International Workshop confirmed Speakers:
Prof. Guido Busca (UNIGE)
Title: On the perspectives of chemistry, chemical engineering and industrial catalysis in the context of
the energetic transition
Guido Busca is a Full Professor of industrial and technological chemistry at the Genova University. He graduated at Milano University (B.Sc., 1977) and was assistant professor at the Bologna University 1983-1988. Then, he joined Genova University as an associated professor (1988-2000) and then as a full professor (2000). He is author of a scientific book, nine edited book’s chapters and 480 full papers, in the fields of heterogeneous catalysis, adsorption and applied spectroscopy. He has more than 36000 citations in the scientific literature (h index 97, Scopus database) and is ranked among the 0.02% most impactant scientists in the world by researchers of Stanford University 2020-2022. He was coordinator of the Italian Catalysis Group (2000-2002), chairman of the Italian Catalysis Congress (2004) and of the 6th World Congress on Acid and Base Catalysis (2009), co-chairman of the scientific committee of Europacat 2017, member of the National Scientific Habilitation Commission for Chemical Plants and Processes (2016-2018), Director of Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering of the Genova University (2018-2021). He is currently Expert of European Innovation Council, Expert member of Consiglio Superiore dei Lavori Pubblici (Italian Government), member of Accademia Ligure di Scienze e Lettere, of the Accademia delle Scienze dell’Istituto di Bologna and of the Editorial Board of Nature-Scientific Reports.
Dr. Rinaldo Psaro (CNR-SCITEC)
Title: Decarbonization, quo vadis?
Senior Associate at the Cnr Institute of Chemical Science and Technology 'Giulio Natta', Milan.
President FAST (Federation of Scientific and Technical Associations), Milan.
2014 Chini Memorial Lecture sponsored by the Italian Chemical Society, Divisions of Industrial Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry.
2022 Targa G. Fauser sponsored by the Interdivisional Group of Catalysis of the Italian Chemical Society.
Author or co-author of 4 international patents and 258 publications in international journals in the fields of surface organometallic chemistry, spectroscopic characterisation of catalysts and heterogeneous catalysis. Most of the scientific activity, based on a molecular approach, has been devoted to nanoscience applied in some areas of catalysis, as well as to the realisation of innovative catalysts and catalytic processes for the transformation of renewable raw materials into products of industrial interest. The most recent achievements in the field of energy, selective oxidation and chemical weapons and sustainable control of the olive fly.
Prof. Marco Daturi (ENSI-Caen, France)
Title: In situ and operando IR spectroscopy: a powerful tool to design outstanding functional materials
Marco Daturi graduated in Chemical and Nuclear Physics at the University of Genoa in 1991.
After a 3 years of professional experiences, he performed a PhD in Chemistry for engineering under the guidance of Prof. Busca, obtaining the doctorate in 1996 with a dissertation on Study of mixed oxides for technological applications.
The following year he moved to Caen for a post-doctoral investigation of surface properties of ceria-zirconia mixed oxides. In 1998 he was hired at the University of Caen as Assistant Professor, then in 2002 he was promoted to Full Professor. Since then, he has continuously performed his research at the Laboratory of Catalysis and Spectrochemistry of Caen, promoting and developing an approach based on operando IR spectroscopy.
Daturi’s research activities focus on the study and design of catalytic and adsorptive materials through the investigation of reaction mechanisms.
The main domains of applications concern the reduction of polluting emissions (NOx, VOC, …), the H2 catalytic production, the CO2 capture and hydrogenation, the description of surface properties of oxides, supported oxides and porous materials (zeolites and MOFs). A special attention is always provided to the methodological development of spectroscopic tools (conception of new in situ and operando reactor-cells, next generation spectrometers, spectrokinetic tools, ...).
Prof. Alessandro Trovarelli (UNIUD)
Title: Mechanochemistry: an old tool for a new class of catalysts for environmental and energy transition
Alessandro Trovarelli is Professor of Industrial Chemistry at the University of Udine (Italy) from 2003. Before joining University of Udine he was visiting scientist at the University of Oregon and Colorado State University. He is the head of the Catalysis for Energy and Environment laboratory at the Polytechnic Department of the University of Udine. He has worked in the area of heterogeneous catalysis for over 30 years. His main scientific interest is in the preparation, characterization and testing of heterogeneous catalysts with particular attention to materials containing rare earths. The major applications investigated are the elimination of noxious compounds from car exhaust (NOx, VOC and soot), production of hydrogen for fuel processor in fuel cell applications and chemical reactions for energy applications. He is currently on the Editorial Board for Applied Catalysis B: Environmental and the Journal of Rare Earths. He is the 2015 Recipient of the Ford Motor Company University Research Program Award and the 2022 recipient of the Giacomo Levi Medal award of the Division of Industrial Chemistry of the Italian Chemical Society. He is author/coauthor of ca. 200 articles and 7 international patents and served as guest editor for several special issues and books dedicated to the applications of ceria-based compounds in catalysis.
Prof. Luca Lietti (POLIMI)
Title: Ru-based Dual Function Materials (DFM) for CO2 cyclic capture and hydrogenation
Luca Lietti graduated in chemical engineering at the Politecnico di Milano in 1985 and earned his doctorate in Industrial Chemistry at the University of Milano in 1989. From 1989 to 1992 he was Post-doc at the Department of Industrial Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, where he became Assistant professor in 1992. From October 1993 to April 1994 he was Visiting Scientist at Lehigh University (PA), USA. In 1998 he was appointed associate professor in chemical engineering at Politecnico Milano and in 2001 he became full professor at the same university.
From 2010 to 2014 he served as Chairman of the Study Programme in Chemical Engineering (B.Sc. and M.Sc.) at Politecnico di Milano.
His major interests are in heterogeneous catalytic processes, especially for energy and the environment. He has developed interdisciplinary skills and expertise in mechanistic and kinetic investigations, aiming to clarify the relationships between the surface and structure properties of catalysts and their ability to guide chemical reactions along specific pathways. Current and past researches and investigated aspects include mainly Ammonia SCR of NOx, methanol and higher alcohol synthesis, NOx reduction catalysts for NOx abatement in mobile sources, catalytic soot oxidation and combined soot-NOx removal, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over Co- and Fe-based catalysts, CO2 hydrogenation to chemicals and fuels.
He has published more than 220 ISI-classified publications, several review articles appeared as books chapters and 3 patents. He edited the book entitled “NOx trap catalysts and technologies: fundamentals and industrial applications”, published by RSC in 2018.
Prof. Paolo Fornasiero (UNITS)
Title: Converting CO2 to valuable products: photo(electro)catalytic strategies for ethylene production within the SUN2CHEM project
Paolo Fornasiero is Full Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Trieste. The scientific interests of Paolo Fornasiero are in the field of inorganic chemistry, with attention to the design and development of multi-functional nano-systems for their advanced applications in energy related processes and environmental heterogeneous catalysis. Paolo Fornasiero has published more than 300 research articles, 19 book chapters, and holds 4 patents. Since 2022 he is member of the Academia Europaea and from 2021 he is member of the European Academy of Sciences. He received various awards including the 205 Nasini Medal and the 2013 Chiusoli Medal from the Italian Chemical Society, the 2016 Heinz Heinemann Award from the International Association of Catalysis Societies, and the 2022 Malatesta awards from the Italian Chemical Society.
Prof. Daria Vladikova
Title: Monolithic Carbon-Free Gas Diffusion Electrode for Secondary Metal-Air Batteries
Daria Vladikova is professor in Electrochemistry at the Institute of Electrochemistry and Energy Systems towards the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. She is also head of Department of Hydrogen Technologies at the Institute of Sustainable Transition and Development towards Trakia University – Stara Zagora
Prof. Vladikova has a PhD in Solid State Chemistry and a D.Sc. in Electrochemistry. She is working in the field of fuel cells and batteries testing and diagnostics and deployment of hydrogen technologies. She is the author of more than 150 scientific publications with over 1000 citations, co-author of 6 monographs and a chapter in Encyclopedia on Power Sources (Elsevier). She has been awarded with Herman Gӧhr Award by the European Fuel Cell Forum.
Prof. Vladikova is President of the Bulgarian Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Energy Storage Association, Member of the Governing Boards of Hydrogen Europe Research and European Innovation Digital Hub Zagore, Member of the Clean Hydrogen Alliance Round Table for Green Hydrogen Production.
Dr. Cecilia Mondelli
Title: Keeping carbon in the cycle towards meeting the net-zero target
Dr. Cecilia Mondelli graduated in Chemistry from University of Insubria in 2003 and earned a PhD degree in Chemical Sciences from University of Milan in 2007. Until 2021, she followed an academic career at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, culminating with a Lecturer position assumed in 2016. In these years, she taught courses in Chemical and Mechanical Engineering curricula and engaged in the design of heterogeneous catalytic systems to convert biomass and CO2 into renewable commodities and energy carriers. The sustainable methanol project conducted with academic and industrial colleagues was awarded the 2022 Environment, Sustainability and Energy Division Horizon Prize by the Royal Society of Chemistry. In 2022, Dr. Mondelli moved to Sulzer as Technologist Carbon Capture Solutions to develop CO2 capture and utilization (CCU) solutions for green materials, chemicals, and fuels. As Head of CCU and Bio-based Technology development since 2023, she leads a dedicated team to drive strategic innovation in these key areas of sustainability. She is coinventor of 6 patents and coauthor of 85 scientific articles and 1 book chapter, and served as guest editor.