CINE had a strong presence at the XXIV B-MRS Meeting, held in Curitiba from September 27 to October 1 of this year, which brought together nearly 2,200 researchers from 31 countries. The event, organized by the Brazilian Materials Research Society (B-MRS), is one of the most well-established in the field of Materials Science and Technology—an area in which CINE is highly active through the development of materials for renewable energy generation and storage.

At least twenty research works conducted within CINE’s four research divisions were showcased through posters, oral presentations, invited talks, and a plenary lecture. Furthermore, four CINE members organized a symposium within the event dedicated to advancements in perovskite solar cells.

“The B-MRS Meeting was an excellent opportunity to disseminate our research, learn about other scientific work, and exchange experiences with researchers from various fields,” says Andreia de Morais, a postdoctoral researcher in CINE’s Energy Generation division, who presented a poster on progress in the development of large-area perovskite solar cells.

The group of participants from CINE was diverse, including ten postdoctoral researchers, as well as faculty members and both undergraduate and graduate students.

PhD candidate Raphaella Fagundes Von Stein, a member of the Low-Carbon Hydrogen division, presented a poster on a sustainable route for producing an electrocatalyst for large-scale green hydrogen production. “The discussions surrounding the results presented offered new perspectives and significant contributions to the development of my work,” comments Raphaella.

Postdoctoral researcher Rafael Luiz Heleno Freire, a member of the Computational Materials Science program, gave an oral presentation on a computational study evaluating the potential of certain materials to act as catalysts for electrochemical reactions used in renewable energy generation. “The diverse audience of the event fostered enriching discussions with researchers from various fields and representatives from the industry, broadening our perspectives and deepening our understanding of our own work,” says Rafael.

In addition to presenting their own research, CINE members attended dozens of presentations on topics related to their work within the event’s thematic symposia. “It was a highly enriching experience, both in terms of the quality of the technical sessions and the diversity of the subjects discussed,” notes Regiane Cristina de Oliveira, a postdoctoral researcher in the Low-Carbon Hydrogen program.

Participants also had the opportunity to engage in other program activities, including short courses, round-table discussions, lectures by world-renowned scientists, an exhibition featuring companies, organizations, and startups, and a showcase of science clubs from public schools in Paraná. For postdoctoral researcher Rafael, this showcase was particularly inspiring. “The initiative highlighted the role of science in education—how it fosters critical thinking and helps shape citizens capable of proposing solutions to significant societal challenges—while also potentially inspiring the next generation of the country’s researchers,” he says.

Perovskite Symposium organized by CINE

The core of the B-MRS Meeting consists of thematic symposia, where participants present and discuss their contributions through oral and poster sessions. These symposia are proposed and organized by scientists from the international research community. This edition of the event featured 27 symposia, one of which was organized by four members of CINE: Professor Ana Flávia Nogueira (UNICAMP), Professor André Sarto Polo (UFABC), and postdoctoral researchers André Felipe Vale da Fonseca and Paulo Ernesto Marchezi (UNICAMP) – all of them members of the Energy Generation division.

Titled “Emerging Perovskite Photovoltaic Technologies,” the symposium covered various aspects of perovskite solar cells, ranging from fundamental knowledge of the material to the operational mechanics of the technologies. “The contributions presented were of a very high standard—both in the oral presentations and the poster session—and several presentations from CINE members stood out,” says Professor André.

At the symposium, André delivered an invited talk on the research he has been conducting at CINE. In his presentation, he demonstrated how different perovskite compositions influence charge-carrier recombination processes and how, by understanding these processes, it is possible to develop more efficient and durable solar cells.

Learn more about the XXIV B-MRS Meeting.