Professor Paulo R. Bueno has a B.Sc. in Materials Science and Engineering, an M.B.A. degree, and a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physical Chemistry. Nowadays, his primary academic interest focuses on the applications of electrochemical spectroscopic methods, aiming to gain an in-depth understanding of the physical and chemical fundamentals of electron transfer and energy storage at the nanoscale, which underpins his research in the forefront field of quantum electrochemistry with applications to quantum electroanalysis. He has authored more than 215 papers ( 12,500 citations), holds six licensed patents, and is co-founder of Osler Diagnostics (, a spin-off company from the University of Oxford, U.K., and of Qnity (, USA. Professor Bueno was endorsed as an exceptional talent in Physical Chemistry by the Royal Society and the U.K. government. He was a Research Fellow Director of the Royal Society (2015-2018), a Fellow of the Royal Society
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Electrochemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Surfaces and Interfaces
240
Scopus Publications
12900
Scholar Citations
61
Scholar h-index
199
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
Widespread omission of aptamer-target binding verification in aptasensor development: Consequences for sensor performance and the need for a Kd gate Sergey N. Krylov, Svetlana M. Krylova, An Thi Hoai Le, Philip E. Johnson, Ryan Hili, Derek J. Wilson, S. Brian Kim, Gwendolyn M. Stovall, Guobao Xu, Boris B. Dzantiev, Maria DeRosa, Paulo R. Bueno, Philippe Dauphin-Ducharme, Julian A. Tanner, William L. Whitehouse, Qiang Zhao, Jun-Jie Zhu, Anine Crous, Elena Ferapontova Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2026 Aptamer-based biosensors (aptasensors) are widely explored for analytical and diagnostic applications because aptamers combine molecular recognition with scalable chemical synthesis. Yet aptasensors have achieved limited translational impact, motivating scrutiny of development practices. Critical reviews emphasize verifying target binding of the aptamer construct by determining its equilibrium dissociation constant ( K d , a standard measure of binding strength) prior to aptasensor development to avoid interface-contingent artifacts. We refer to this pre-development requirement as the K d gate: an auditable, construct-matched determination of K d in homogeneous, non-denaturing solution under sensing-relevant conditions. Here, we assess compliance with the K d gate by analyzing 209 aptasensor publications spanning six targets. Only 20 of 209 papers reported any solution-phase verification assay, and only one passed the K d gate; among the remaining numeric K d reports, the reported values were weakly constrained or format-contingent and therefore not auditable. As a result, reported sensor-performance claims often cannot be interpreted, transferred, or optimized on a fully rational basis. Although practical feasibility varies across constructs and targets, the observed pattern indicates that technical difficulty alone does not explain the persistent omission. We conclude that voluntary recommendations have not, in practice, functioned as an effective gate and that passing the K d gate should become a mandatory reporting requirement, supported by an auditable checklist for editors and reviewers.
Quantum Rate Dynamics for Coherent Electron Transport at Material/Electrolyte Interfaces Paulo Roberto Bueno ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 2026 High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Nanoscale electronics and electrochemistry are both based on the fundamental principles of electron motion at the material/electrolyte interfaces. Despite this common ground, these fields use distinct conceptual frameworks: physicists favor coherent electron transport, while chemists rely on kinetic electron transfer. In this work, we present the fundamental quantum-mechanical principles that unify these approaches, linking quantum transport to the electron-transfer rate constant in an electrolyte environment. We show that─even at room temperature─electron motion between quantum states, which appears as a slow kinetic rate, is in fact driven by underlying coherent quantum dynamics, modulated by the electrolyte’s damping. This coherent transport determines the kinetics of redox switches, controls biological processes such as Geobacter respiration, enables the development of in situ spectroscopic techniques, and accounts for the charge dynamics observed in reduced graphene oxide supercapacitance. As a result, these approaches provide a way to measure the electronic structure of quantum dots and graphene at energies below the radio frequency range. In light of these findings, we discuss the limitations of the traditional reorganization energy (λ 0 ), which has been used to quantify the low-frequency rate of reaction dynamics in electrochemistry, and propose its replacement with measurable quantum circuit parameters intrinsic to the material’s electronic structure.
Quantum electroanalysis in drug discovery Paulo Roberto Bueno Chemical Communications, 2025 Quantum electroanalysis involves low dimension scale structures (LDSSs) for achieving attomolar sensitivity for drug discovery purposes.
Mapping the ionic fingerprints of molecular monolayers Joshua Lehr, Justin R. Weeks, Adriano Santos, Gustavo T. Feliciano, Melany I. G. Nicholson, Jason J. Davis, Paulo R. Bueno Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2017
Impedance spectroscopy study of solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells with varying Spiro-OMeTAD concentration Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, 2010
Local electromethanical properties of the CaCu3Ti 4O12 ceramics Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, 2010
Low-voltage varistor based on (Sn,Ti)O2 ceramics Paulo R. Bueno, Maria R. Cassia‐Santos, Luis G. P. Simões, José W. Gomes, Elson Longo, José A. Varela Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 2002
Dynamic Processes in the Coloration of WO3 by Lithium Insertion Francisco Fabregat-Santiago, Germà Garcia-Belmonte, Juan Bisquert, Noemı́ S. Ferriols, Paulo R. Bueno, Elson Longo, Julio Suay Antón, Socorro Castro-Garcı́a Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2001
Widespread Omission of Aptamer-Target Binding Verification in Aptasensor Development: Consequences for Sensor Performance and the Need for a Kd Gate SN Krylov, SM Krylova, ATH Le, PE Johnson, R Hili, DJ Wilson, SB Kim, ... Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 118807 , 2026 2026 Citations: 2
Quantum Rate Dynamics for Coherent Electron Transport at Material/Electrolyte Interfaces PR Bueno ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 18 (7), 10669-10680 , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
Beyond the Dielectric Continuum: The Effect of the Electrolyte on the Rate of Electron Transfer Reactions from a Quantum Rate Dynamics Perspective EV Godoy Alarcón, YP Sánchez, PR Bueno ACS Electrochemistry 2 (3), 715-725 , 2026 2026
What is the Implication of Electrons Behaving as Waves in Electrochemically Gated Molecular Structures? PR Bueno Current Opinion in Electrochemistry, 101811 , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
A unified quantum rate theory of electron transfer: conceptual advances in quantum electrochemistry PR Bueno Chemical Society Reviews , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
Interplay between Optical and Electronic Characteristics of Castor Oil-Derived Hybrid Polymers FDR Garcia, EF Pinzon Nieto, BS Domingos Onishi, R Bortoletto-Santos, ... ACS Applied Electronic Materials 7 (17), 8034-8044 , 2025 2025
Peptide-comprising electrode EM Cilli, PR Bueno US Patent 12,352,746 , 2025 2025
Potential gradient effects on electron transfer reactions mediated by quantum capacitive states YP Sánchez, A dos Santos, PR Bueno ACS Electrochemistry 1 (6), 832-841 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Method for preparing a quantum transistor and a modified quantum transistor PR Bueno, LC Lopes US Patent App. 18/729,094 , 2025 2025
Label-free ADAM10 capacitive assay for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease BL Garrote, LC Lopes, MR Cominetti, RC Faria, PR Bueno Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 427, 137208 , 2025 2025 Citations: 3
Attomolar sensitivity of a redox capacitive and DNA-receptive interface attained by quantum-rate signal amplification concept O Carr, EF Pinzón, A Santos, RC Faria, PR Bueno Biosensors and Bioelectronics 270, 116910 , 2025 2025 Citations: 5
The quantum mechanical origin of the supercapacitance phenomenon in reduced graphene oxide structures TFM Moreira, EF Pinzón, A dos Santos, LC Lopes, PR Bueno Carbon 232, 119736 , 2025 2025 Citations: 6
Quantum electroanalysis in drug discovery PR Bueno Chemical Communications 61 (48), 8632-8642 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
Electrochemically grafted molecular layers as on-chip energy storage molecular junctions R Kaur, A Malik, R Gupta, K Kumari, SK Singh, PR Bueno, PC Mondal Chemical Science 16 (8), 3560-3570 , 2025 2025 Citations: 6
Raman Deep Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrograph Concept for Future Volatile and Mineralogy Investigations KD Retherford, TZ Moore, B Veres, MA Freeman, MA Miller, PM Molyneux, ... AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 2024 (2), P33J-02 , 2024 2024
Quantum Electrodynamics in an Electrolyte Medium Driving Entanglement Between Graphene Sheets DA Miranda, EF Pinzón, PR Bueno arXiv preprint arXiv:2410.11928 , 2024 2024
Quantum rate electrodynamics and resonant junction electronics of heterocyclic molecules EFP Nieto, LC Lopes, A dos Santos, MMM Raposo, PR Bueno Electrochimica Acta 501, 144749 , 2024 2024 Citations: 8
Electrochemical measurement of the electronic structure of graphene via quantum mechanical rate spectroscopy LC Lopes, EF Pinzón, G Dias-da-Silva, GT Feliciano, PR Bueno Electrochimica Acta 480, 143837 , 2024 2024 Citations: 11
Electron transmittance by means of quantum capacitive states as a signal amplification mechanism for biosensing applications BL Garrote, YP Sánchez, LC Lopes, A Santos, PR Bueno Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 399, 134786 , 2024 2024 Citations: 7
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Impedance of constant phase element (CPE)-blocked diffusion in film electrodes J Bisquert, G Garcia-Belmonte, P Bueno, E Longo, LOS Bulhões Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 452 (2), 229-234 , 1998 1998 Citations: 574
A new SnO 2 -based varistor system SA Pianaro, PR Bueno, E Longo, JA Varela Journal of materials science letters 14 (10), 692-694 , 1995 1995 Citations: 451
SnO2, ZnO and related polycrystalline compound semiconductors: An overview and review on the voltage-dependent resistance (non-ohmic) feature PR Bueno, JA Varela, E Longo Journal of the European Ceramic Society 28 (3), 505-529 , 2008 2008 Citations: 409
Theoretical models for ac impedance of finite diffusion layers exhibiting low frequency dispersion J Bisquert, G Garcia-Belmonte, F Fabregat-Santiago, PR Bueno Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 475 (2), 152-163 , 1999 1999 Citations: 324
Preparation and characterization of ceria nanospheres by microwave-hydrothermal method ML Dos Santos, RC Lima, CS Riccardi, RL Tranquilin, PR Bueno, ... Materials Letters 62 (30), 4509-4511 , 2008 2008 Citations: 280
An optimised electrochemical biosensor for the label-free detection of C-reactive protein in blood T Bryan, X Luo, PR Bueno, JJ Davis Biosensors and Bioelectronics 39 (1), 94-98 , 2013 2013 Citations: 259
Role of oxygen at the grain boundary of metal oxide varistors: A potential barrier formation mechanism PR Bueno, ER Leite, MM Oliveira, MO Orlandi, E Longo Applied Physics Letters 79 (1), 48-50 , 2001 2001 Citations: 236
Reaction pathway to the synthesis of anatase via the chemical modification of titanium isopropoxide with acetic acid R Parra, MS Góes, MS Castro, E Longo, PR Bueno, JA Varela Chemistry of Materials 20 (1), 143-150 , 2008 2008 Citations: 228
Thermal analysis and exergy evaluation of packed bed thermal storage systems H Bindra, P Bueno, JF Morris, R Shinnar Applied Thermal Engineering 52 (2), 255-263 , 2013 2013 Citations: 220
Investigation of the electrical properties of varistor system using impedance spectroscopy PR Bueno, SA Pianaro, EC Pereira, LOS Bulhoes, E Longo, JA Varela Journal of Applied Physics 84 (7), 3700-3705 , 1998 1998 Citations: 212
Effect of Bi2O3 addition on the microstructure and electrical properties of the SnO2. CoO. Nb2O5 varistor system SA Pianaro, PR Bueno, P Olivi, E Longo, JA Varela Journal of Materials Science Letters 16 (8), 634-638 , 1997 1997 Citations: 209
A polaronic stacking fault defect model for CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 material: an approach for the origin of the huge dielectric constant and semiconducting coexistent features PR Bueno, R Tararan, R Parra, E Joanni, MA Ramirez, WC Ribeiro, ... Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 42 (5), 055404 , 2009 2009 Citations: 193
Surface Passivation of Nanoporous TiO 2 via Atomic Layer Deposition of ZrO 2 for Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Applications TC Li, MS Góes, F Fabregat-Santiago, J Bisquert, PR Bueno, ... The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 113 (42), 18385-18390 , 2009 2009 Citations: 182
Espectroscopia de impedância eletroquímica aplicada ao estudo das reações heterogêneas em ânodos dimensionalmente estáveis LA Carvalho, AR Andrade, PR Bueno Química Nova 29, 796-804 , 2006 2006 Citations: 159
Synthesis and characterization of mesoporous TiO2 nanostructured films prepared by a modified sol–gel method for application in dye solar cells EC Muniz, MS Góes, JJ Silva, JA Varela, E Joanni, R Parra, PR Bueno Ceramics International 37 (3), 1017-1024 , 2011 2011 Citations: 155
Microstructure and electric properties of a SnO2 based varistor SA Pianaro, PR Bueno, E Longo, JA Varela Ceramics International 25 (1), 1-6 , 1999 1999 Citations: 151
Non-Ohmic and dielectric properties of a Ca2Cu2Ti4O12 polycrystalline system MA Ramírez, PR Bueno, JA Varela, E Longo Applied Physics Letters 89 (21) , 2006 2006 Citations: 140
Nature of the Schottky-type barrier of highly dense SnO2 systems displaying nonohmic behavior PR Bueno, MR de Cassia-Santos, ER Leite, E Longo, J Bisquert, ... Journal of Applied Physics 88 (11), 6545-6548 , 2000 2000 Citations: 134
Electrical properties of the SnO2-based varistor SA Pianaro, PR Bueno, P Olivi, E Longo, JA Varela Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics 9 (2), 159-165 , 1998 1998 Citations: 133
The influence of sintering process and atmosphere on the non-ohmic properties of SnO 2 based varistor ER Leite, AM Nascimento, PR Bueno, E Longo, JA Varela Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics 10 (4), 321-327 , 1999 1999 Citations: 130
