Juliana Brito
Chemistry
Originally from a family mosaic that unites São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Pernambuco, Juliana Ferreira de Brito has a passion for science that is a consequence of another initial fascination: people’s lives and the cultural diversity that emerges from it. Always focused on sustainability, Juliana graduated in chemistry at the Federal University of Lavras and completed her chemistry doctorate at the Universidade Estadual Paulista. Her project challenges the dichotomy between reduction and oxidation reactions in waste treatment systems. In her research, the scientist explores systems that unite both reactions—a hypothesis that impacts waste treatment and the manufacture of fuels such as ethanol, ammonia and green H2. Juliana’s academic trajectory is a story of reconciliation between environmental awareness and the search for sustainable growth solutions on a planet in constant change.
Projects
Reduction and oxidation reactions necessarily occur simultaneously. To reduce one species, another needs to be oxidized. However, these processes are usually studied in isolation, targeting only one of the reactions at a time. This project aims to study systems in which it is possible to carry out both reactions simultaneously so that fuel can be generated through the reduction reaction and organic contaminants can be treated through the oxidation reaction. In particular, reduction reactions can be applied to generate ethanol, ammonia and green H2, while oxidation reactions can be applied to industrial liquid waste. Therefore, in this simultaneous system, with the same energy used to treat waste, it is possible to generate a chemical compound of commercial interest, minimizing the economic impact of environmental treatments.
