Research Infrastructure

The Master’s Program in Applied Chemistry counts since its formation with a good infrastructure of research financed by FINEP, CNPq and Araucária Foundation and that is in wide expansion. It started its activities in 2006, counting with on the Multidisciplinary Center for Scientific and Technological Research (CIMPE), a building built with the support of FINEP through the approval of the project in CT-Infra / 2005.

In 2012, FINEP’s CT-Infra/2012 project approved the construction of a new building of 800 m² consisting of 13 laboratories with multi-user research infrastructure corresponding to the Center for Molecular Sciences and Nanotechnology (CCMN), which was inaugurated in 2016. Currently, the program has two postdoctoral fellows and two technical scholarships financed by CAPES and Araucária Foundation, respectively for assist the research groups and to carry out multi-user analyzes.

The CCMN is a multiuser research center dedicated to conducting researches in five main thematic axes:

1. Removal and analysis of inorganic and organic contaminants from several matrices;
2. Development, characterization and application of nanomaterials as sensors, catalysts, pigments, among others;
3. Chemistry of natural products;
4. Adsorption and catalysis;
5. Theoretical-Physical Chemistry and Molecular Modeling.

All these ones are related to the experimental and theoretical investigation of the structure of matter at the level of molecules, macromolecules, interfaces and nanoparticles. This type of research is strongly based on refined and highly specialized experimental techniques that are common to the 5 related thematic axes. Currently the CCMN consists of the following laboratories:

1) Multiuser Laboratories of Elementar and Trace Analyses

Theses laboratories began its activities in the year 2000 with the realization of water and soil analysis mainly through the technique of atomic absorption  spectrometry with flame atomization. In 2008, with the acquisition of electrothermal atomization equipment in a graphite furnace, the laboratory was trained to carry out trace analysis. By 2017, the laboratories should incorporate an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy equipment already installed at the institution. Theses laboratories provides various services through the analysis of water, soil, bee products, food and beverages and products linked to the productive chain of yerba mate.

2) Multiuser Laboratory of Chromatography and Natural Products

The laboratory started its activities in 2009 and performs liquid and gas chromatographic analyzes. Liquid chromatography is performed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipment, with ultraviolet detectors, refractive index and fluorescence acquired in 2009. The gas chromatography is performed on a chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer (CG-MS) acquired in 2013. A liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS / MS) equipment will be installed in 2017. This laboratory supports research in the area of apiculture products and other food products in partnership with local producers, having already generated several patents and some products commercialized. In addition, the laboratory attends to a very large number of internal and external researchers.

3) Multiuser Laboratory of Electrochemistry and Electroanalytical

This laboratory began its activities in 2016 bringing together three groups of pre-existing researches in the area of electrochemistry and electroanalytical. The laboratory has 2 potentiostats model micro-autolab with 12V / 80 mA compliant, a Gamry 600 model potentiostat with 15 V / 600 mA compliant and a Methrom polarograph. This laboratory has supported countless researches and has enormous potential for partnerships with the productive sector in the areas of electroplating, drug analysis and battery testing.

4) Muilt-user Laboratory of X-Ray Diffraction

This laboratory started its activities in 2008 and supports research in the field of new materials. The laboratory attends numerous researchers from UNICENTRO and other institutions. It is equipped with an X-ray diffractometer with high resolution detector.

 5) Multiuser Laboratory of Thermal Analysis

The laboratory began its activities in 2008 with the acquisition of thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) equipment and supports research in the area of new materials, food, pharmaceuticals and environmental samples.

6) Multiuser Laboratory of Spectroscopy

The spectroscopy laboratory relies on equipment’s of the vibrational and electronic spectroscopy such as FTIR, UV-VIS and RAMAN scattering and has attended several research groups, especially for the characterization of new materials.

7) Materials Processing Laboratory

This is a laboratory, created in 2012, for attend various groups in the production of new materials. It has muffle ovens, drying ovens, stoves, presses and thermocouples.

8) Multiuser Laboratory of Microscopy

Inaugurated in 2013, it provides services of scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy and metallography, for the characterization of new materials, nanoparticles, environmental samples, food, among others.