Events

C²TN Academy Seminar “Nature inspired cellulose networks for moisture sensing”

Auditorium of the Campus Tecnológico e Nuclear, in Loures

31 October, at 11 a.m., in the Auditorium of the Campus Tecnológico e Nuclear, in Loures

Date: 31 October
Hour: 11 a.m.
Venue: Auditorium of the Campus Tecnológico e Nuclear, in Loures

«What if the materials of the future could breathe like plants?

Under the theme “Nature inspired cellulose networks for moisture sensing”, this is the question that guest speaker José F. Malta will seek to address at the next C²TN Academy Seminar, to be held on the 31st of October, within the scope of the “Advanced Materials” Thematic Line.

His presentation will explore how nature inspires the development of new smart and sustainable materials capable of reacting to humidity and efficiently collecting water from the air. Based on the observation of plants such as Erodium — whose stems curl and uncurl depending on humidity — José Malta presents cellulose-based hygromorphic materials that reproduce this natural behaviour. These materials change shape, transparency, and mechanical properties when in contact with water, functioning as sensors or passive moisture capture systems.

This work, part of the ‘DynaCellCollect’ project, combines materials science, chemistry, and physics to create membranes and fibres with applications in smart textiles, biomedical devices, environmental sensors, and soft micro-robotics — a promising step towards sustainable and responsive materials inspired by biology.

José Malta holds a degree in Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry from NOVA FCT and a PhD in Chemistry from the Universidade de Coimbra (ChemMat – Materials Chemistry programme). He has conducted research at the Physics Centre of the Universidade de Coimbra and at Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares (C²TN) – Instituto Superior Técnico, in areas such as structural materials, conductive polymers, topological and magnetic materials, and liquid crystals. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre of Materials Research (CENIMAT|i3N), Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, where he continues his research into bio-inspired materials.»

More information about the speaker and the seminar.