Vânia André

Since 2006, Vânia André is focused on applying Crystal Engineering and Supramolecular Chemistry towards improving crystal forms of active pharmaceutical ingredients by designing novel multicomponent crystal forms. Currently she is mainly interested in developing antibiotic coordination frameworks for enhanced antibacterial activity. Mechanochemistry has been assuming a major role in the preparation of these new forms of old drugs.
Vânia is involved in the design, synthesis and characterization of the novel compounds and always keeps in mind the intend application in the pharmaceutical industry, trying to reach solutions that convene both academia and industry.
To summarize the main areas of expertise are:

• Crystal Engineering and Supramolecular Chemistry
• Polymorphic screening
• Design synthesis, characterization and solubility studies of multicomponent crystal forms
• Design, synthesis and characterization of metallodrugs and metallopharmaceuticals
• Bio-inspired metal-organic frameworks for controlled drug delivery and release
• Antibiotic coordination frameworks
• Mechanochemistry
• X-ray diffraction techniques and Crystallography

1. André, V.; Galego, F.; Martins, M. Mechanochemical assembly of nalidixic acid bio-inspired metal-organic compounds and complexes towards improved solubility, Crystal Growth & Design 2018, 18(4), 2067-2081 (DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.7b01523)
2. André, V.; Quaresma, S.; Ferreira da Silva, J.L.; Duarte, M. T. Exploring mechanochemistry to turn organic bio-relevant molecules into metal-organic frameworks: a short review, Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry 2017, 13, 2416-2427 (DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.13.239).
3. Quaresma, S.; André, V.; Fernandes, A.; Duarte, M. T. Mechanochemistry - a green methodology leading to metallodrugs, metallopharmaceuticals and bio-inspired metal-organic frameworks, Inorganica Chimica Acta 2017, 455(2), 309-318 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ica.2016.09.033)
4. Quaresma, S.; André, V.; Antunes, A. M. M.; Cunha-Silva, L.; Duarte, M. T. Gabapentin coordination networks: mechanochemical synthesis and behavior under shelf conditions, Crystal Growth & Design 2013, 13(11), 5007–5017 (DOI: 10.1021/cg401187x)
5. André, V.; Hardeman, A.; Halasz, I.; Stein, R. S.; Jackson, G. J.; Reid, D. G.; Duer, M. J.; Curfs, C.; Duarte, M. T.; Friščić, T. Mechanosynthesis of the metallodrug bismuth subsalicylate from Bi2O3 and structure of bismuth salicylate without auxiliary organic ligands, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2011, 50(34), 7858-7861 (DOI: 10.1002/anie.201103171)

1. Quaresma, S.; André, V.; Antunes, A. M. M.; Vilela, S. M. F.; Amariei, G.; Arenas-Vivo, A.; Rosal, R.; Horcajada, P.; Duarte, M. T. Novel antibacterial azelaic acid BioMOFs, Crystal Growth & Design 2019, ASAP (DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.9b01302)
2. Bravo, C.; Galego, F.; André, V. Hydrogen bonding networks of Nalidixic acid-Copper(II) complexes, CrystEngComm 2019, 21, 7199-7203 (DOI: 10.1039/C9CE01057B)
3. André, V.; Silva, A.; Fernandes, A.; Frade, R.; Rijo, P.; Garcia, C.; Antunes, A. M. M.; Rocha, J.; Duarte, M. T. Mg and Mn BioMOFs with nalidixic acid: solubility boosters and effective bactericidal compounds, ACS Applied Bio Materials 2019, 2(6), 2347-2354 (DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.9b00046)
4. André, V.; Shemchuk, O.; Grepioni, F.; Braga, D.; Duarte, M. T. Expanding the pool of multicomponent crystal forms of the antibiotic 4-aminosalicylic acid: the influence of crystallization conditions, Crystal Growth & Design 2017, 17(2), 6417-6425 (DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.7b01075)
5. Ardila-Fierro, K. J.; André, V.; Tan, D.; Duarte, M. T.; Lancaster, R. W.; Karamertzanis, P. G.; Friščić, T. Molecular recognition of steroids in the solid state: stark differences in cocrystallization of β-estradiol and estrone, Crystal Growth & Design 2015, 15(3), 1492–1501 (DOI: 10.1021/cg501865h)

Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5599-8355
Google Scholar: http://scholar.google.pt/citations?user=03OL6EUAAAAJ
Researchgate: http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vania_Andre
Scopus profiles: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=22233327400

Development of new forms of old drugs, more specifically antibiotic coordinations frameworks and ionic cocrystals, bearing in mind important aspects such as:

• Sustainable synthesis
• Purity of the compounds
• Efficiency