Madalena Maria Barata Marneca Roque

Madalena Maria Barata Marneca Roque, born in 1997, concluded her Master’s Degree in Materials Engineering from NOVA School of Science and Technology, in 2021. The aim of her master thesis, entitled “Low Temperature Sintering of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle Layers, towards Printed Electronics” was to be part of the (r)evolution of emerging alternative sintering techniques that target to develop new low/room-temperature sintering and processing routes, towards Printed Electronics, which are energy-saving, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly, and compatible with flexible and paperbased substrates, namely Chemically-assisted Sintering, Microwave-assisted Hydrothermal Sintering and Water-assisted FLASH Sintering. The ultimate goal was to promote homogeneous densification of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles layers, by screen-printing, with further application in electronic devices, such as Electrolyte-Gated Transistors.

This R&D work inserts itself in a collaborative project between NOVA School of Science and Technology research centres – CENIMAT|i3N and CEMOP|UNINOVA – and the University of Aveiro. In 2022, after finishing her Master’s Degree, Madalena started working as a Research Fellow, at

CENIMAT|i3N and CEMOP|UNINOVA, in the Project “CHIHC – Chiral Inorganic and Hybrid Cellulose inspired Nanostructures for Electronics and Photonics”. Madalena has acquired research experience in this specific area namely in the preparation of cellulose nanocrystal suspensions, as well as of photonic films based on cellulose nanocrystals, with further integration and application of cellulosebased nanocomposites into photonic devices and structures. Additionally, in 2023, Madalena started working as a Research Fellow in the Project CELLECTIVE, also at the materials Research Centres, CENIMAT | i3N and CEMOP | UNINOVA. This project targeted to develop dynamic cellulose structures with active colour changing for photonic and security

applications.

Presently, she is a PhD Student in Nanotechnologies and Nanosciences, at CENIMAT | i3N and CEMOP|UNINOVA, under the theme “Nature-based and Biomimetic Separator Membranes towards Sustainable Energy Storage Devices”. This PhD plan aims to be part of the (r)evolution of emerging natural-based and biomimetic separator membranes, exploring the potential of Cellulose, Wood, and Cork, validating them as candidates for its application in energy storage devices with increasing marked demand, responding to the current need for clean energy and environmentally sustainable

energy storage.

Furthermore, Madalena is also interested in combining the unique properties of wood with advanced nanomaterials, contributing for the development of green energy harvesting systems, namely through the development of sustainable and scalable hierarchical Wood/ZnO Piezoelectric Nanogenerators,

exploring the potential of these nanohybrids by new strategic modifications and tailoring of wood substrates, providing opportunities for extending its performance towards new advanced applications.

Master Thesis – “Low Temperature Sintering of Printed Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle Layers, towards Printed Electronics”.