Cellulose, in press.

- Liliana C. Tomé, David J. S. Patinha, Carmen S. R. Freire, Luís Paulo N. Rebelo, Isabel M. Marrucho, “CO2 separation applying ionic liquid mixtures: the effect of mixing different anions on gas permeation through supported ionic liquid membranes”, RSC Advances, in press.

- Paula S. S. Lacerda, Ana M. M. V. Barros-Timmons, Carmen S. R. Freire, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Nanostructured composites obtained by ATRP sleeving of bacterial cellulose nanofibers with acrylate polymers, Biomacromolecules,2013, 14, 2063-2073.

- Susana C.M. Fernandes,  Patrizia Sadocco,  Ana Alonso-Varona,  Teodoro Palomares,  Arantxa Eceiza,  Armando J. Silvestre,  Iñaki Mondragon, Carmen S.R. Freire, Bioinspired antimicrobial and biocompatible bacterial cellulose membranes obtained by surface decoration with aminoalkyl groups, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2013, 5, 3290-3297.

- Jorge Carneiro, João Tedim, Susana C.M. Fernandes, Carmen S.R. Freire, Alessandro Gandini, Mário G.S. Ferreira, Mikhail L. Zheludkevich, Functionalized chitosan-based coatings for active corrosion protection" - Surface and Coatings Technology, 2013, 226, 51-59.

- Jorge Carneiro, João Tedim, Susana C.M. Fernandes, Carmen S.R. Freire, Alessandro Gandini, Mário G.S. Ferreira, Mikhail L. Zheludkevich, Chitosan as an Intelligent Coating for Controlled Release of Corrosion Inhibitor 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, ECS Electrochemistry Letters,  2013, 2(6), C19-C22.

- Fábio P. Gomes, Nuno Hélder C. S. Silva, Eliane Trovatti, Luísa S. Serafim, Maria F. Duarte, Armando J.D. Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Carmen S.R. Freire, Production of Bacterial Cellulose by Gluconacetobacter sacchari using dry olive mill residue, Biomass and Bioenergy, 2013, 55, 205-211.

- Carla Vilela, Andreia F. Sousa, Carmen S.R. Freire, Armando J.D. Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Novel sustainable composites prepared from cork residues and biopolymers, Biomass and Bioenergy, 2013, 55, 148-155.

77- Márcia C. Neves, Carmen S.R. Freire, Benilde F.O. Costa, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Tito Trindade, Cellulose/iron oxide hybrids as multifunctional pigments in thermoplastic starch based materials, Cellulose, 2013, 20, 861-871.

- Ricardo J. B. Pinto, Carlos M. Granadeiro, Carmen S. R. Freire, Armando J. D. Silvestre,Carlos Pascoal Neto, Rute A. S. Ferreira, Luís D. Carlos,Ana M. V. Cavaleiro, Tito Trindade, and Helena I. S. Nogueira, Luminescent transparent composite films based on lanthanopolyoxometalates and two filmogenic polysaccharides, Eur. J. Inorg. Chem., 2013, 1890-1896.

- Natércia C. T. Martins, Carmen S. R. Freire, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Jessica Causio, Giovanni Baldi, Patrizia Sadocco, Tito Trindade, Antibacterial paper based on composite coatings of nanofibrillated cellulose and ZnO, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 2013, 417, 111-119.

- Liliana C. Tomé, David Mecerreyes, Carmen S.R. Freire, Luis Paulo N. Rebelo, Isabel M. Marrucho, Pyrrolidinium-based polymeric ionic liquid materials: new perspectives for CO2 separation membranes, Journal of Membrane Science, 2013, 428, 260-266.

- Andreia F. Sousa, Marina Matos, Carmen S. R. Freire, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Jorge F. J. Coelho, New copolyesters derived from terephthalic and 2,5-furandicarboxylic acids: a step forward in the development of biobased polyesters), Polymer, 2013, 54, 513-519.

- Rui Ferreira, Helga Garcia, Andreia F. Sousa, Carmen S. R. Freire, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Luís Paulo N. Rebelo and Cristina da Silva Pereira, Comparison of suberin isolated from birch bark and cork using ionic liquids: composition and thermal stability, Industrial Crops and Products, 2013, 44, 520-527.

- Ricardo J. B. Pinto, Adelaide Almeida, Susana C. M. Fernandes, Carmen S. R. Freire, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Tito Trindade, Antifungal activity of transparent nanocomposite thin films of pullulan and silver against Aspergillus niger, Colloids and Biointerfaces, 2013, 103, 143-148.

- David J. S. Patinha, Rui M. A. Domingues, Juan J. Villaverde, Artur M. S. Silva, Carlos M. Silva, Carmen S. R. Freire, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Armando J. D. Silvestre “Lipophilic extractives from the bark of Eucalyptus grandis x globulus, a rich source of methyl morolate: selective extraction with supercritical CO2”, Ind. Crops Prod. 2013, 43, 340-348.

- Juan J. Villaverde, Lúcia Oliveira, Carla Vilela, Maria Rosário M. Domingues, Nélia Freitas, Nereida Cordeiro, Carmen S. R. Freire, Armando J.D. Silvestre, High valuable compounds from the unripe peel of several Musa species cultivated in Madeira Island (Portugal), Industrial Crops and Products, 2013, 42, 507-512

-. Rui Ferreira, Helga Garcia, Andreia F. Sousa, Marija Petkovic, Pedro Lamosa, Carmen Freire, Armando J.D. Silvestre, Luís Paulo Rebelo, Cristina S. Pereira,  Suberin Isolation from cork using ionic liquids: charcaterization of ensuing products, 2012, 36, 2014-2024.

-.Eliane Trovatti, Susana C.M. Fernandes, Laurent Rubatat, Denilson da Silva Perez, Carmen S.R. Freire, Armando J.D. Silvestre and Carlos Pascoal Neto Pullulan-nanofibrillated cellulose composite films with improved thermal and mechanical properties, Composite Science and Technology, 2012, 72, 1556-1561.

- Liliana C. Tomé, Susana C. M. Fernandes, Patrizia Sadocco, Jessica Causio, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Carmen S. R. Freire, Antibacterial thermoplastic starch-chitosan based materials prepared by melting-mixing, Bioresources, 2012, 7, 3398-3409.

- Rui M. A. Domingues, Eduardo L. G. Oliveira, Pedro C. Simões, Carmen S.R. Freire, Carlos P. Neto, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Carlos M. Silva, Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Eucalyptus globulus bark- A promising approach for triterpenoids production, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2012, 13, 7648-7662.

- Natércia C.T. Martins, Carmen S. R. Freire, Ricardo J.B. Pinto, Susana C. M. Fernandes, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Jessica Causio, Giovanni Baldi, Patrizia Sadocco, TitoTrindade, Electrostatic assembly of silver nanoparticles onto nanofibrillated cellulose for the development of antibacterial paper products, Cellulose, 2012, 19, 1425-1436.

- Ana Filipa M. Cláudio, Ana M. Ferreira, Carmen S. R. Freire, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Mara G. Freire and João A. P. Coutinho, “Optimization of the Gallic Acid Extraction using Ionic-Liquid-Based Aqueous Two-Phase Systems”, Separ. Purif. Technol., 2012, 97, 142-149.

- J. Carneiro, J. Tedim, S.C.M. Fernandes, C.S.R. Freire, A.J.D. Silvestre, A. Gandini, M.G.S. Ferreira, M.L. Zheludkevich. Chitosan-based self-healing protective coatings doped with cerium nitrate for corrosion protection of Aluminium alloy 2024, Progress in Organic Coatings, 2012, 75, 8-13.

- Sónia A.O. Santos, Juan José Villaverde, Carmen S.R. Freire, M. Rosário M. Domingues, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Armando J.D. Silvestre, Phenolic composition and antioxidante activity of Eucalyptus grandis, E. urograndis( E. grandis x E. urophylla) and E. maidenii bark extracts, Industrial Crops and Products, 2012, 39, 120-127.

- Eliane Trovatti, Susana C.M. Fernandes, Laurent Rubatat, Carmen S.R. Freire, Armando J.D. Silvestre and Carlos Pascoal Neto, Sustainable nanocomposite films prepared entirely from microbial polysaccharides, Cellulose, 2012, 19, 729-737.

- Eliane Trovatti, Carmen S.R. Freire, Pedro C. Pinto, Isabel F. Almeida, Paulo Costa, Armando J.D. Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Catarina Rosado, “Bacterial cellulose membranes applied in topical and transdermal delivery of lidocaine and ibuprofen: in vitro diffusion studies”. International Journal of Pharmaceuticals, 2012,  435, 83-87.

- Ricardo J. B. Pinto, Susana C. M. Fernandes, Carmen S. R. Freire, Patrizia Sadocco, Jessica Causio, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Tito Trindade, Optically transparent thin films of nanocomposites of chitosan and silver: chemical strategies and antimicrobial properties, Carbohydrate Research, 2012, 348, 77-83.

- Eliane Trovatti, Nuno H.C.S. Silva, Iola F. Duarte, Catarina F. Rosado, Isabel Almeida, Paulo Costa, Carmen S.R. Freire, Armando J.D. Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, “Biocellulose membranes as supports for dermal release of lidocaine”, Biomacromolecules, 2011, 12 (11), 4162-4168.

- Tânia F. Fernandes, Eliane Trovatti, Carmen S.R. Freire, Armando J.D. Silvestre,  Carlos Pascoal Neto, Alessandro Gandini,  Patrizia Sadocco, “Preparation and Characterization of Novel Biodegradable Composites Based on Acylated Cellulose Fibers and Poly(ethylene sebacate)”, Composite Science and Technology, 2011, 71 (16), 1908-1913.

- R. M. A. Domingues, D. J. S. Patinha, G. D. A. Sousa, J. J. Villaverde, C. M. Silva, C. S. R. Freire, A. J. D. Silvestre and C. Pascoal Neto, Eucalyptus biomass residues from agro-forest and pulping industries as sources of high-value triterpenic compounds,  Cellulose Chem. Technol., 2011, 45 (7-8), 475-481.

- S. A. O. Santos, C. S. R. Freire, M. R. M. Domingues, A. J. D Silvestre, C. Pascoal Neto, “ Characterization of phenolic components in polar extracts of Eucalyptus globulus Labill bark by high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry", J. Agric. Food Chem., 2011, 59(17), 9386-9393.

- Eliane Trovatti, Luisa S. Serafim, Carmen S.R. Freire, Armando J.D. Silvestre and Carlos Pascoal Neto, Gluconacetobacter sacchari: an efficient bacterial cellulose cell-factory, Carbohydrate Polymers, 2011, 86(3), 1417-1420.

-Liliana C. Tomé, Mara G. Freire, Luís Paulo N. Rebelo, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Isabel M. Marruchoand Carmen S. R. Freire, Surface hydrophobization of cellulose nanofibers using ionic liquids as solvent media and catalysts, Green Chemistry, 2011, 13 (9), 2464 – 2470.

- Pedro Carreira, Eliane Trovatti, Luísa S. Serafim, Carmen S.R. Freire, Armando J.D. Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Utilization of residues from agro-forest industries in the production of high value bacterial cellulose, Bioresource Technology, 2011, 102, 7354-7360.

- M. L. Zheludkevich, J. Tedim, C. S. R. Freire, S. C. M. Fernandes, S. Kallip, A. Lisenkov, A. Gandini, M. G. S. Ferreira, “Green” self-healing protective coating with chitosan pre-layer reservoir of corrosion inhibitor, J. Mater. Chem., 2011, 21, 4805-4812.

- Liliana C. Tomé, Ricardo J. B. Pinto, Eliane Trovatti, Carmen S. R. Freire, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Alessandro Gandini, Transparent bionanocomposites with improved properties prepared from acetylated bacterial cellulose and poly(lactic acid) through a simple approach, Green Chem.,  2011, 13, 419-427.

- Susana C. M. Fernandes, Carmen S. R. Freire, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Alessandro Gandini and Carlos Pascoal Neto, Novel materials based on chitosan and cellulose, Polym. Int., 2011, 60, 875-882.

- R. M. A. Domingues, G. D. A. Sousa, C.M. Silva, C. S. R. Freire, A. J. D. Silvestre and C. Pascoal Neto, High value triterpenic compounds from the outer barks of several Eucalyptus species cultivated in Brazil and in Portugal, Ind. Crops Prod., 2011, 33, 158-164.

- Liliana C. Tomé, Carla M. B. Gonçalves, Marta Boaventura, Lúcia Brandão, Adélio M. Mendes^, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Carlos P. Neto, Alessandro Gandini, Carmen S. R. Freire and Isabel M. Marrucho, Preparation and evaluation of the barrier properties of cellophane membranes modified with fatty acids, Carbohyd. Polym., 2011, 83, 836-842

-.Liliana C. Tomé, Lúcia Brandão, Adélio M. Mendes^, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Carlos P. Neto, Alessandro Gandini, Carmen S. R. Freire and Isabel M. Marrucho Preparation and characterization of bacterial cellulose membranes with tailored surface and barrier properties, Cellulose, 2010, 17, 1203-1211.

- Ana Filipa M. Cláudio, Mara G. Freire, Carmen S. R. Freire, Armando J. D. Silvestre and João A. P. Coutinho, Extraction of Vanillin using Ionic-Liquid-Based Aqueous Two-Phase Systems, Separ. Purif. Technol., 2010, 75, 39-47.

- Juan J.Villaverde, Alberto Vega, P Ligero, Carmen S. R. Freire, Carlos Pascoal Neto,  Armando J. D. Silvestre, Miscanthus x giganteus bark organosolv fractionation: fate of lipophilic components and formation of valuable phenolic by-products, J. Agric.  Food Chem., 2010, 58, 8279–8285.

- Susana C. M. Fernandes, Carmen S. R. Freire, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Jacques Desbriéres, Alessandro Gandini Carlos Pascoal Neto, Production of coated papers with improved properties by using a water soluble chitosan derivative, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2010, 49, 6432-6438.

- Susana C. M. Fernandes, Carmen S. R. Freire, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Alessandro Gandini, Lars Berglund, Lennart Salmén, Transparent chitosan films reinforced with a high nanocellulose content, Carbohyd. Polym., 2010, 81,394-401.

- Eliane Trovatti, Lúcia Oliveira, Carmen S. R. Freire, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, José J. C. Cruz Pinto and Alessandro Gandini, Novel bacterial cellulose-acrylic resin nanocomposites, Compos. Sci. Technol., 2010, 70, 1148-1153.

- G. Cunha, C. S. R. Freire, A. J. D. Silvestre, C. Pascoal Neto, A. Gandini, “Preparation and characterization of novel highly omniphobic cellulose organic-inorganic hybrid materials”,Carboh. Polym., 2010, 80, 1048-1056.

- Ana Gisela Cunha, Carmen Freire, Armando Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Alessandro Gandini, M. Naceur Belgacem, Didier Chaussy, Davide Beneventi, Preparation of highly hydrophobic and lipophobic cellulose fibers by a straightforward gas-solid reaction, J. Colloid Interface Sci., 2010, 344, 588-595.

- Carla Vilela, Carmen S. R. Freire, Paula A. A. P. Marques, Tito Trindade, Synthesis and characterization of new CaCO3/cellulose nanocomposites prepared by controlled hydrolysis of dimethylcarbonate, Carbohyd. Polym.  2010, 79, 1150-1156.

- R. M. A. Domingues, G. D. A. Sousa, C. S. R. Freire, A. J. D. Silvestre and C. Pascoal Neto,Eucalyptus globulus biomass residues from pulping industry as source of high value triterpenic compounds, Ind. Crops Prod., 2010, 31, 65-70.

- Susana C. M. Fernandes, Lúcia Oliveira, Carmen S. R. Freire, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Alessandro Gandini, Jacques Desbriéres, Novel transparent nanocomposite films based on chitosan and bacterial cellulose, Green Chem., 2009, 11, 2023–2029.

- Susana C. M. Fernandes, Carmen S. R. Freire, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Alessandro Gandini, Jacques Desbriéres, Sylvie Blanc, Rute A. S. Ferreira, Luís D. Carlos, A study of the distribution of chitosan onto and within a paper sheet using a fluorescent chitosan derivative, Carbohyd. Polym., 2009, 78, 760-766.

- Ivo M. G. Martins, Sandra P. Magina, Lúcia Oliveira, Carmen S. R. Freire, Armando J.D. Silvestre, Carlos Pascoal Neto, Alessandro Gandini, New biocomposites based on thermoplastic starch and bacterial cellulose, Compos. Sci.Technol., 2009, 69, 2163-2168

- J. J. Villaverde, R. M. A. Domingues, C. S. R. Freire, A. J. D. Silvestre, C. Pascoal Neto, P. Ligero, A. Vega, “Lipophilic Constituents of Miscanthus x giganteus: A Source of Valuable Phenolic Compounds and Sterols”, J. Agric. Food Chem., 2009, 57, 3626-3631.

- Oliveira, L.; Freire, C. S. R; Silvestre, A. J. D; Cordeiro, N.,Lipophilic Extracts from Banana Fruit Residues: a Source of Valuable Phytosterols, J. Agric. Food Chem. , 2008, 56, 9520-9524 .

• “Metabolic profiling: a novel tool for evaluation of the toxicological and biological effects of nanomaterials”, FCT, PTDC/SAU-TOX/120953/2010, 2012-2014 (member of the team)
• "Bacterial cellulose membranes for proton exchange fuel cells”, Universidade de Aveiro, FCT, EXPL/CTM-ENE/0548/2012, 01/06/2013-01/06/2014 (member of the team)
• “New Valorization Strategies for Eucalyptus spp. Bark Extracts Eucalyptus triterpenic biological activity,  University of Aveiro, Cebal, University of Minho, PTDC/AGR-FOR/3187/2012, 03/06/2013-03/06/2015 (Researcher, PI University of Aveiro)