please help

I have a tab named Material Atribuído and I need on another module to link to this tab. I must retrieve from the tabname the tab id, to use on the NavigateURL method. I use a string to place the tab name but this "eats" the í character! This is my simple code, and I must be missing something :(

string param = "Material Atribuído";        

TabController myTabController = new TabController();
myTabInfo = myTabController.GetTabByName(param.ToString(), this.PortalId);
if (myTabInfo != null)
{
  // use NavigateURL  method
}

there is a tab on the DNN DB named Material Atribuído, but the parameter goes with the value Material Atribudo and them my code results on a null value for myTabInfo

what am I missing here?

TIA

Almeida