Daniela Rodrigues Silva

Postdoctoral researcher
Free University Amsterdam

Department

Theoretical Chemistry

Contact information

Room
W&N building – R-142

Email address
d.rodriguessilva@vu.nl

Key expertises

Radical chemistry, chemical bonding, reactivity, density functional theory, energy decomposition analysis

About me

I was born and raised in Lavras, a small town in the southeast of Brazil. I got my BSc and MSc degrees in Chemistry from the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA). In 2018, I came to the Netherlands as part of a joint PhD degree in Chemistry between my home institution (UFLA) and the Free University (VU) Amsterdam. Currently, I am a postdoctoral researcher in the ARC CBBC bilateral project between the VU and Nouryon. Besides Chemistry, I enjoy spending time with friends, travelling, and reading.

About my research

The goal of the research project is to develop a computational toolbox consisting of a large set of consistent thermochemical and structural data as well as physical models that allow for the rational design of more efficient, sustainable polymerization initiators of industrial interest. One aspect of my research is to revisit and understand fundamental concepts of chemistry, such as chemical bonding and reactivity, within the framework of quantum mechanics. This provides a continuous learning experience for me, which I find most fascinating about chemical sciences.

Academic career

Postdoctoral experience
2021-present: Postdoctoral research fellow in the TheoCheM group at Free University Amsterdam, the Netherlands, under the supervision of Prof. F.M. Bickelhaupt

PhD Candidate
2017-2021: Joint degree PhD between the Federal University of Lavras, Brazil, and the Free University Amsterdam, the Netherlands, under the supervision of Prof. M.P. Freitas and Prof. C. Fonseca Guerra

Master student
2015-2017: Master degree in the Computational Chemistry Group at Federal University of Lavras, Brazil, under the supervision of Prof. E.F.F. da Cunha

ARC CBBC publications

Nature and Strength of Group-14 A–A' Bonds

D. Rodrigues Silva, E. Blokker, J. M. van der Schuur, T. A. Hamlin and F. M. Bickelhaupt.