Research interests

Our research activity aims to tackle grand challenges, and we focus on the development and design of novel heterogeneous catalysts for sustainable processes in the areas of:

• Water environmental remediation
• Biomass conversion to platform chemicals
• Selective oxidation of hydrocarbons

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1399-0344

Materials and testing. We are experts in the synthesis, characterization and testing of a wide range of catalysts and materials including: supported metal nanoparticles, micro and meso porous materials, zeolites, nematic phases, nanostructured and bulk metal oxides. These materials are tested by using both atmospheric and pressurised chemical reactor vessels.

Methodology. We pioneered new methods like quantitative NMR for hydrocarbon mixtures, and to achieve our research goals we make use of an array of physical chemistry approaches involving: kinetics, solid state chemistry, properties of fluids, design and build of chemical reactors, as well as computational models.

Analytical and characterization methods. We make use of a wide array of state-of-the-art analytical tools, which are aimed to to identify structure-activity correlations and unveil reaction mechanisms. These involves: NMR (liquid and solid state), XRD (powder and in-situ), HPLC, GC-MS, XPS, TGA and chemisorption methods, infrared-ATR and EPR spectroscopies, as well as TEM and SEM analysis.