https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1673-2164

http://www.researcherid.com/rid/F-6174-2011

Professional Experience

2013/       Since 11^th June Principal Researcher at Department of Chemistry, Associated Laboratory CICECO, University of Aveiro, PT (Development grant, Investigator FCT 2012).

2009/13   4 years as Auxiliar Researcher at Department of Chemistry, Associated Laboratory CICECO, University of Aveiro, PT (Ciência 2008).

2007/09   1 year and 8 months as Research Scientist/Marie Curie Transfer of Knowledge Post-Doctoral research fellow at Unilever R&D, Physical&Chemical Insights/Structured Materials Expertise Group, Home and Personal Care/Discover, Port Sunlight, UK.

2005/07   2 years as Auxiliar Researcher of University of Porto working at the Associated Laboratory REQUIMTE/CEQUP (Dep. Chemistry, FCUP)

2003/05   2 years and 6 months as Post-Doctoral research fellow (FCT-SFRH/BPD/11678/2002) at REQUIMTE/CEQUP, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto and at the Green Chemistry Group/Clean Technology Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of York, UK.

1998/02   4 years as Ph.D. research fellow (FCT-PRAXIS XXI/BD/17112) at CEQUP, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, PT.

1996/97   6 months placement in the Raw Material Laboratory of the Iberic Coatings leader (CIN) updating the FTIR spectra database of raw materials and using it as a support for R&D, Maia, PT.

Education

1998/02   Ph. D. in Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, PT (Thesis Design of new catalysts: nanocomposites prepared by immobilisation of transition metal complexes with Schiff bases on activated carbons, http://hdl.handle.net/10216/10108)

1997/98   Master in Chemistry (Speciality of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, PT (Thesis Characterisation of copper(II) carboxylate complexes with pyrazole derivatives, http://hdl.handle.net/10216/10665)

1996/97   Specialisation Course in the Master in Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, PT

1992/96   Licenciatura in Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, PT

- Asymmetric heterogeneous catalysis

- Heterogeneous catalysis by MOF

- Green/sustainable chemistry

- Homogeneous catalysis by coordination compounds

- Liquid phase oxidation catalysis

- Immobilisation of homogeneous catalysts onto porous solids

- Nanostructured materials

- Organic functionalisation of materials

- Characterisation of surface chemistry of materials

- Spectroscopic methods

- synthesis of chiral polydentate ligands and corresponding transition metal complexes

- Prof. James Clark, Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, Univ. York, UK

- Dr. Vitaly Budarin, Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, Univ. York, UK

- Prof. João Pires da Silva, CQB, University Lisbon, PT

- Dr. Fanian Shi, CICECO, University of Aveiro, PT

- Dr. Paula Ferreira, CICECO, University of Aveiro, PT

2009/10 - Laboratory General Chemistry (2nd Semester)

2010/11 - Laboratories of Elements of Chemistry and Physics (1st Semester)

            - General Chemistry (2nd Semester)

2011/12 TP Elements of Chemistry and Physics (1st Semester)

Principal Investigator (Investigador Responsável)

1- Catalytic oxidation reactions by transition metal complexes confined into mesoporous structured solids (PTDC/QUI/64770/2006), financed by FCT in the area of Chemistry and Biochemistry, from the 1^st of February of 2009 till the 31^st of July of 2012.

2- Marie Curie European Re-Integration Grant (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG-256509), 1^st April 2010 till the 31^st of March 2013 (http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/94628_en.html).

3- Acção Integrada Luso-Espanhola (E-43/11) financed by CRUP, 1^st April 2011 till the 31^st of March 2013.

Currently, Ana is author/co- of 61 published in international refereed journals, a chapter of an edited book, an European patent and a PT patent registered. She presented 3 invited talks (international), 16 oral presentations and 30 posters mainly at international conferences. 

Chapter of Edited book

C. Freire, A.R. Silva, Carbon anchored metal complex catalysts in: Carbon Materials for Catalysis, edited by P. Serp and J.L. Figueiredo, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, Hoboken, 2009, 267-307 (Chapter 8), ISBN: 978-0-470-17885-0, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470403709.ch8.

Selected Publications in refereered Journals

Chiral periodic mesoporous bis(oxazoline)-phenylenesilica: an highly efficient and reusable asymmetric heterogeneous catalyst, M.A.O. Lourenço, L. Carneiro, I. Diaz, A. Mayoral, A.R. Silva, P. Ferreira, Journal of Catalysis, 320 (2014) 63–69; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcat.2014.09.017.

Synthesis, immobilization and catalytic activity of a copper(II) complex with a chiral bis(oxazoline), L. Carneiro, A.R. Silva, P. Shuttleworth, V. Budarin, J.H. Clark, Molecules, 19(2014) 11988-11998; http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/molecules190811988.

Enantioselective cyclopropanation and aziridination of styrene catalyzed by copper(II) bis(oxazoline) anchored onto mesoporous materials, H. Albuquerque, L. Carneiro, A.P. Carvalho, J. Pires,A.R. Silva, Polyhedron, 79 (2014) 315-323, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2014.05.025.

Asymmetric Heterogeneous Catalysis by nanoporous materials using privileged ligands as chiral building blocks, A.R. Silva, Current Organic Chemistry, 18 (2014) 1225-1240, http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1385272819666140424003937.

Peroxidative oxidation of cyclic and linear hexane catalysed by supported iron complexes under mild and sustainable conditions, A.R. Silva, J. Botelho, Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical, 381 (2014) 171–178, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.molcata.2013.10.020.

Asymmetric benzoylation of hydrobenzoin by copper(II) bis(oxazoline) anchored onto ordered mesoporous silicas and their carbon replicas, A.R. Silva, L. Carneiro, A. P. Carvalho, J. Pires, Catalysis Science & Technology, 3(2013) 2415-2424, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C3CY00232B.

Copper(II) aza-bis(oxazoline) complex anchored and encapsulated into MCM-22 derived materials as heterogeneous catalysts for the transformation of alkenes, A.R. Silva, V. Guimarães, L. Carneiro, A. Martins, A.P. Carvalho, J. Pires, Microporous & Mesoporous Materials, 179 (2013) 231–241, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.micromeso.2013.05.029.

Microwave-Assisted Immobilization of Manganese Salen Complexes: Increased Activity and Chemoselectivity in Catalytic Epoxidation, A.R. Silva, V. Budarin, J.H. Clark, ChemCatChem 5 (2013) 895 – 898, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cctc.201200376.

The role of the support properties in the catalytic performance of an anchored copper(II) aza-bis(oxazoline) in mesoporous silicas and their carbon replicas, A.R. Silva, V. Guimarães, A. P. Carvalho, J. Pires, Catalysis Science & Technology 3 (2013) 659-672, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C2CY20638B.

Oxidation of cyclohexane by transition metal complexes with biomimetic ligands, A.R. Silva, T. Mourão, J. Rocha, Catalysis Today 203 (2013) 81-86, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cattod.2012.07.043.

Strategies for copper bis(oxazoline) immobilization onto porous silica based materials, A.R. Silva, H. Albuquerque, S. Borges, R. Siegel, L. Mafra, A. P. Carvalho, J. Pires, Micropor. Mesopor. Mater. 158 (2012) 26-38, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.micromeso.2012.02.044.

Copper bis(oxazoline) encapsulated in zeolites and its application as heterogeneous catalysts for the cyclopropanation of styrene, A.R. Silva, H. Albuquerque, A. Fontes, S. Borges, A. Martins, A. P. Carvalho, J. Pires, Indus. Eng. Chem. Res. 50 (2011) 11495-11501, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ie201178d.

Novel hybrid metal-organic framework based on copper(I) sulfate as a catalyst for the cyclopropanation of styrene, F.-N. Shi, A.R. Silva, J. Rocha, J. Solid State Chem. 184 (2011) 2196–2203,  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jssc.2011.06.023

Controlled silver delivery by silver-cellulose nanocomposites prepared by an one-pot green synthesis assisted by microwaves, A.R. Silva, G. Unali, Nanotechnology 22 (2011) 315605, http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0957-4484/22/31/315605

Porous silicas and respective carbon replicates for adsorption and catalysis, J. Pires, S. Borges, A.P. Carvalho, A.R. Silva, Adsorption Science and Technology 28 (2010) 717-726.

Modulation of the catalytic activity of manganese(III) salen complexes in the epoxidation of styrene: influence of the oxygen source, A.R. Silva, C. Freire, B. de Castro, New J. Chem. 28 (2004) 253-260, doi: 10.1039/b309125b.

Activated carbons with immobilised manganese(III) salen complexes as heterogeneous catalysts in the epoxidation of olefins: influence of support and ligand functionalisation on selectivity and reusability, A.R. Silva, J. Vital, J.L. Figueiredo, C. Freire, B. de Castro, New J. Chem. 27 (2003) 1511-1517, doi:10.1039/b305160a.

Jacobsen catalyst anchored onto an activated carbon as an enantioselective heterogeneous catalyst for the epoxidation of alkenes, A.R. Silva, C. Freire, B. de Castro, Carbon 42 (2004) 3027-3030, doi:10.1016/j.carbon.2004.06.037.

Manganese(III) salen complexes anchored onto activated carbon as heterogeneous catalysts for the epoxidation of olefins, A.R. Silva, J.L. Figueiredo, C. Freire, B. de Castro, Micropor. Mesopor. Mat. 68 (2004) 83-89, doi:10.1016/j.micromeso.2003.12.002.

Chiral manganese(III) Schiff base complexes anchored onto activated carbon as enantioselective heterogeneous catalysts for alkene epoxidation, A.R. Silva, V. Budarin, J.H. Clark, B. de Castro, C. Freire, Carbon 43 (2005) 2096-2105, doi:10.1016/j.carbon.2005.03.024.

Organo-functionalized activated carbons as supports for the covalent attachment of a chiral manganese(III) salen complex, A.R. Silva, V. Budarin, J.H. Clark, C. Freire, B. de Castro, Carbon 45 (2007) 1951-1964, doi:10.1016/j.carbon.2007.06.013.

Covalent attachment of chiral manganese(III) salen complexes onto functionalised hexagonal mesoporous silica and application to the asymmetric epoxidation of alkenes, A.R. Silva, K. Wilson, J.H Clark, C. Freire, Micropor. Mesopor. Mat. 91 (2006) 128-138, doi:10.1016/j.micromeso.2005.11.032.

Copper(II) acetylacetonate anchored onto an activated carbon as a heterogeneous catalyst for the aziridination of styrene, A.R. Silva, J.L. Figueiredo, C. Freire, B. de Castro, Catal. Today 102-103 (2005) 154-159, doi:10.1016/j.cattod.2005.02.016.

Amine-functionalised hexagonal mesoporous silica as support for copper(II) acetylacetonate catalyst, A.R. Silva, K. Wilson, A.C. Whitwood, J.H Clark, C. Freire, Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. (2006), 1275-1283, doi: 10.1002/ejic.200500979.

Anchoring of vanadyl acetylacetonate onto amine functionalised activated carbons: Catalytic activity in the epoxidation of an allylic alcohol, B. Jarrais, A.R. Silva, C. Freire, Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. (2005) 4582-4589, doi: 10.1002/ejic.200500435.

Asymmetric alkene epoxidation by Mn(III)salen catalysts in ionic liquids, J. Teixeira, A.R. Silva, L.C. Branco, C.A.M. Afonso, C. Freire, Inorg. Chim. Acta, 363 (2010) 3321-3329, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ica.2010.06.018

Organo-Laponites as novel mesoporous supports for manganese(III) salen catalysts, I. Kuźniarska-Biernacka, A.R. Silva, A.P. Carvalho, J. Pires, C. Freire, Langmuir 21 (2005) 10825-10834, doi: 10.1021/la051619n.

Encapsulation of chiral Mn(III) salen complexes into aluminium pillared clays: application as heterogeneous catalysts in the epoxidation of styrene, P. Das, I. Kuźniarska-Biernacka, A.R. Silva, C. Freire, A.P. Carvalho, J. Pires, J. Mol. Catal. A-Chem. 248 (2006) 135-143, doi:10.1016/j.molcata.2005.12.023.

Asymmetric epoxidation by the Jacobsen catalyst anchored onto aminopropyl-functionalised Laponite, MCM-41 and FSM-16, P. Das, A.R. Silva, A.P. Carvalho, J. Pires, C. Freire, Catal. Lett. 129 (2009) 367-375. doi: 10.1007/s10562-008-9793-x.

Development of novel pillared clays for the encapsulation of inorganic complexes, J. Pires, J. Francisco, A. Carvalho, M. Brotas de Carvalho, A.R. Silva, C. Freire, B. de Castro, Langmuir 20 (2004) 2861-2866, DOI: 10.1021/la0357209.

Vanadyl acetylacetonate anchored onto amine-functionalised clays and catalytic activity in the epoxidation of geraniol, C. Pereira, A.R. Silva, A.P. Carvalho, J. Pires, C. Freire, J. Mol. Cat. A-Chem. 283 (2008) 5-14, doi: 10.1016/j.molcata.2007.11.034.