Sofia Soares

Junior Researcher

Short CV

CAREER HISTORY:
August 2024-ongoing:
Junior Researcher (CEEC 6th edition, 2023.06221.CEECIND/CP2840/CT0019), Department of Chemistry, CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials – University of Aveiro, Portugal. 

November 2022-June 2023: First Level Doctorate Researcher in the BIOMAG project (CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-181268), CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Chemistry, CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials – University of Aveiro, Portugal. 

November 2021-September 2022: Post-doctoral Researcher in the RECLAIM project (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-047052). at the Department of Materials and Ceramics Engineering, University of Aveiro, Portugal.

AWARDS:
Winner of the International Sol-Gel Society (ISGS) PhD Thesis Award Prize for 2021 (Gold medal)

OUTREACH ACTIVITIES:
She participated in a podcast "90 seconds of Science" (2022, RTP, Antena 1)

Academic degrees

2017-2021 • PhD in Nanosciences and Nanotechnology at University of Aveiro, Portugal • Thesis: Magnetic bio-hybrid nanosorbents for the removal of pharmaceutical pollutants and pesticides from water • Superisors: Dr. Ana Luísa Daniel da Silva and Prof. Dr. Tito Trindade.

2011-2013 • MSc in Biochemistry at University of Aveiro, Portugal • Thesis: Epidemiology of producer strains of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESBL) in urinary   tract infections (UTI) • Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Elmano Ramalheira and Dr. Sónia Ferreira.

2008-2011 • BSc in Biochemistry at University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal • Project: A research on Alzheimer's disease - Effect of tacrine in the organization and activity of neurons in the cortex synaptosomes from rat brainSupervisor: Dr. Romeu Videira.

Patents

1. Portuguese Provisional Patent Application, 2023, Nº118729, METHOD FOR THE REMOVAL OF CATIONIC AND/OR ANIONIC DYES FROM WATER OR WASTEWATER USING MAGNETIC BIONANOCOMPOSITE PARTICLES. https://pt.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?DB=EPODOC&II=0&ND=3&adjacent=true&locale=pt_pt&FT=D&date=20241219&CC=PT&NR=118729A&KC=A

2. Portuguese Patent (GRANTED) 2019, MÉTODO PARA A PREPARAÇÃO DE MATERIAIS HÍBRIDOS DE POLISSACARÍDEO/SÍLICA E MÉTODO DE PREPARAÇÃO DE PARTÍCULAS MAGNÉTICAS REVESTIDAS COM UMA CAMADA DE MATERIAL HÍBRIDO POLISSACARÍDEO/SÍLICA. https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search/family/058668366/publication/PT108283B?q=PT108283B

Ongoing Supervisions

  

Supervisions

MSc Thesis:
- Ana Luísa Machado, 2025-ongoing, MSc in Biochemical Engineering, “Magnetic maltodextrin-coated nanocubes as smart platforms for controlled drug delivery and release”. Supervisor.

- João Brenheiro, 2025-ongoing, MSc in Chemistry, “Multifunctional nanosorbents based on hybrid materials for the SERS detection of water contaminants ”. Co-supervisor.

- Filipe Lopes, 2024-ongoing, MSc in Chemistry, “Detection of water micropollutants using multifunctional magnetic nanosorbents”. Co-supervisor.

BSc 3rd year final project:
- Beatriz Gonçalves, 2023-2024, BSc in Biotechnology, “Efficiency and toxicity of magnetic nanomaterials for water decontamination with agrochemicals”. Supervisor.

- Bruno Inglês, 2023-2024, BSc in Biotechnology, “Efficiency and toxicity of magnetic bionanosorbents for the removal of salicylic acid from water”. Supervisor.

- Nuno Silva, 2023-2024, BSc in Biotechnology, “Magnetic bio-nanosobents for detection of pollutants in water”. Co-supervisor.

- João Brenheiro, 2023-2024, BSc in Chemistry, “Water quality monitoring using ecofriendly nanoadsorbents”. Co-supervisor.

- Rute Aires Martins, 2022-2023, BSc in Materials Engineering, “Influence of glazing conditions on the characteristics of the formed layer”. Co-supervisor.

CICECO Young Scientist Program
-
Flávia Domingues, 2024-ongoing, BSc in Biotechnology, "Advancing pure water solutions with two-dimensional MXene-based materials". Supervisor.

- João Brenheiro, 09/2024-12/2024, MSc in Chemistry, "Water quality monitoring using eco-friendly nanoadsorbents". Supervisor

Current activity

  • Development of MXene-based magnetic bionanocomposites for advanced water treatment applications
  • Design of magnetic nanocarriers for targeted and controlled drug delivery
  • Fabrication of multifunctional magnetic nanosorbents for ultrasensitive SERS detection of water pollutants

Research Interests

  • Eco-friendly magnetic biosorbents for environmental remediation
  • 3D MXene-based magnetic bionanocomposites for water purification
  • Advanced adsorption and photocatalysis processes for pollutant removal
  • Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for trace detection of contaminants
  • Smart nanocarriers for biomedical applications (drug delivery, imaging, theranostics)
  • Sustainable nanotechnology for clean water and environmental sustainability

Teaching

Academic year 2025/2026- 1st Semester: Chemistry-Physics Elements (Curricular Unit 48119), 6 ECTS, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro.

Publications

Charge-selective magnetic bionanosorbents for multi-dye wastewater treatment: performance, regeneration and ecotoxicity assessment

Sofia F. Soares, Barbara Pereira, Joana Santos, Tito Trindade, Ângela Barreto , Vera L. Maria, Ana L. Daniel-da-Silva
2025, Separation and Purification Technology, 378.

Multifunctional bionanocomposites for trace detection of water contaminants

Sofia F. Soares, João Brenheiro , Sara Fateixa , Ana L. Daniel-da-Silva , Tito Trindade
2025, Journal of Colloid And Interface Science, 700.

Tuning adsorption capacities of hybrid mesoporous silica nanospheres and adsorption mechanism study for sulfamethoxazole and diclofenac removal from water

Ortiz-Bustos, J; Soares, SF; del Pulgar, HP; Pérez, Y; Gómez-Ruiz, S; Daniel-da-Silva, AL; del Hierro, I
2024, JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS, 398.
ISBN: 1873-3166

Magneto-plasmonic bionanocomposites for on-site SERS detection of water contaminants

Soares, SF; Silva, NMAS; Brenheiro, J; Fateixa, S; Daniel-da-Silva, AL; Trindade, T
2024, SENSORS & DIAGNOSTICS, 3, 7, 1177-1189.
ISBN: 2635-0998

Transition metal-modification of carrageenan-silica hybrids by a sol-gel method

Soares, SF; Daniel-da-Silva, AL; Trindade, T
2023, JOURNAL OF SOL-GEL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 107, 1, 201-214.

Towards efficient ciprofloxacin adsorption using magnetic hybrid nanoparticles prepared with κ-, ι-, and λ-carrageenan

Soares, SF; Nogueira, J; Trindade, T; Daniel-da-Silva, AL
2023, JOURNAL OF NANOSTRUCTURE IN CHEMISTRY, 13, 2, 283-302.

High yttrium retention in magnetite nanoparticles functionalized with hybrid silica-dextran shells

Horta A.C.; Amorim C.O.; Soares S.F.; Bañobre-López M.; Daniel-da-Silva A.L.; Trindade T.; Amaral J.S.
2023, Nano-Structures and Nano-Objects, 36.

A versatile synthetic route towards gelatin-silica hybrids and magnetic composite colloidal nanoparticles

Soares, SF; Fateixa, S; Trindade, T; Daniel-da-Silva, AL
2022, ADVANCED COMPOSITES AND HYBRID MATERIALS, 5, 2, 884-898.

On the efficient removal, regeneration and reuse of quaternary chitosan magnetite nanosorbents for glyphosate herbicide in water

Soares, SF; Amorim, CO; Amaral, JS; Trindade, T; Daniel-da-Silva, AL
2021, JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, 9, 3.
ISBN: 2213-3437

Enhanced Removal of Non-Steroidal Inflammatory Drugs from Water by Quaternary Chitosan-Based Magnetic Nanosorbents

Soares, SF; Trindade, T; Daniel-da-Silva, AL
2021, COATINGS, 11, 8.
ISBN: 2079-6412

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