This special issue of the Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society highlights the growing role of machine learning in chemistry, showcasing its impact on accelerating discoveries, predicting molecular properties, and analyzing complex datasets across various sub-fields. The integration of artificial intelligence is reshaping research approaches and pushing the boundaries of chemical science. The published articles cover a wide range of topics-from the refinement of density functionals in strongly correlated systems to applications in medicinal chemistry, materials design, and the development of FAIR data strategies-demonstrating the versatility and transformative potential of machine learning in the chemical sciences.
Special Issue Machine Learning
									Mauricio D. Coutinho-Neto 
; Paula Homem-de-Mello
								
									
									This work paper the applications of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Large Language Models (LLMs) in chemistry and materials science, highlighting their role in chemical entity recognition, reaction prediction, materials discovery, and literature analysis.
									Julio Cesar Duarte 
; Antonio G. S. de Oliveira-Filho 
; Matheus Máximo-Canadas 
; Rubens C. Souza 
; Itamar Borges Jr.
								
									
									Machine learning uses algorithms and statistical models for defined tasks and learning patterns from data without explicit instructions. Its basic concepts and some applications are reviewed.
									Rita C. O. Sebastião 
; Natália R. S. Araujo 
; Felipe S. Carvalho 
; Bárbara D. L. Ferreira 
; João Pedro Braga
								
									
									Kinetic of thermal processes can be accurately determined by combining artificial neural network with thermal analysis techniques.
									Bárbara F. Farias 
; Miller S. Ferreira 
; Daniel O. Miranda 
; Tayná R. Nunes; Natália F. Pereira; Patrícia F. Espuri 
;
Jaqueline P. Januario 
; Fábio A. Colombo 
; Marcos J. Marques 
; João L. B. Zanin 
; Marisi G. Soares 
; Thiago B. de Souza 
; Diogo T. Carvalho 
; Daniela A. Chagas-Paula 
; Danielle F. Dias 
								
									
									Application of machine learning and computational tools to predict antileishmanial activity, emphasizing the synergy of computational and experimental methods in developing novel therapeutic agents.
									Anderson J. A. B. dos Santos; Paulo A. Netz
								
									
									Machine learning combined with virtual screening has enabled the discovery of a significant variety of molecules exhibiting high affinity with shikimate kinase. Subsequent evaluation through molecular dynamics and free energy calculations has facilitated the identification of potential inhibitor candidates.
									Edilson B. Alencar Filho 
; Rosalvo F. Oliveira Neto; Vanessa C. Santos; Allysson L. S. Ferreira
								
									
									De novo design of a new lead compound with potential inhibitory effect on monkeypox virus F13 protein (VP37) by deep reinforcement learning and structure-based drug design.
									Karime Zeraik A. Domingues; Alexandre de F. Cobre; Mariana M. Fachi; Raul Edison L. Lazo; Luana M. Ferreira;
Roberto Pontarolo
								
									
									This study utilizes Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR)-based machine learning models, validated with bioactivity data median inhibitory concentration (IC50) of compounds against Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma cruzi, for screening Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved compounds as candidates for repurposing in the treatment of both trypanosomiases.
									Ingrid G. B. L. Cruz; Flávia R. P. Sales; Wallace D. Fragoso 
; Lúcio R. C. Castellano; Fabyan E. L. Beltrão; Talita N. Cardoso;
Maísa S. de Oliveira; Sherlan G. Lemos
								
									
									The blood composition imbalance following coronavirus disease (COVID-19) causes a systematic change in impedance, which can be modelled by multivariate analysis.
									Rubens C. Souza 
; Julio C. Duarte 
; Ronaldo R. Goldschmidt 
; Itamar Borges Jr.
								
									
									Molecules from the QM-symex database are converted to SMILES (simplified molecular input line entry system) and stored in a new QM-symex-modif dataset with their target properties. The data is processed and used in machine learning models to develop predictive models for photophysical properties.
									Gisela Ibáñez Redín; Daniel C. Braz; Débora Gonçalves; Osvaldo N. Oliveira Jr.
								
									
									Full voltammogram analysis through machine learning for enhanced detection in electrochemical immunosensors.
									Ana Paula S. Figueiredo; Junio R. Botelho; Marcia Helena C. Nascimento 
; Maria Cristina Canela 
; Royston Goodacre;
Paulo R. Filgueiras; Murilo O. Souza
								
									
									This study employs supervised learning methods, including Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) with bootstrap resampling and Support Vector Machine (SVM) ensemble, to analyze biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emissions in the Atlantic Forest, achieving high classification accuracy.
									Maicon Pierre Lourenço 
; Mosayeb Naseri; Lizandra Barrios Herrera; Hadi Zadeh-Haghighi 
; Daya Gaur; Christoph Simon;
Dennis R. Salahub
								
									
									A quantum active learning method (QAL) for automatic structural determination of doped materials has been developed and implemented in the QMLMaterial software. QAL uses quantum circuits for data encoding to create quantum machine learning models on-the-fly.
									Igor H. Sanches; Francisco L. Feitosa; Jade M. Lemos; Sabrina Silva-Mendonça; Ester Souza; Victoria F. Cabral; José T. Moreira-Filho; Henric Gil; Bruno J. Neves; Rodolpho C. Braga; Joyce V. V. B. Borba; Carolina H. Andrade
								
									
									The figure illustrates the core components of quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR)-Lit, a platform designed to streamline the QSAR modeling process. It encompasses data curation, descriptor calculation, machine learning, and virtual screening, enabling seamless and efficient analysis for drug discovery applications.
									Rafaela M. de Angelo; Vinícius G. Maltarollo; João Henrique G. Lago; Kathia Maria Honorio
								
									
									Machine learning models were used to predict the biological activity of natural products against Schistosoma mansoni. Virtual screening identified 14 promising compounds, which were further analyzed for absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) properties.
									João L. Baldim 
; Welton Rosa; Thais A. C. Silva; Daiane D. Ferreira; Andre Gustavo Tempone; Daniela Aparecida C. de Paula 
; Marisi G. Soares; João Henrique G. Lago
								
									
									From chemical compounds to predicting the antitrypanosomal activity of new candidates against Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes.
									João M. L. Soares 
; Theodora W. von Zuben 
; Airton G. Salles Jr. 
; Sylvio Barbon Junior 
; Juliano A. Bonacin
								
									
									Prediction of glycerol electrooxidation potentials using machine learning, with improved feature treatment.
									Gabriel M. Tonin 
; Tatiana Pauletti 
; Ramiro M. dos Santos 
; Vivian V. França
								
									
									Ant Colony Optimization method (inspired by the collective behavior of ants in optimizing paths) to optimize one (1D) to five (5D) parameters of an analytical density functional for the ground-state energy of strongly correlated systems. The performance is assessed by the mean relative error (MRE): for 3D and 5D we find MRE ca. 0.8%, an error reduction of 67% compared to the original parametrization (MRE = 2.4%).
									Matheus L. Silva; João L. Baldim; Thais A. Costa-Silva; Maiara Amaral; Maiara M. Romanelli; Erica V. C. Levatti; Andre G. Tempone; João Henrique G. Lago
								
									
									Machine learning and multivariate statistical analyses identified molecular features correlated with biological activity of phenylpropanoid against Trypanosoma cruzi.
Online version ISSN 1678-4790 Printed version ISSN 0103-5053 
 Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society 
 JBCS Editorial and Publishing Office 
 University of Campinas - UNICAMP 
 13083-970 Campinas-SP, Brazil 
                    
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