Profiles:

Researcher ID LXB-2769-2024

Welcome!

A. G. Macedo

is currently Professor at the Physics Department of UTFPR-Brazil. In this page you can find informations about publications, research projects and news. Our research interests are currently focused on the sustainable design and development of organic photovoltaics and/or energy harvesting devices assembled from new copolymers and electron donator/acceptor molecules, as well as optical and electrical properties of these materials. The researcher keeps her great interest in lanthanides, the use of atomic force microscopy to probe effects of solvents or thermal annealing in polymeric thin films and new techniques to process polymer thin films in large areas, such as roll-to-roll method.

You can contact me anytime to explore possibilities for collaborations and opportunities !

June/2024

Launching the NAPI - Organic Electronics

This is a collaborative project that encompasses the UTFPR, PUC-PR, UEPG, and UEL Universities based in the Parana State, south of Brazil, besides the University of Aveiro (Portugal) and University of Karlstad (Sweden). The research efforts also involve local companies and institutes, such as Robert Bosch Ltd., SANEPAR, LABGEO, Graphene of Brazil, America R&D, LACTEC, and the Scientific-Technical Sector from the Federal Policy Department. More information about the subject and aims of this project can be found below:

https://youtube.com/live/zWJha7x_9Rk?feature=share

Pesquisas em Eletrônica Orgânica recebem R$ 2,1 milhões em investimentos do Governo do Estado | Fundação Araucária (fappr.pr.gov.br)

June/2024

The increasing demand of renewable energy sources led researchers to investigate new materials and blends for energy generation and harvesting. In this context, the utilization of conjugated polymers has led to the development of optoelectronic devices that exhibit excellent response characteristics while remaining cost-effective and flexible. Moreover, blends can be produced in solution, using natural biopolymers aiming to produce electrodes for capacitors. For instance, the pseudocapacitive behavior of polyaniline (PANI) enables its application in high-power density supercapacitors. In this paper, PANI and Lignin blends were prepared and applied as an electrode in supercapacitors. Lignin, a naturally occurring biopolymer found in plants and commonly produced as a residue in the paper industry, was utilized in this study. The Lignin content was changed from 25 up to 75% (wt: wt) in relation to PANI. AFM images revealed that the PANI: Lignin blend exhibits a surface morphology with distinct pores, a feature that can impact positively the performance of electrodes. The device prepared with 25% Lignin (wt: wt) demonstrated the best performance, with a capacitance of 518 F g−1 (at 1 A g−1) and a retention capacity of 71% after 1000 cycles. Moreover, the incorporation of Lignin influenced the mechanical properties of PANI, due to a strong interaction between these two polymers. Therefore, PANI: Lignin blends emerge as low-cost and an eco-friendly alternatives for energy storage while facilitating the reuse of waste materials from the paper industry.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-024-12789-w

June/2024

New paper published: Planar flexible pressure sensors were produced with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and poly(aniline) (PANI) composite. Both materials have been processed as films from liquid suspension onto poly(ethylene) terephthalate (PET) substrate, using indium tin oxide electrodes as lateral electrodes. In this device geometry, the pressure can be applied uniformly in the sensing material, reducing its cross-section area, and thus increasing the electrical resistance. After pressure removal, the resistance recovers the initial value, a reversible process that can be used in cycles to monitor pressure variations in larger areas and ranges. This device presents a more linear response when compared with layered pressure sensors, where the sensitivity is commonly limited by the mechanical failure of the bottom/top electrodes. Therefore, this approach can be adapted to produce low-cost pressure sensors that allow the monitoring of larger pressure values (up to ~2.2 MPa). The sensor also responds to lower pressure values being applied in punctual regions, in this case, the electrical resistance drops because the sensor responds as an equivalent parallel resistance. This work is related with the NAPI-Organic Electronics funded by the Fundação Araucária-SETI and in cooperation with Robert Bosch Ltd. Congratulations Amanda. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2024.136621

February/2024

Juscelino working on his PIBIC project 🙂 by using AFM microscopy to study surface of thin films.

October/2023

New paper accepted in SolMat Journal: Scavenger effect of Au NPs to stabilize the excess of TFSI- from Spiro-OMeTAD layer by Eduardo H. dos S. Rosa, Anderson E. X. Gavim, Francineide Lopes de Araújo, Andreia de Morais, Jilian Nei de Freitas, Arandi Ginane Bezerra Jr, Andreia Gerniski Macedo, Wilson José da Silva, Ana Flávia Nogueira. In this work, Au NPs were produced by laser ablation in liquids method (LASis) in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and processed onto the Spiro-OMeTAD (hole transport layer,HTL) in perovskite solar cells. Spiro-OMeTAD requires the use of additives to improve its electrical features, and these additives include the hygroscopic LiTFSI to promote the oxidation of this HTL. AFM images pointed out that the TFSI- precipitates along the surface of Spiro-OMeTAD with the aging time, thus resulting in reduced stability for devices operating in the air. Therefore, to avoid this problem, two procedures were adopted: washing the surface of Spiro-OMeTAD with IPA or processing the Au NPs onto the surface of Spiro-OMeTAD from IPA suspension. Both procedures were performed by spin coating method prior to the deposition of the top electrode. The photovoltaic response showed that the devices produced with modified HTL presented superior stability mainly due to the removal of TFSI- precipitates from the surface of the Spiro-OMeTAD and the residual excess of TFSI- that can be chemically adsorbed onto the gold surface via oxygen atoms.

September/2023

New paper published:

This work, published in the PCCP journal by RSC, shows that the experimental absorbance band localized at 580 nm, which appears after SVA treatment, is possibly related to an intense simulated band with maxima at 572 nm resulting from a pair of transitions starting in the copolymer and ending in PDI-DPP-PDI, in regions which both are stacked at about 3 Å. Increased adhesion force and fractal dimension ~1 have also been observed in SVA-treated films. We are very thankful to Prof. Luciano N. Vidal for the theoretical simulations that allowed us to understand the unusual band at 580 nm. Congratulations Taina :-)

April/2023

Workshop INEO 2023 - Nazaré Paulista- SP

February/2023

Starting the preparation of thin films by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in colaboration with prof Rogerio Toniolo (PUC-PR).

November/2022

Undergraduate Science Research Event (Sicite-2022) - UTFPR - Closing Section and best research works. Congratulations Juscelino !!

November 2022

New paper published at the Solar Energy entitled "Modelling the electric field in non-fullerene organic solar cells: The effect of 1-chloronaphthalene additive" resulting from the collaboration between UTFPR, UFMG and USP-Sao Carlos. In this work, a perylene derivative was used as electron acceptor in organic solar cells and the morphology was optimized by using the 1-chlronaphthalene (CN) as additive. The power dissipation was simulated along the structure of OPV devices taking into count the interference occurring in stacked thin films under normal incidence by using the transfer matrix method (TMM). The TMM model has been used to simulate the electric field in organic solar cells having fullerene derivatives as electron acceptor. In opposite to the fullerenes, the perylene derivative also contributes to the photocurrent and, its optical and electrical features changed upon CN additive. Therefore, the monitoring through ellipsometry and TMM modelling contribute to understand the behaviour of the electromagnetic wave inside the device, providing insights about proper optimizations that can be performed in order to increase the G(x) rate and the Jsc parameter. This model takes into count the experimental values of refractive index n and extinction coefficient k acquired from the D:A film to simulate the spatial distribution of the electric field and provide valuable information about photovoltaic parameters. The results pointed out that chemical or physical modifications are required to improve the PDIC5 acceptor distribution along the bulk, as well as changes on the crystallinity, which can be achieved with the use of CN as additive. Funding received from Instituto Serrapilheira (Serra-1709-17054) and CNPq grants (PQ2 309907/2021-7, Equinor 440078/2019-9)

Outubro/2022
Comemoração 5 anos Instituto Serrapilheira no Rio de Janeiro. Muito agradecida por fazer parte desta rede.

September/2022

Members of Nanotec/neo attending the SBPMAT Annual Meeting .

July/2022

New facilities at NANOTEC-NEO Laboratory:

19/02/2021 - Today, Jaque and Sara prepared some videos about photovoltaic energy whitin the project funded by Fundação Araucária/FPTI-Itaipu.

The video above shows luminescent Tb3+ complexes with high emission quantum yield produced at the Chemistry Department-UFPR at the researchgroup coordinated by Prof. Jaisa Soares. The optical features have been characterized at the Phantom-g Research Group (UA) coordinated by Prof. Luis Dias Carlos and Prof. Rute Ferreira.

CLICK HERE!

To see Perovskite based displays produced with researchers from Yonsei University (South Korea) and Solar Energy Research Institute, National University of Malaysia. (no sound, sorry!)

The video above shows a flexible polymer based electrochromic device produced at the NANOTEC-NEO. The curve shows the variation of color along the time upon variable applied voltage.

Defesa de mestrado: Joyce de Mattos Leão

Data: 18/03/2019

Horário: 13 h 30 min Sala: C-301

Título: Complexos luminescentes baseados em Tb3+ com alto rendimento quântico.

Letícia and Joyce attending the XVII SBPMAT MRS Anual Meeting, Natal-Brazil - September/2018

Joyce presenting her work at the 8th International Conference on Optical, Optoelectronic and Photonic Materials and Applications - ICOOPMA, 2018, Maresias - SP

News

September/2023

Prof. Andreia G. Macedo joined the editorial board of Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells.

Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells | Journal | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier

February, 2023

This work resulted from a cooperation between UTFPR and Polícia Federal. It was a very instructive experience for the students and researchers. More details in the publication in the Materials Letters journal.

July, 2022

New paper accepted: Electrochemical Investigation of PEDOT:PSS and Nb2O5 Composites as Counter Electrodes for Dye-sensitized Solar Cells to be published by Optical Materials, 2022. Congratulations Ariane :-)

June, 2021

New paper published :

NETO, ALFREDO LEITHOLD ; SCALON, LUCAS ; OCTAVIO DE ARAUJO, LUIS ; LOPES DE ARAÚJO, FRANCINEIDE ; SPADA, EDNA REGINA ; PEREIRA DA CUNHA, MARIANA RICHELLE ; DESORDI, JAQUELINE CRISTINE ; BARRETO, RAFAEL CARVALHO ; MACEDO, ANDREIA GERNISKI ; FARIA, ROBERTO MENDONÇA ; RODRIGUES, PAULA CRISTINA . New insights into DPP3Th and C70 based planar solar cells: a study combining DFT and experimental approach. MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, v. 262, p. 124271, 2021.

In this work, small molecule-based solar cells were produced with a solution-processed diketopyrrolopyrrole-terthiophene (DPP3Th) as electron donor material and thermally evaporated fullerene (C70) film as acceptor material.

March, 2022

Our contribution in this pandemic time: A disposable and non-contact paper breathalyzer based on small conjugated molecules/carbon nanotubes electrodes. This work resulted from a collaboration between UTFPR and FIOCRUZ-Curitiba. These devices can be used by officers to detect and quantify alcohol content in drivers. This work was published in PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI A-APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE- 2022. Congratulations Sara

March, 2021

Defesa de mestrado: Sara Luiza Gusso

https://www.utfpr.edu.br/cursos/coordenacoes/stricto-sensu/ppgfa/defesas/mestrado-sara-luiza-gusso

January, 2021.

New paper published: In this work, high efficiency and photo-stable Tb3+ complexes were reported. Moreover, a theoretical modelling showed the energy transfer rates along the singlet and triplet states from ligand to Tb3+pathways.

AQUINO, LUCAS EMANOEL DO N. ; BARBOSA, GUILHERME A. ; RAMOS, JAQUELINE DE L. ; O. K. GIESE, SIDDHARTHA ; SANTANA, FRANCIELLI S. ; HUGHES, DAVID L. ; NUNES, GIOVANA G. ; FU, LIANSHE ; FANG, MING ; PONETI, GIORDANO ; CARNEIRO NETO, ALBANO N. ; MOURA, RENALDO T. ; FERREIRA, RUTE A. S. ; Carlos, Luís D. ; Macedo, Andreia G. ; SOARES, JAÍSA F. . Seven-Coordinate Tb 3+ Complexes with 90% Quantum Yields: High-Performance Examples of Combined Singlet- and Triplet-to-Tb 3+ Energy-Transfer Pathways. INORGANIC CHEMISTRY 60, 892-907, 2021.

New paper accepted:

Reduced graphene oxide and perylene derivative nanohybrid as multifunctional interlayer for organic solar cells" by Leticia Patricio Christopholi, Mariana Richelle Pereira da Cunha, Edna Regina Spada, Anderson E. X. Gavim, Fabio Seiti Hadano, Wilson José da Silva, Paula Cristina Rodrigues, Andreia Gerniski Macedo, Roberto Mendonça Faria, Jeferson Ferreira de Deus, Synthetic Metals, 2020.

Congratulations Leticia :-)

Mini-Curso online - Tópicos de Física do Estado Sólido
Datas: sextas-feiras as 17:30 - duração 30-40 min
Google classroom: ux4p4d4

Tema 1 - Teoria de Sommerfeld para metais [início sexta - 24/04]
Tema 2 - Tipos de sólidos e simetria
Tema 3 - Teoria de Bandas
Tema 4 - Polímeros Conjugados
Tema 5 - Interações Elementares (fônons, Coulomb, spin-spin, excitons e eletron-fônon)
Obs.: os alunos receberão certificado de participação

Highlight: New paper published at Nature Photonics:

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-019-0526-z

VASILOPOULOU, M. ; KIM, H. P. ; KIM, B. S. ; PAPADAKIS, M. ; GAVIM, ANDERSON E.X. ; MACEDO, ANDRÉIA G. ; DA SILVA, WILSON JOSÉ ; SCHNEIDER, F. K. ; TERIDI, M. A. M. ; COUTSOLELOS, A. G. ; YUSOFF, A. R. B. M. . Efficient colloidal quantum dot light-emitting diodes operating in the second near-infrared biological window. Nature Photonics, 2019

Confraternização de fim de ano Nanotec-Neo.

Some pictures from NANOTEC-NEO Research Laboratory (nov/2019). Credits: Sara and Jaqueline

October/2019

Prof. Jeferson Ferreira de Deus joined to Nanotec-Neo research Laboratory. Be welcome prof. Jeferson !!!

A review about perylene derivatives was published at the Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics

A. G. Macedo et al. Perylene derivatives for solar cells and energy harvesting: a review of materials, challenges and advances

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-019-02019-z

New publication: A. E. X. Gavim, et al. Water-suspended MoO3 nanoparticles prepared by LASIS and fast processing as thin film by ultrasonic spray deposition, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 200 (2019) 109986. Este trabalho foi feito em colaboração entre os grupos NANOTEC-NEO (UTFPR), FOTONANOBIO (UTFPR) e o grupo coorderado pelo Prof. Roberto Mendonça Faria (USP-São Carlos).

Defesa mestrado Joyce de Mattos Leão, março/2019.

A beautiful photo from University of Aveiro. Prof. Andreia received a Visiting Professor grant from CAPES to perform optical characterization of complexes, polymers, nanoparticles and composites at the Phantom G group coordinated by Prof. Luis Dias Carlos.

Brain maps and PMI, let's do it!!!

Visit of Cristina Caldas (Institute Serrapilheira) at the NANOTEC_NEO in Nov/2018. It was a honnor receive her visit and we are very grateful by the support received from this institute.

09/2018

New paper accepted: A. R. B. M. YUSOFF, ANDERSON E. X. GAVIM, A. G. Macedo, W. J. Silva, F. K. SCHNEIDER, M. A. M. TERIDI, High-Efficiency, Solution-Processable, Multilayer Triple Cation Perovskite Light Emitting Diodes with Copper-Sulfide Gallium-Tin-Oxide Hole-Transport Layer and Aluminium Zinc Oxide doped Cesium Electron-Injection Layer. Materials Today Chemistry, 2018.

01/06/18

Prof. Andreia during her visit in Cambridge (may/2018). During this stay, works related with the project about conjugated nanoparticles were performed.

12/05/18

The event "Parents in Science"occurred between 10-11/05/18 at PUC-RS in Porto Alegre. Prof. Andreia attended this event and support the ideas discussed during these 2 days. The maternity has effect on the researchers carrier's and this must be take in count during the evaluation of projects. The link about this initiative can be found below:

https://www.parentinscience.com/

04/2018

Encontros Serrapilheira - evento presencial no Jardim Botânico - Rio de Janeiro - novos horizontes e esperança para a Ciência no Brasil!

https://serrapilheira.org/

02/2018

First master dissertation from Graduate Program in Physics and Astronomy (PPFGA-UTFPR), congratulations Anderson!

https://portal.utfpr.edu.br/noticias/curitiba/primeira-defessa-de-mestrado-do-ppgfa

01/2018

Instituto Serrapilheira seleciona projetos da UTFPR!

https://portal.utfpr.edu.br/noticias/reitoria/divulgacao-cientifica/instituto-serrapilheira-seleciona-projetos-desenvolvidos-na-utfpr