Biography

Antonio Díaz Barrios obtained his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Universidad de Oriente (UDO) in Venezuela, his master’s degree in Chemistry, Option in Polymers Science, from the Venezuelan Research Institute (IVIC) and his PhD in Polymer Science from the University of Manchester, England. He has worked in numerous public and private institutions. From 1979 to 1983: Associate Researcher, Head of the Polymers Group and Postgraduate Professor at IVIC. Simultaneously, from 1980 to 1984 he was a part-time professor in the Polymer Engineering School at the Simón Bolívar University in Caracas. From 1983 to 2003 he worked at INTEVEP, the Research Center of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), where he held various positions including: project leader, senior specialist, head of the polymers section and deputy manager of the Petrochemical Department. From 1984 to 1985 he had special assignments in PEQUIVEN S.A., the Petrochemical Branch of PDVSA. In 1995 he was visiting scientist at the BF Goodrich Avon Lake Technical Center in USA and in 2001 he spent a sabbatical in Professor Björn Lindman’s research group at Lund University, Sweden. From 2003 to 2004 he worked as  Commercial Representative and workshop facilitator  for Cedin Consultants,  in Caracas. In 2005 he was hired as a consultant for the polyolefin area at the Repsol company in Móstoles, Madrid, Spain. During 2005 he taught postgrad polymer engineering master’s classes at the Simón Bolívar University in Caracas. From 2006 to 2011 he was Research Manager of the chemical company COUTTENYE & Co SA, in Venezuela.

From February 2014 to June 2017, he held position of Principal Investigator of the Senescyt Prometeo Program in Ecuador   and was assigned to Yachay EP and the National Polytechnic School (EPN), in Quito, Ecuador. Since July 2017, he has worked as a teacher and researcher at the School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, at Yachay Tech University. Currently. At present, in addition to his teaching activities, he is serving as Director of Research and Innovation of this university.

 

Areas or Research Interest

Polymer composites and polymeric gels for applications as: antibacterial coatings, luminescence, solid batteries electrolytes and drug liberation. Water polymer emulsions and their applications in architectural coating and adhesives. Biopolymers, polymer controlled disposition. Polyolefin catalysis and processes.

 

Selected Publications:

• Coralia Fabiola Cuadrado; Antonio Díaz-Barrios; Maria Paulina Romero et al “Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial ZnMintPc Encapsulated in Magnetic-Nanocomposites with Graphene Oxide/MWCNTs Based on Bimodal Action of Photodynamic and Photothermal Effects” Pharmaceutics, March 26, 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35456539/

• Alisson A. Iles Vélez, Edwin Reyes, Antonio Diaz-Barrios, Florencio Santos ,Antonio J. Fernández Romero, and Juan P. Tafur “Properties of the PVA-VAVTD KOH Blend as a Gel Polymer Electrolyte for Zinc Batteries”. Gels 2021, 7, 256. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels7040256

• Katherine E. Rivadeneira-Velasco, Christian A. Utreras-Silva, Antonio Díaz-Barrios, Alicia E. Sommer-Márquez, Juan P. Tafur and Rose M. Michel, “Green Nanocomposites Based on Thermoplastic Starch. A Review” Polymers 2021, 13, 3227. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13193227

• J. Fernanda Romero, Antonio Díaz-Barrios, Gema Gonzales, “Biocompatible Thermo-Responsive N-Vinylcaprolactam Based Hydrogels for Controlled Drug Delivery Systems” Bionatura, Vol 6 No 2 2021. https://www.revistabionatura.com/2021.06.02.8.html

• Oscar Chang, Fernando A. Gonzales-Zubiate, Luis Zhinin-Vera, Rafael Valencia-Ramos, Israel Pineda, Antonio Diaz-Barrios. “A protein folding robot driven by a self-taught agent”.  BioSystems 201 (2021) 104315.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystems.2020.104315

• Antonio Díaz Barrios, Gema González, Carlos Reinoso, Jessica Santiana1, Francisco Quiroz, José Iván Chango, Cesar Costa Vera, Lorenzo Caniglia, Víctor Salazar, Milagro Fernández-Delgado. “In situ synthesis and long-term stabilization of nanosilver in poly (vinyl acetate-co-butyl acrylate-co-neodecanoate) matrix for antibacterial applications”. Material Chemistry and Physics. Vol 255. 15 November 2020. 123476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2020.123476

• L. Andrés Guerrero, Lenys Fernández, Gema González, Marjorie Montero-Jiménez, Rafael Uribe, Antonio Díaz Barrios, Patricio J. Espinoza-Montero “Peroxide Electrochemical Sensor and Biosensor Based on Nanocomposite of TiO₂ Nanoparticle/Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode”. Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 64; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31892125/

• Cáceres, J., Pilataxi, J., Vera, M., Vera, D., Diaz-Barrios, A., & Rigail-Cedeño, A. (2019). “Effect of the amino-carboxylate as volatile compatibilizer in EVA/clay nanocomposites”. Proceedings of pps-33: The 33rd International Conference of the Polymer Processing Society – Conference Papers (2019). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5121672

• Andrés Rigail-Cedeño, Antonio Diaz-Barrios, Bolívar Alban, Julio Caceres José Pilataxi1, Vanessa Molina and Miriam Lazo “The effect of olefin block copolymer and organoclays in recycled HDPE/PP nanocomposites”. AIP Conference Proceedings 2205, 020073 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5142988

• Andrés Rigail-Cedeño, Antonio Diaz-Barrios, Juan Gallardo-Bastidas, Stefania Ullaguari-Loor, Nicolás Morales-Fuentes. “Recycled HDPE/PET Clay Nanocomposites”. Key Engineering Materials. ISSN: 1662-9795, Vol. 821, pp 67-73 (2019). https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.821.67

• Patricio J. Espinoza-Montero, José Alvarado, Patricio Carrera, Hicher Zambrano, Antonio Díaz- Barrios, Lenys Fernández. “Performance improvements in electrochemical generation of arsine using a gold electrode modified by electrochemical deposition of a polyaniline films for Arsenic detection by atomic absorption spectrometry”. International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 1-15 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1080/03067319.2018.1508572