Research developed at LNNano/CNPEM has been nominated among the best posters at the MRS Fall Meeting 2025, one of the leading events in the field
Danilo Biazon Janes, a specialist at the Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory of the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (LNNano/CNPEM), received international recognition for his scientific work as a Best Poster Award Nominee during the 2025 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit, held in early December in Boston, USA.
The work presented by Janes, entitled “Unveiling the Electrostatic Potential at ZnO Varistor Grain Boundaries Using Differential Phase Contrast STEM (DPC-STEM)”, uses advanced electron microscopy techniques to investigate potential barriers and grain boundaries in semiconductor ceramics, focusing on zinc oxide (ZnO) varistors. The research is being developed as part of his PhD studies at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) and contributes to a deeper understanding of the physics and chemistry of the interfaces in these materials, which are widely used in electrical protection devices.
The study was developed using the advanced electron microscopy infrastructure of LNNano/CNPEM, with emphasis on the application of the DPC-STEM (Differential Phase Contrast Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy) technique, which enables the characterization of electrostatic properties at the nanometer level.
“The recognition at the MRS Fall Meeting reinforces the excellence of the research being developed at CNPEM and highlights the strategic role of the LNNano infrastructure in advancing our understanding of nanomaterials and their properties”, says Danilo Biazon Janes.
The research was supervised by the scientific advisor of LNNano/CNPEM and professor at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Edson Roberto Leite, and also involved the collaboration of researchers from the institution. Furthermore, the study is supported by the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES), and the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), through the Research Center of Molecular Engineering for Advanced Materials (CEMol).
About CNPEM
The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) is home to a state-of-the-art, multi-user and multidisciplinary scientific environment and works on different fronts within the Brazilian National System for Science, Technology and Innovation. A social organization overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), CNPEM is driven by research that impacts the areas of health, energy, renewable materials, and sustainability. It is responsible for Sirius, the largest assembly of scientific equipment constructed in the country, and is currently constructing Project Orion, a laboratory complex for advanced pathogen research. Highly specialized science and engineering teams, sophisticated infrastructure open to the scientific community, strategic lines of investigation, innovative projects involving the productive sector, and training for researchers and students are the pillars of this institution that is unique in Brazil and able to serve as a bridge between knowledge and innovation. CNPEM’s research and development activities are carried out through its four National Laboratories: Synchrotron Light (LNLS), Biosciences (LNBio), Nanotechnology (LNNano), Biorenewables (LNBR), as well as its Technology Unit (DAT) and the Ilum School of Science — an undergraduate program in Science and Technology supported by the Ministry of Education (MEC).
