Advisory Board and Editors Catalysts
Damien P. Debecker
Damien P. Debecker is Associate Professor at the UCLouvain (Belgium), teaching physical chemistry, process engineering, principles of biorefining, and industrial waste treatment. His research group aims at developing new heterogeneous catalysts and biocatalysts, paving the way to the design of more sustainable chemical processes. At the interface between green chemistry, materials chemistry, biochemistry and chemical engineering, his expertise lies in the preparation of innovative solid (bio)catalysts and in their evaluation in relevant reaction conditions. Catalyst preparation methods include the aerosol-assisted sol-gel, emulsion-templating, non-hydrolytic sol-gel, colloidal methods, enzyme immobilization. Targeted applications cover biomass upgrading, volatile organic compounds total oxidation, biocatalyzed organic synthesis, CO2 methanation, olefin metathesis, etc.
Sasanka Deka
Dr. Sasanka Deka is an Assistant Professor and joined the Department in June, 2010. He received his M.Sc. in Chemistry from Gauhati University, Guwahati in 2001 and Ph.D. degree from National Chemical Laboratory (NCL-Pune) in 2007. He has been awarded the TMS Foundation 2008 SHRI RAM ARORA AWARD, by the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), Warrendale, USA for his contribution and leadership in materials science. He then moved to National Nanotechnology Laboratory (NNL), CNR-INFM, Lecce, Italy and Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Genova, Italy for postdoctoral research in the nanochemistry research group of Dr. Liberato Manna. Dr. Deka has published more than 50 research papers in different international peer-reviewed journals and meetings, and also wrote 2 books and 1 book chapter published by international publisher. He has been awarded with DAE-BRNS Young scientist research award. His current research interest deals with synthetic nanochemistry, multifunctional hybrid nanocrystals, novel nanomaterials for energy conversion and energy storage applications.
Olayomi Abiodun Falowo
Dr. Olayomi Falowo is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Landmark University, Omu-Aran. With a passion for nano-material synthesis and characterization as well as heterogeneous catalyst development. Dr. Falowo brings a wealth of academic expertise and a commitment to fostering a dynamic learning environment.
Dr. Falowo earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University Nigeria and has since been dedicated to advancing knowledge in nano-material development and heterogeneous catalysis. His research interests include the synthesis of base heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production, the synthesis of nano-magnetic acidic catalysts for biomass hydrolysis, and the development of nano-adsorbent for adsorption.
He has published extensively in reputable journals such as Renewable Energy, Fuel, Chemical Engineering & Processing, Energy Conversion and Management. Further, he has contributed to the writing of several books published in both local and international press. Dr. Falowo is also actively involved in the Nigeria Society of Chemical Engineers as well as the team lead for the SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) research cluster at Landmark University and has presented his work at numerous national and international conferences.
Beyond academia, Dr. Falowo has contributed to the university community through the University Examination Board and the University Grant Seeking Committee, reflecting his commitment to collaborative governance and the overall well-being of the academic community. He is also actively involved in mentoring students, and guiding them in their academic and professional pursuits.
Junkuo Gao
Dr. Junkuo Gao is professor at Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, China. He obtained his PhD in Zhejiang University, China in 2010. Then, he worked at Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden) and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) as a postdoctor. In 2013, he joined the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Zhejiang Sci-Tech University as Distinguished professor of Zhejiang Province, director of Institute of New Energy Fiber Materials. His research interest is metal-organic frameworks based nanomaterials for clean energy and green chemistry applications. He has published more than 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals such as J. Am. Chem. Soc., Small, Coord. Chem. Rev., J. Mater. Chem. A etc. with more than 8900 citations and a H-index of 49.
Alfonso Grassi
Prof. Alfonso Grassi graduated in Chemistry cum laude at the University “Federico II” of Naples (Italy); he moved later on to the University of Salerno (Italy) where he was appointed Assistant Professor (1983), Associate Professor (1991) and Full Professor (2002) in Inorganic Chemistry. The scientific interests have initially been in olefin polymerization catalyzed by group 4 metal complexes. Particular attention was devoted to the investigation of syndiospecific polymerization of styrene promoted by half-titanocene catalysts and stereospecific copolymerization of styrene with conjugated dienes. Structural characterization of crystalline polymers and organometallics was carried out using solution and solid state NMR techniques to design new metal catalysts and functional polymeric materials. To date the research group of Prof. Grassi is mainly interested in sustainable catalysis by metal nanoparticles and transition metal catalyzed copolymerization of CO2 and epoxides. Moreover controlled radical copolymerization of biosourced olefins and hydrocarbon monomers is currently under investigation to design new functional polymeric materials. The research activity was carried out in collaboration with international research teams and received financial support from public and private institutions. Prof. Grassi served in Salerno as Director of the Department of Chemistry (2002-2008) and deputy director of the Department of Chemistry and Biology (2015-…)
Kwan San Hui
Prof. Kwan San Hui has over 18 years of experience in the study of nanostructured catalytic materials for energy and environmental applications and has published work in over 230 SCI papers (Scopus; h-index: 56). He has 1 United States (US) patent (US9040007B2) and licensing to 3 companies in Hong Kong.
He has so far supervised 18 PhD and 26 MPhil students, 17 PDRAs and 13 RAs. Many of the ex-members are engineers in the industry and hold faculty positions at Universities in China. He has been maintaining a large consortium to better understand and address the research problems, including partners from international-leading universities: UCLA, Uni. of Western, Cambridge, Leeds, Kent, Cardiff, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong Uni., Xiamen, Uppsala, Hanyang Uni., among others.
His recent research projects include (i) theoretical and experimental studies of heterogeneous catalytic reaction kinetics and mechanisms; (ii) rational design and synthesis of single-atom Co/carbon and porous graphene materials for energy storage and conversion; (iii) density functional theory (DFT) calculations of structural and electronic properties of catalysts, modulated by dopants, in electrochemical/electrocatalysis performance; (iv) process modelling and optimisation of methanol steam reforming for hydrogen production; and (v) hybrid sodium-air batteries (HSABs), zinc-air batteries, and solid-state flexible Li/Na-ion batteries.
James Robert Jennings
Dr Jennings obtained his PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Bath, United Kingdom in 2009. From 2009 to 2014 he worked as Research Fellow and then Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the National University of Singapore. In mid-2014 he was appointed as Lecturer in Applied Physics at Universiti Brunei Darussalam and has since been promoted to Senior Assistant Professor and Deputy Dean (Graduate Studies & Research) of the Faculty of Science at the same institution. His research to date has included characterization and modelling of mesoscopic solar cells (mainly dye-sensitized solar cells and more recently organic and perovskite solar cells), solar water splitting cells and water oxidation electrocatalysts, photocatalysts for environmental remediation, redox flow Li-ion batteries, and novel electrochromic devices.
Dilip K Maiti
Dilip K. Maiti was born September 09, 1970, in West Bengal, India. He received his BSc. in chemistry in 1991 and MSc. (organic chemistry major) in 1993, from the University of Calcutta, India. He achieved his Ph.D. on stereoselective synthesis, from Indian Institute of Chemical Biology in 1998. He carried out his postdoctoral research in the School of Medicine, Wayne State University, USA. In 2005, he joined as a Reader faculty at the University of Calcutta and became full Professor in 2011. His major research activity is focused on organic synthesis and fabrication of smart organic nanomaterials, sensors and devices.
Yogendra Mishra
Dr. Yogendra Mishra is a Professor in Nanomaterials at the Mads Clausen Institute, University of Southern Denmark, Sonderborg, Denmark.
His research areas include; New Materials (3D Soft), Hybrid Materials, Sensors (UV, Force, Heat, Gas, Environmental, Biological), Smart Composites, Biomaterials, Energy Materials, Plasmonics, Photonics, Metamaterials (Ion Beam Irradiation), and Catalysis, Heavy Metal Adsorption, Water purification, Filter
Jovan M Nedeljkovic
Dr. Jovan Nedeljković got his bachelor degree at the Faculty of the physical chemistry of the Belgrade University in 1984, and since then he has been employed in the Institute of nuclear sciences Vinča in Belgrade. Dr. Nedeljković obtained his Ph.D. degree in 1991 at the Clarkson University, Potsdam, USA. After that Dr. Nedeljković returned to the Institute of nuclear sciences Vinča, and in 1999 he was appointed as researcher professor. Dr. Nedeljković is the principal investigator in the field of nanomaterials. He has extensive international collaboration, and he worked in Argonne National Laboratories, and National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Under his supervision, 12 Ph.D. students graduated. Dr. Jovan Nedeljković published more than 170 scientific papers. Papers published by Dr. Nedeljković have been cited more than 6000 times, and his h-index is 40. Dr. Nedeljković is a referee for many journals. Dr. Nedeljković main research interest includes the development of colloidal methods for synthesis of nanoparticles of different type of materials. His research goal is to obtain nanoparticles with high uniformity and controllable shape (spheres, rods, wires, tubes), as well as to understand the size- and shape-dependent properties of materials at nano-scale. Also, the research interest of Dr. Nedeljković is a synthesis of nanocomposite materials using nanoparticles as building blocks (polymer-based nanocomposites, functionalized textile fibers, thin films, etc.).
Alexander M. Puziy
Alexander M. Puziy is Head of Department of Carbon Adsorbents for Medicine and Protection of Environment at Institute for Sorption and Problems of Endoecology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. His research interests include development of new advanced carbon adsorbents and catalysts with enhanced performance for medical and environmental use as well as for energy storage. Alexander M. Puziy is expert in synthesis of highly porous carbon adsorbents using polymer and natural (coal, agricultural by-products) precursors, developing porosity in desired pore size range, functionalization of carbon adsorbents as well as characterization of texture, porous structure and surface chemistry.
Valentin O Rodionov
Prof. Valentin Rodionov began his undergraduate studies in 1997 at the Higher Chemical College of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In 2000, after moving to the United States, he was accepted to the University of Maryland and promoted directly into the graduate program without having to complete an undergraduate degree. He earned his M.S. in 2002 and enrolled in the Ph.D. program at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA.
At Scripps Dr. Rodionov worked under the guidance of Profs. M.G. Finn and K.B. Sharpless. His thesis project was focused on mechanistic investigation of copper (I) catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition and provided the first glimpse of the inner workings of this most widely used "click" reaction (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2005, 44, p. 2210; and J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, p. 12696).
As a postdoctoral fellow with Professor J.M.J. Fréchet at the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Rodionov applied the powerful “click” chemistry approach to the development of enzyme-inspired catalytic polymers (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, p. 2570).
Since late 2010, Dr. Rodionov has been an Assistant Professor of Chemical Science at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia. IN 2018, The group transitioned to Case Western Reserve University.
Prof. Rodionov’s research interests are broadly focused on catalysis with soft materials and chemistry of nonbenzenoid allotropes of carbon (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, p. 17999).