iBB

After six years as a post-doctoral researcher at BERG-iBB, Nuno Miguel Torres Lourenço is facing a new challenge starting this November. Nuno will be joining Hovione, a Portuguese Pharmaceutical Company dedicated to bringing new and off-patent drugs to market as a Process Chemist. At iBB, his research was centered at the interface of organic chemistry and biotechnology. During the past years Nuno explored topics such as the enzymatic resolution of racemic mixtures, biocatalyzed asymmetric synthesis of fine chemicals, preparation of new biocompatible templates (Ion Jelly®) and the use of alternative reaction medium such as ionic liquids and emulsions. We wish Nuno the best of luck for his professional career and look forward to collaborating with him in the near future. 

In a recent publication on the Journal of Physical Chemistry B, researchers from BERG-iBB, REQUIMTE/CQFB, Université Lille and Universidade de São Paulo disclose new insights into the conductivity properties of Ion Jelly®, a composite that results from the combination of gelatin with an ionic liquid. The conductivity properties were investigated by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Besides the relevant information on the more fundamental nature and physicochemical details of the behavior of ionic liquids, the study opens new doorways for practical applications that use Ion Jelly® as a strategy to produce novel and stable electrolytes for different electrochemical devices.