Research
Manuel Melle-Franco leads the Advanced Modelling Lab , a multidisciplinary group focussing on the understanding of relevant problems in a broad area including chemistry, physics, molecular biology, and materials science with a current output of 130 publications with an added impact factor > 1000.
Manuel's education and career are highly multidisciplinary. He has a degree in Physical-Chemistry from the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), followed by an M.Sc. in Materials Chemistry from the University of Kent (UK) and a Ph.D. in Chemical Physics (2001) from the University of Kent (UK) with Alan Chadwick, with a year abroad in the University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy) with Gianfranco Pacchioni.
After that, he joined the group of Francesco Zerbetto at the University of Bologna (Italy) for 8 years. Later, he moved to Portugal, where he worked at the University of Porto and the University of Minho. Manuel has been working in CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials since 2016.
Manuel’s research has been reported in a variety of high-visibility journals, most notably: Nature, Chem, J. Am. Chem. Soc.* (x11); Angewandte Chemie* (x10); Nano Letters* (x3); ACS Nano (x2); Nature Communications (x2)*; Small; Small Methods (x2); BioMaterials; Journal of Materials Chemistry A* (x2); PNAS; Chemical Science* (x4); Carbon* (x6); ACS Appl Mater Interfaces (x5); Nano Research; NanoScale (x4); Chem. Comm.* (x6); Organic Letters* (x7); Chem. Eur. J.* (x7); Environmental Microbiology; J. Chem. Theo. Comp. (x2); Journal of Materials Chemistry C (x2) among others, in addition to Nature Nanotechnology* (x2) review N&V pieces (*: corresponding author).
Manuel's works have been highlighted in general media, such as radio and newspapers, and in several specialized outlets like Nature Reviews Chemistry, Chemistry World (x8), Physics World (x3), Chemistry Views (x4), SynFacts (x2), and Computational Chemistry Highlights.
Covers
Ongoing Supervisions
Clara Alves Ponte
PhD Student
Nuno Fortunato
Research Fellowship
Ricardo Ortiz Cano
Junior Researcher
Sergey Pyrlin
Junior Researcher
Veniero Lenzi
Post-Doc FellowshipProjects
Alternative SuperConducting Superlattice (SuperSuper)
Local CoordinatorFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Moiré materials have emerged as a two-dimensional platform with a broad range of states between superconducting and insulating. Despite the remarkable scientific progress, an important bottleneck is the lack of a general and facile approach for the production of moiré materials. SuperSuper is targeted at developing a disruptive straightforward b...Engineered Conductive Proteins for Bioelectronics (E-PROT)
Local CoordinatorEuropean Comission
Proteins demonstrate exceptional structural and electrical conduction properties for designing functional materials. The goal of the EU-funded e-Prot project is to rationally design efficient conductive protein systems and produce protein-based conductive structures and materials. This breakthrough relies on a multidisciplinary scientific approa...FantastiCOF: Fabricating and Implementing Exotic Moiré Materials from Covalent Organic Frameworks (FantastiCOF)
Local CoordinatorEuropean Comission
Superconducting devices based on Josephson Junctions (JJs) are among the most versatile devices in superconducting electronics. Yet challenges remain because conventional JJs are created using a variety of materials that have been identified as a source of noise, dissipation and dephasing, and also, that raise compatibility problems dur...Redox-active Metal-Organic Frameworks as Electrode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries (RedoxMOFs)
PartnerFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
One of the main concerns of modern society is reducing its dependence on fossil fuels. Due to their low cost and low environmental impact, electrical energy storage devices are among the most promising alternatives to conventional fossil fuels, as the electricity generated from renewable sources may be efficiently stored. In particular, lithium-...Functionalized graphene for quantum technologies (PTDC/FIS-NAN/4662/2014)
Local CoordinatorFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Grafeno; tecnología quânticas; defeitos pontuais paramagnéticas; spin interactionsProjeto de Investigação Exploratória: Manuel Melle (IF Manuel Melle)
CoordinatorFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Redesigning 2D Materials for the Formulation of Semiconducting Inks (2D INK)
Local CoordinatorEuropean Comission
2D-INK is targeted at developing inks of novel 2D semiconducting materials for low-cost large-area fabrication processes on insulating substrates through a new methodology, which will exceed the properties of state-of-the-art graphene- and graphene oxide based inks. Achieving this would represent an important step forward in the processing of 2D...Publications
Covalent organic frameworks as catalyst support: A case study of thermal, hydrothermal, and mechanical pressure stability of β-ketoenamine-linked TpBD-Me2
Liliana P.L. Gonçalves, Javier Garcia Ben, Karol Strutyński, Laura Rodriguez-Lorenzo, Joana Araújo, A.Sofia G.G. Santos, O. Salomé G.P. Soares, M. Fernando R. Pereira, Yury V. Kolen'ko, Manuel Melle-Franco, Laura M. Salonen
2024, Microporous and Mesoporous Materials.
Unveiling the Role of Capping Groups in Naphthalene N-Capped Dehydrodipeptide Hydrogels
Vilaça, H; Carvalho, A; Castro, T; Castanheira, EMS; Hilliou, L; Hamley, I; Melle-Franco, M; Ferreira, PMT; Martins, JA
2023, GELS, 9, 6.
One-step synthesis of magnetic covalent organic framework composite for the adsorption of marine toxin okadaic acid
Romero, V; Fernandes, SPS; Gonçalves, LPL; Oliveira, O; Meledina, M; Strutynski, K; Melle-Franco, M; Kolen'ko, YV; Espiña, B; Salonen, LM
2023, CRYSTENGCOMM, 25, 16, 2456-2462.
Non-Canonical Amino Acids as Building Blocks for Peptidomimetics: Structure, Function, and Applications
Castro, TG; Melle-Franco, M; Sousa, CEA; Cavaco-Paulo, A; Marcos, JC
2023, BIOMOLECULES, 13, 6.
Sequential On-Surface Cyclodehydrogenation in a Nonplanar Nanographene
Zuzak, R; Quiroga, S; Engelund, M; Pérez, D; Peña, D; Godlewski, S; Melle-Franco, M
2023, JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS, 14, 46, 10442-10449.
Modulating Strain in Twisted Pyrene-Fused Azaacenes
Mateos-Martín, J; Dhbaibi, K; Melle-Franco, M; Mateo-Alonso, A
2023, CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, 29, 69.
Direct C-H Arylation of Dithiophene-Tetrathiafulvalene: Tuneable Electronic Properties and 2D Self-Assembled Molecular Networks at the Solid/Liquid Interface
Ribeiro, C; Valente, G; Espinosa, M; Silva, RAL; Belo, D; Gil-Guerrero, S; Arisnabarreta, N; Mali, KS; De Feyter, S; Melle-Franco, M; Souto, M
2023, CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, 29, 37.
Hydrogen-Terminated Two-Dimensional Germanane/Silicane Alloys as Self-Powered Photodetectors and Sensors
Roy, PK; Hartman, T; Sturala, J; Luxa, J; Melle-Franco, M; Sofer, Z
2023, ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES, 15, 21, 25693-25703.
2D Layered Bimetallic Phosphorous Trisulfides MIMIIIP2S6 (MI = Cu, Ag; MIII = Sc, V, Cr, In) for Electrochemical Energy Conversion
Oliveira, FM; Pastika, J; Plutnarová, I; Mazánek, V; Strutynski, K; Melle-Franco, M; Sofer, Z; Gusmao, R
2023, SMALL METHODS, 7, 2.
C60+C60 molecular bonding revisited and expanded
Laranjeira, J; Strutynski, K; Marques, L; Martínez-Núñez, E; Melle-Franco, M
2023, CARBON, 213.