Former Ilum student turns undergraduate thesis into scientific paper on green hydrogen

The undergraduate final project developed by Raphaella Gonçalves during her studies at Ilum School of Science, the CNPEM (Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials) undergraduate program, went beyond the classroom and teaching laboratory. Completed at the end of 2024, the project focused on the development of new materials for green hydrogen production and has recently resulted in the publication of a scientific article in an international journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry, one of the world’s most respected scientific publishers.

The research began during the academic break between 2023 and 2024 and was carried out throughout Raphaella’s final year in the Bachelor’s degree in Science and Technology at Ilum, as part of her undergraduate thesis. Motivated by her exposure to energy transition topics in the program’s experimental courses, Raphaella decided to investigate more sustainable and accessible alternatives for green hydrogen production—a strategic energy carrier for the decarbonization of the economy.

“I was introduced to hydrogen production during laboratory classes, and it immediately caught my attention. It was something I had never heard about before entering Ilum, and I began to see it as a real opportunity to contribute to society,” explains the researcher, who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Nanoscience and Advanced Materials at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC).

In the study, Raphaella developed an electrode based on molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂), a promising material for electrochemical reactions, structured as hollow carbon spheres. The proposal aimed not only at high energy efficiency, but also at the use of more abundant, less toxic materials with lower environmental impact compared to traditional catalysts such as platinum.

“The main challenge is not just achieving efficiency, but considering the overall environmental and economic feasibility of the process. I worked with more accessible materials and synthesis methods that are less harmful to the environment, without compromising electrochemical performance,” she says.

The research was conducted using the infrastructure of the Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano/CNPEM) and was scientifically supervised by Murilo Santhiago, a researcher in the green hydrogen field. Ilum’s pedagogical model, which encourages students’ intellectual autonomy, played a decisive role in the development of the project.

“At Ilum, the final project truly belongs to the student. The supervisor doesn’t provide ready-made answers, but instead challenges your thinking. This helped me mature a great deal as a researcher, learn how to deal with frustration, and turn negative results into learning experiences,” Raphaella recalls.

After the completion of her undergraduate thesis, the results attracted interest beyond the undergraduate academic environment. With the support of collaborators from LNNano, the work was further developed and led to the scientific article published in late 2025, with Raphaella as first author. The study also received two awards for Best Poster at the Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Materials Research Society (SBPMat), reinforcing its impact and relevance.

“My intention was never to produce a thesis just to fulfill a graduation requirement. From the beginning, I wanted to develop something that could be shared with the scientific community and open paths for new studies and applications,” she emphasizes.

Originally from the state of Minas Gerais, Raphaella has an academic trajectory marked by interdisciplinarity. Before joining Ilum, she earned a degree in Architecture and Urbanism, but decided to change fields to pursue a scientific career. “The undergraduate thesis was a turning point. It showed me that I was capable of conducting a complex scientific project from start to finish. Seeing this work become a published article confirms that persisting was worth it,” she concludes.