Helena Passos

Helena Passos is a Researcher at CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro (UA). She obtained her MSc degree in 2012 and, after being awarded with a PhD grant from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), she completed her PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Aveiro in 2017. During the PhD, H. Passos had additional trainee activities at Technical University of Dortmund, Germany, and Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan. Between 2017 and 2019, she worked as a post-doctoral researcher in a European Research Council (ERC) project focused on the use of aqueous biphasic systems for the purification of egg yolk antibodies as alternative biopharmaceuticals, and in an international ERA-MIN project concerning the recovery of cobalt and rare earth elements (REE) from nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. Only six months after concluding her PhD, H. Passos attended to the 1^st call of Scientific Employment Stimulus - Individual Call 2017 and, in the end of 2018, she was awarded with a Junior Researcher position by FCT (CEEC IND 2017) to develop novel and sustainable processes based on the use of alternative and green solvents for the recovery and recycling of critical raw materials from electronic waste.

H. Passos has published 40 scientific articles, including 3 critical reviews, 2 on Green Chem journal (IF=10.18) [1 classified as a Highly Cited Paper, WOS] and 1 on Crit Rev Environ Sci Technol journal (IF=12.56) about the application of ionic liquids on metals recovery from waste electrical and electronic equipment. All 40 articles were published in JCR SCI journals, 38 in the top quartile (Q1), counting with +1380 citations and an h-index of 18 (Scopus). She has published in several high IF journals, namely Angew Chem Int Ed, Chem Eng J, Green Chem, ACS Sustain Chem Eng and Sep Purif Technol, with an average journal IF of 6.68. H. Passos worked with +90 different co-authors with diverse affiliations and internationally recognized as leading scientists in green solvents field, namely H. Ohno (Japan), R.D. Rogers (United States), I. Billard (France) and J.A.P. Coutinho (Portugal). Moreover, she has contributed with +150 oral and posters communications and 2 plenary/invited lectures in national and international conferences. H. Passos supervise(d) 1 Post-doc researcher, 2 PhD, 8 MCs (3 international) and 8 BCs students. H. Passos was team member of 2 R&D projects with international collaborators and is currently guest editor of one special issue. Since 2019 she has been involved on pedagogical activities for Chemical Engineering course at the Department of Chemistry, UA.

PATh Research Group
It deals with the study of novel solvents and the development of sustainable products and processes

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2013 - 2017 | European PhD in Chemical Engineering, with specialization in Bioengineering | University of Aveiro, Portugal | Thesis title "Development and characterization of new extraction platforms using ionic-liquid-based aqueous biphasic systems", supervised by Prof. Dr. João A.P. Coutinho (UA) and co-supervised by Dr. Mara G. Freire (UA).

2007 - 2012 | MSc in Chemical Engineering | University of Aveiro, Portugal | Thesis title "Extraction of bioactive compounds with ionic liquid aqueous solutions", supervised by Prof. Dr. João A.P. Coutinho (UA) and co-supervised by Dr. Mara G. Freire (UA).

07/2017–04/2019 | Post-doctoral researcher | CICECO, University of Aveiro, Portugal.

09/2016-12/2016 | Researcher as PhD student | Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan.

03/2013-05/2013 | Researcher as PhD student | Laboratory of Thermodynamics, Technical University of Dortmund, Germany.

08/2011 | Trainee student in quality control (professional traineeship) | Bresfor - Indústria do Formol, S.A., Portugal.

10/2009-09/2010 | Scholarship Researcher (BII 09) | Chemistry Department, CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, Portugal.

-> ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 2021, 9, 3647–3657.

-> Green Chem. 2018, 20, 1218-1223. 
    Research Highlight in Nature Catalysis, 2018, 1, 235 (DOI:10.1038/s41929-018-0066-9)

-> Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 15058-15062.

-> Green Chem. 2017, 19, 4012-4016.
    Included in the themed collections: “International Symposium on Green Chemistry 2017” and “2017 Green Chemistry Hot Articles”

-> ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 2016, 4, 2881-2886.

-> Green Chem. 2014, 16, 4786-4815.
    Highly Cited Paper

- Passos, H., Alves, M. V., (2019) Química em flash, Rev. Ciência Elem., V7(1):012 (http://doi.org/10.24927/rce2019.012)

Post-doctoral researchers

- Anna P. S. Crema, “Desenvolvimento de um processo sustentável para a recuperação de metais a partir de baterias descartadas” | Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Grant | Supervisors: Dr. Helena Passos and Dr. Nicolas Schaeffer, University of Aveiro | 2021.

MSc students

- André Nogueira, “Extraction and recovery of critical and precious metals from e-waste” | MSc Thesis in Chemical Engineering | Supervisors: Dr. Helena Passos and Dr. Nicolas Schaeffer, University of Aveiro | 2021/2022 (ongoing).

- Ana Sofia Pinto, “Ionic liquids and their analogues zwitterionic compounds as a pathway to alternative hydrotropes” | MSc Thesis in Biochemistry | Supervisors: Dr. Helena Passos and Dr. Ana M. Ferreira, University of Aveiro | 2021/2022 (ongoing).

- Adriane T. da Silva, “Dissolução limpa e seletiva de metais a partir de baterias íon-lítio descartadas” | MSc Thesis in Agrochemistry | Supervisors: Prof. Maria do Carmo Hespanhol (Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil), Dr. Helena Passos and Dr. Nicolas Schaeffer (University of Aveiro) | 2020-2022 (ongoing).

- Debora C. de Souza, “Dissolução verde de baterias níquel metal-hidreto para recuperação seletiva de metal crítico” | MSc Thesis in Agrochemistry | Supervisors: Prof. Maria do Carmo Hespanhol (Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil), Dr. Helena Passos and Dr. Nicolas Schaeffer (University of Aveiro) | 2020-2022.

- Ueslei Giori Favero, “Uso de extração com solvente eutéctico para separar cério de lantânio” | MSc Thesis in Agrochemistry | Supervisors: Prof. Maria do Carmo Hespanhol (Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil), Dr. Helena Passos and Dr. Nicolas Schaeffer (University of Aveiro) | 2020-2022.

- Sandra Silva, “De resíduos alimentares a compostos de valor acrescentado utilizando soluções aquosas de solventes alternativos” | MSc Thesis in Biochemistry | Supervisors: Dr. Ana M. Ferreira and Dr. Helena Passos, University of Aveiro | 2020/2021.

- Brayan Cruz, “Zwitterions as hydrotropes to enhance the solubility of drugs in water” | MSc Thesis in Biochemistry | Supervisors: Dr. Helena Passos and Dr. Ana M. Ferreira, University of Aveiro | 2020/2021.

BSc students

- José G. P. Santos, “Zwitterionic compounds derived from ionic liquids: a new class of solvents and their application” | Graduation in Biotechnology | Supervisors: Dr. Helena Passos and Dr. Ana M. Ferreira, University of Aveiro | 2021/2022 (ongoing).

- Catarina N. N. Caramelo, “Valorization of poultry-processing industry waste by keratin extraction using alternative solvents” | Graduation in Biotechnology | Supervisors: Dr. Helena Passos and Dr. Márcia C. Neves, University of Aveiro | 2021/2022 (ongoing).

- Nuno F. A. Pedrosa, “Aplicação da microalga Phaeodactylum tricornutum como um pré-concentrador de metais” | Graduation in Biotechnology | Supervisors: Dr. Helena Passos and Prof. Dr. João A.P. Coutinho, University of Aveiro | 2020/2021.

- António J. da R. Coelho, “Use of bottom ashes as a secondary source for the recovery of transition metals and critical materials” | Graduation in Biotechnology | Supervisors: Dr. Helena Passos and Dr. Nicolas Schaeffer, University of Aveiro | 2020/2021.

- Ana S. R. Pinto, “Hydrotropic effect of zwitterionic compounds as a strategy to facilitate the administration of drugs” | Graduation in Biochemistry | Supervisors: Dr. Helena Passos and Dr. Ana M. Ferreira, University of Aveiro | 2019/2020.

- Tatiana D. Ferreira, “Avaliação do efeito hidrotrópico de compostos zwiteriónicos para aplicação na indústria farmacêutica” | Graduation in Biotechnology | Supervisors: Dr. Helena Passos and Dr. Ana M. Ferreira, University of Aveiro | 2019/2020.

- Brayan I. Cruz, “Metals extraction from acid mine drainage water – the São Domingos mine” | Graduation in Biochemistry | Supervisors: Prof. Dr. João A.P. Coutinho and Dr. Helena Passos, University of Aveiro | 2017/2018.

- Sara H. S. Costa, “Extraction and selective separation of dyes with aqueous multiphasic systems” | Graduation in Biotechnology | Supervisors: Prof. Dr. João A.P. Coutinho and Dr. Helena Passos, University of Aveiro | 2013/2014.