PhD in Chemistry
Current position: Associate Professor at the Institute of Chemistry of Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil
Research focus: development of new materials and devices for solar energy conversion into electricity and fuel
Antonio explores the fundamentals of electron transfer processes and the excited state properties of metal complexes both in solution and on metal oxide surfaces for application in light-induced devices investigates. Particularly, he is interested on how the chemical and physical properties of various materials affect the efficiency of the light-induced processes.
2016 Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship
2010 Brazil's Best Doctoral Thesis in Chemistry
CV as submitted for the Green Talents award (2012):
Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Brazil
Research focus: photo-induced molecular devices for solar energy conversion
Antonio Otavio Patrocinio, Assistant Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, has his sights set on making green chemistry even greener with local solutions and developing a generation of researchers willing and qualified to take on the energy challenge.
Green Talents winner Antonio Otavio de Toledo Patrocinio has spent the last several years investigating molecular approaches to solar energy conversion in hopes of finding ways to boost the conversion efficiencies of devices such as dye-sensitised solar cells and artificial photosynthetic devices. One important step is understanding electron transfer processes and how the chemical and physical properties of various materials affect their efficiencies.
Patrocinio took this step and immediately turned heads, winning the award for Brazil’s best doctoral thesis in Chemistry in 2010. “I’ve synthesized and characterized photoactive ruthenium and rhenium complexes,” he explains. “I have also used molecules from berry extracts and other Brazilian fruits as sensitizers in solar cells.” This is important to Patrocinio, now a Chemistry professor, who sees local solutions as a keystone to green growth.
“You also need to develop qualified human resources willing to take on the energy issue,” says Patrocinio, who sees this as one of his responsibilities. Himself a member of a university-based R&D group devoted to developing new inorganic materials, Patrocinio encourages his students at all levels to creatively contribute to the development of green solutions.
Patrocinio was selected by the jury for his work in photoelectrochemistry and the promise it holds in driving solar energy technologies forward. The jury also noted Patricinio’s research in his field as “most impressive”.
