Patrícia dos Santos Neves

Patrícia Neves (PN) graduated from the University of Aveiro, Portugal, and obtained her PhD in Chemical Engineering from the same institution in 2011, followed by postdoctoral work up to 2018. Currently, she holds the position as Assistant Researcher at CICECO. She has been interested mainly in (i) Mo- and W-containing catalytic systems for the epoxidation of olefins, oxidation of alcohols/aldehydes/sulfides, alcoholysis of epoxides and acetalisation of aldehydes, for the production of useful chemicals, and additionally (ii) acid-catalysed conversion of platform chemicals derived from pentose/hexose-based carbohydrate biomass for the production of bio-derived chemicals. She coauthored 58 papers published in SCI journals (h-index = 23) and has been collaborating with national (Lisbon, Porto, Aveiro, Évora, Algarve) and international (Poland, Ukraine) research groups. PN is PI of a 3-year project (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030075; competitive funding) entitled "Bio-derived olefins conversion using reaction-induced self-separating catalysts" (BiOle_AcidOxCat), since July 2018. She has over 65 presentations at national and international scientific meetings, has assisted MSc and PhD students in developing the catalytic studies for their theses and is presently supervisor of two students holding a MSc degree. Scientific interests: PN made new, important contributions in the field of applied catalysis for the epoxidation of olefins available in nature or as industrial by-products (unsaturated terpenes and fatty acids), to produce useful compounds as alternatives to (non-renewable) fossil fuel-derived products. For the first time, a dinuclear oxodiperoxo complex was studied as (bio-derived) olefin epoxidation catalysts and this publication was Editor's choice for Molecular Catalysis. Her work covers homogeneous catalysis (e.g. using (a)chiral complexes, POMs, etc.), and heterogeneous catalysis (e.g. using MOFs), and, more recently, she discovered the first time the reaction-induced self-separating (RI-SS) catalytic behavior of a molybdenum-based hybrid. This molybdenum-based hybrid was a versatile RI-SS catalyst for the epoxidation of bio-derived olefins and sulfoxidation of sulfides (this paper was Editor-in-Chief's Featured Article of Journal of Catalysis). Very few RI-SS catalysts were reported until now and PN has explored this wonder field between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, understanding the relationships between the structure and activity. Amongst her most important contributions to catalysis with molybdenum compounds are assessments of catalyst stability and identification of the active species formed which had been poorly investigated in previous works reported by different research groups worldwide. Other contributions have been made such as the valorisation of pentose/hexose-based carbohydrate biomass. PN uses advanced mass spectrometry techniques for the identification of products of complex reaction mixtures obtained from biomass conversion, and also from the oligomerisation of olefins to sulfur-free fuels. PN has participated in catalytic studies of industrially produced furfuryl alcohol, characterization of the catalysts and GC×GC-ToFMS studies.

Homogeneous and heterogeneous oxidation catalytic processes

Reaction-induced self-separating catalysts

Acid-base catalytic reactions

Valorization of biomass through catalytic processes

Doctor Anabela Tavares Aguiar Valente

Doctor Isabel Gonçalves

Doctor Martyn Pillinger

Doctor Margarida Antunes

Doctor Sofia Bruno

Doctor Ana Gomes 

Doctor Tatiana Amarante

MsC Martinique Nunes

MsC Diana Gomes

Elementos de Química-Física -Pratical classes