Ionic-Liquid-Based Aqueous Biphasic Systems

Mara G. Freire graduated in Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry in 2003 from University of Aveiro, Portugal, and received the "Best Chemistry Student Award" from Dow Portugal. By the end of 2007 she completed her PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Aveiro. During her PhD studies, she was a trainee at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France. From the beginning of 2008 to the middle of 2013 she was a post-doctoral researcher at Instituto de TecnologiaQuímica e Biológica, ITQB2, New University of Lisbon, Portugal. From June 2013 to January 2014, Dr. Freire was an Assistant Researcher at the Centre for Research in Ceramics and Composite MaterialsAveiro Institute of Materials (CICECO), and since February 2014 she is a Coordinator Researcher at CICECO, Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, Portugal. The main research interests and experience of Dr. Freire cover colloids and surfaces and emulsions stability, aeration in multiphase biological reactors, extraction and purification of biomolecules (mainly biopharmaceuticals), concentration of cancer biomarkers from human fluids, phase equilibria, biomass dissolution and processing, among others. Most of these research studies were/are carried out with ionic liquids. Currently, Dr. Freire is the principal investigator of an European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant regarding the use of ionic-liquid-based aqueous biphasic systems for the purification of biopharmaceuticals.

Introduction to ionic-liquid-based aqueous biphasic systems (ABS).- ABS Composed of Ionic Liquids and Inorganic Salts.- ABS composed of ionic liquids and carbohydrates.- ABS composed of ionic liquids and polymers.- Extraction of Amino Acids with ABS.- Extraction of proteins with ABS.- Extraction of alcohols, phenols and aromatic compounds with ABS.- Extraction of Natural Phenolic Compounds with ABS.- Extraction of metals with ABS.- Surfactant self-assembly within ionic-liquid-based aqueous systems.- On the Hunt for More Benign and Biocompatible ABS.- Towards the recovery and reuse of the phase-forming components of ABS.