Principal Investigator
Principal Investigator
Paulo Roberto Bueno
Professor of Physics and Physical Chemistry
Institute of Chemistry · São Paulo State University (UNESP) · Araraquara, Brazil
About Paulo Bueno
Paulo Roberto Bueno holds a B.Sc. in Materials Science and Engineering, an M.B.A., and a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physical Chemistry. His primary academic interest is gaining an in-depth understanding of the physical and chemical fundamentals of electron transfer, transport, and energy storage at the atomic and molecular scale.
His most significant contribution is the development of Quantum Rate (QR) theory — a unified theoretical framework demonstrating that electrochemical reactions are coherent quantum-mechanical phenomena at room temperature, governed by low-energy quantum electrodynamics. QR theory encompasses classical Marcus theory and the Levich–Dogonadze–Kuznetsov (LDK) model as limiting cases, linking quantum conductance and electron-transfer rates through the quantum capacitance Cq. The framework has been experimentally validated on redox-active self-assembled monolayers, single-layer graphene, quantum dots, and living microbial systems — all at room temperature, in electrolytic media, without ultra-high vacuum or cryogenic equipment.
Beyond fundamental science, Prof. Bueno co-founded Osler Diagnostics (a spin-off from the University of Oxford, UK), translating QR-based quantum electroanalysis into point-of-care molecular diagnostic platforms capable of femtomolar-to-attomolar detection of disease biomarkers in complex biofluids. His group's work spans molecular diagnostics for cancer, neurodegeneration, infectious disease, and cardiovascular conditions, as well as affinity assays for drug discovery that rival surface plasmon resonance in sensitivity while offering built-in thermodynamic validation unavailable to optical methods.
Academic trajectory
2015 – 2018
Research Fellow Director endorsed by the Royal Society of London as an exceptional talent in Physical Chemistry (UK Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa). Visiting Professor, University of Oxford, UK — in collaboration with Prof. Jason J. Davis.
2014 – present
Full Professor, Institute of Chemistry, UNESP Araraquara. Development of QR theory and its applications in quantum electrochemistry, molecular electronics, and biosensing.
2013 – present
Co-founder, Osler Diagnostics Ltd. (Oxford, UK). Spin-off company commercialising quantum capacitance biosensing platforms for clinical diagnostics.
Fellowships & roles
Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC). Associate Editor for the American Chemical Society (ACS). Active member of the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE).
Patents
Holder of 6 licensed patents in quantum capacitance biosensing and molecular hyper-capacitor architectures, including BR 10 2021 023835-6 (signal transducer amplification for capacitive assays) and US 18/274,703 (molecular hyper-capacitor).
Research focus
The overarching question driving Prof. Bueno's research is: how do electrons behave as quantum-mechanical waves inside molecules and at molecular interfaces immersed in electrolytic environments, and what are the measurable consequences?
This question connects the four areas of the group's research series: the low-energy quantum electrodynamics unifying electronics and electrochemistry (QEDs); the role of the electrolyte in sustaining quantum coherence at room temperature (QM-Wet); the quantum mechanical meaning of classical electrochemical rate constants (QElectChem); and the translation of these principles into label-free biosensors for molecular diagnostics and drug discovery (QSensing).