Helena Isabel Seguro Nogueira

• FRSC (Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK)
• Scopus: 7003980133
• Orcid: 0000-0003-3701-0846
• Researcher ID: A-3490-2012
• Institutional Adress: University of Aveiro, Department of Chemistry, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal

Assistant Professor with Aggregation at the Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro (UA), Portugal, and a researcher at CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials. Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry (1996), at Imperial College, University of London, UK. Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) UK, since 2014.

At CICECO, was the coordinator of Group 1 - Inorganic Functional Nanomaterials and Organic-Inorganic Hybrids (research Line 1), in the period 2017-2021. Coordinator at UA of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Sustainable Catalysis (SuCat) since 2020. Director of the Master in Chemistry at UA, in 2017-2023. Member of the Scientific Committee of the Doctoral Program in Nanosciences and Nanotechnology, in 2015-2023.

Has been developing research on polyoxometalate chemistry and SERS (Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering). Present research interests focus on polyoxometalate based materials, in particular lanthano-polyoxometalates, organic-inorganic hybrid materials and nanostructured materials. SERS has been explored in research studies on metal nanoparticle assemblies with relevance in trace analysis and biodetection. Confocal Raman microscopy, combined with AFM, has been explored for imaging of nanostructured materials (2017 WITec Paper Award).

Published 124 papers, 3 book chapters and a patent, with ca. 5200 citations (h-index 37), and gave 18 invited talks at international conferences. Supervised 6 PhD Thesis and 5 Post-doctorates. Coordinated 2 FCT financed projects and was a member in other 11 projects. Member of COST Action CM1203: “Polyoxometalate Chemistry for Molecular Nanoscience” (PoCheMoN), and Management Committee representative for Portugal 2012-2016.

 ACADEMIC DEGREES

• "Licenciatura" in Chemistry, University of Coimbra, Portugal, 1987.
• "Mestrado" in Materials Engineering, University of Aveiro, Portugal, 1992.
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Chemistry, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, UK, 1996.
• "Agregação" in Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Portugal, 2023.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

At the University of Aveiro has assumed the following positions: Research scholarship (1987-1990), Assistente Estagiária (1990-1992), Assistente (1992-1997), Assistant Professor (1997-2002), Assistant Professor with full nomination (2002-2022). Assistant Professor with Aggregation (2023 to present).

PhD student at Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, UK (1993-1996).

 PRIZES AND AWARDS

• Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), UK (since 2014).
• Diploma of Imperial College (DIC) in Inorganic Chemistry, London, UK (1996).
• Best scientific works at ASPIC94 - Annual Symposium of Postgraduate Inorganic Chemists, Royal Society of Chemistry, London, UK (1994).
• PhD scholarship from Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Portugal (1993-1996) for PhD studies at Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine.

AREA OF SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY

Inorganic Chemistry: Polyoxometalate based materials, in particular lanthanopolyoxometalate organic-inorganic hybrid materials and nanostructured materials. Coordination chemistry of second and third row transition metals and the lanthanides.

Raman spectroscopy: Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) for the study of metal nanoparticle assemblies with relevance in trace analysis and biodetection. Confocal Raman microscopy, combined with AFM and SNOM, for imaging of nanostructured materials.

DOMAIN OF SPECIALIZATION

Research was developed on the coordination chemistry of aromatic ambidentate ligands (such as picolinates and nicotinates) with second and third row transition metals and the lanthanides. The use of derivatised [60]fullerene ligands in the coordination to lanthanides was also explored. The preparation of new polyoxometalates was studied associated to its use as ligands in d and f metal complexes. The use of polyoxometalates as oxidation catalysts was investigated.

[Chem. Commun., 2004, 2656]

[Chem. Commun., 2006, 2953]

Lanthanopolyoxometalates were used as building units to make luminescent nanosized materials, including film assemblies and polyoxometalate-anion-pillared layered double hydroxides.

Raman spectroscopy, SERS in particular, was used for the investigation of the adsorption modes and orientation of molecules on metal nanoparticle surfaces.

PRESENT RESEARCH INTERESTS

Polyoxometalates have been used as inorganic components in the construction of hybrid organic-inorganic functional materials, the preparation of new polyoxometalate-lanthanide-organic systems has been achieved.