Sandra M. A. Cruz has completed her graduation in Industrial Chemistry, in 2007, and her Master in Chemistry (Advanced Chemistry) in 2009, at the University of Coimbra. Her PhD in Nanosciences and Nanotechnology was completed, at the University of Aveiro, in 2014. Since her Master, Sandra has participated in several R&D Projects which gave her experience in many fields of Chemistry and Materials Sciences: synthesis and characterization of nanocomposites, synthesis, and processing of polymers, chemical physics, and medicinal, computational, and analytical chemistry. The main research interests of Sandra are: - preparation of C-based thin films for several applications (from low friction to biomedical field); - polymer-based composites. The purpose of her work is to contribute to a cleaner and decarbonization world, into the circular economy perspective.