SPEA12 Speakers

Chantal Guillard

Chantal Guillard obtained is chemical engineer diploma in 1985 at ESCIL (Superior School of Industrial Chemistry of Lyon, and France). In 1989, She became Doctoc-ès-Sciences in Catalysis of University of Lyon, France. She enter to CNRS the same year to work in Photocatalysis with Professor Pierre Pichat and Professor Jean-Marie Herrmann.

Now she is CNRS Director at Institut of Researches on Catalysis and Environment (IRCELYON), laboratory entirely dedicated to heterogeneous processes, targets its research activities on sustainable development issues.

She is the authors of 210 papers, 346 communications and 8 patents center on Photocatalysis. Her H-factor is 56. Her studies on photocatalysis field are devoted to fundamental researches to better understand the efficiency and mechanisms of photocatalytic reaction in water and air treatment but also on self-cleaning properties and recently on valorization and energy.

She also developed some new photocatalytic materials for UV but also visible light activation, especially photocatalytic optical fiber fabrics in collaboration with Brochier Technology Firms. Since 2005, she worked with some microbiologists to improve the knowledge on the inactivation of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi). She also participates to CEN TC 386 working group devoted to the standardization in photocatalysis and involved in the AFNOR body since 2008.

Professor Junwang (John) Tang

Prof. Junwang (John) Tang is a Member of the Academy of Europe, a Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellow, Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Fellow of IMMM. He is the Founding Director of Industrial Catalysis Center in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chair Professor of Materials Chemistry and Photo-thermo Catalysis at Tsinghua University, China and an Adjunct Professor at University College London, UK.

Tang’s research interests encompass coupling themo-catalylsis with photo-catalysis for small molecule activation to produce zero-carbon fuels (eg. H2O to H2, N2 to NH3) and valuable chemicals (CO2 to alcohols and CH4 to C2+ hydrocarbons) as well as microwave catalysis (e.g. chemical plastic recycling), together with the investigation of the underlying charge dynamics and kinetics by state-of-the-art spectroscopies, resulting in >230 papers published in Nature Catalysis, Nature Energy, Nature Materials, Nature Reviews Materials, Chemical Reviews, Chem. Soc. Rev., Materials Today, Nature Commu., JACS, Angew Chemie etc. with >26,000 citations and an H-index of 81.

Prof. Tang has received many awards, the latest of which is the 2022 IChemE Oil and Gas Global Awards, 2021 IChemE Andrew Medal, 2021 the RSC Corday-Morgan Prize and 2021 Royal Society-Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship etc. He also sits on the Editorial Board of 5 international journals, eg. the Editorof Applied Catalysis B and Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Advanced Chemical Engineering, etc.

Professor Peter K.J. Robertson

Peter Robertson is Professor of Energy and Environmental Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast. His particular expertise is in the area of photocatalytic technology for both energy and water sustainability. This work has encompassed basic research on photocatalysis through to pilot processes development for water treatment and for solar energy conversion and storage.

Prior to joining QUB in 2015 Peter spent nearly 20 years at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen initially as a lecturer then as Chair of Energy and Environmental Engineering and ultimately as Vice-Principal and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Academic Support Services). Since 2019 Peter has been a member of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) SUPERGEN High Level Group. He was a member EPSRC’s Strategic Advisory Network and the (2021-2023) and the Scientific Advisory Committee on Energy between (2018-2022).

Peter was also a member of sub Panel 8, Chemistry for REF2021. He is a member of the editorial board of Journal of Physics Energy, Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Energy (2023 – present)  and an Invited Editor of The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry Series Published by Springer Verlag, specifically co-editor of Volumes II and III on Environmental Photochemistry.

Professor Yaron Paz

Professor Yaron Paz, The Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Chair in Science, Engineering and Management of Water Resources, is a Faculty member at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion, Israel.  Yaron holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Technion and PhD in Chemistry from The Weizmann Institute of science, Israel.

In his research Paz tries to find ways to utilize the energy of photons in order to induce chemical reactions, mostly for decontamination of water, air and surfaces, but also for hydrogen production. As part of his endeavors, Paz was the first to develop, while staying with Prof. Adam Heller at UT Austin, the first photocatalytic self-cleaning glass, has studied ways to obtain specificity and selectivity in photocatalytic processes, has worked on integrating biological and photocatalytic techniques for water treatment as well as on photolytic oxidation of H₂S in water. Currently he works on developing characterization ways that may assist in predicting the activity of new photocatalytic materials, as well as on utilizing photocatalysis for enantiomeric separation of chiral mixtures.

Paz is also a prose writer. He published two books and a third book is scheduled to be published this September. Approximately fourty of his short stories have been published in literary journals and anthologies. Many of the ideas for his stories as well as for his scientific work were initiated right after practicing Yoga.

Urška Lavrenčič Štangar

Urška Lavrenčič Štangar began her career at the National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, researching sol-gel materials for various electrochemical devices. She was a postdoc at the Vienna University of Technology, Institute of Materials Chemistry, with Lise Meitner and Marie Curie fellowships. Then she joined University of Nova Gorica, where she did pioneering work in the field of photocatalysis for environmental applications in Slovenia. She was also Head of the Laboratory for Environmental Research and later Dean of the School of Environmental Sciences.

She was President of the Organising Committee of the 3rd European Symposium on Photocatalysis. Since 2016, she has been Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, and leads the national research programme “Chemistry for Sustainable Development”.

She has published more than 150 articles with over 4000 citations and is editor of the Chemical Engineering Journal. She is currently leading two international research projects, one on photocatalytic degradation of perfluorinated compounds and the other on CO2 conversion, and is the Slovenian coordinator of two EU educational projects dealing with sustainable chemistry.

Gilles Maihot

Research Director CNRS – IC Clemont-Ferrand, France

Gilles Mailhot is CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research) research director of exceptional class at the Institute of Chemistry of Clermont-Ferrand  and at the Laboratory of Physical Meteorology where he is Director, two laboratories of the University Clermont Auvergne, France.

His main research interests focus on water chemistry and photochemistry applied to environmental chemistry, atmospheric chemistry, and advanced oxidation processes for water treatment. Co-author of 210 original papers in international peer-reviewed journals (H-index 52, +8900 citations), supervisor of 30 PhD thesis. Director of the Federation of Environmental Research labelled by the Ministry of Research and Higher Education for 9 years.

• View profile on Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand

Professor Andrew Mills

Professor - Queens University Belfast, United Kingdom

Andrew Mills is Professor of Materials Chemistry at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen’s University Belfast. Previously, he has held Chairs in Chemistry at Swansea and Strathclyde University.

The research interests of the Mills group are wide and varied including: dye and semiconductor photochemistry, redox catalysis (in particular, oxygen catalysis), solar energy conversion (in particular artificial photosynthesis) and colour and fluorescence based indicators and smart inks and plastic films.

Prof. Mills was recently awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Materials for Industry Derek Birchall Award (2019) for pioneering work on smart inks, pigments and extruded plastics technologies, with widespread applications across many industrial sectors.

• Learn more about the Mills Research Group

Professor Josef Krýsa

Professor - University of Chemistry Tehcnology, Prague

Professor Josef Krýsa graduated from University of Chemistry and Technology (UCT), Prague, Czech Republic where he obtained PhD degree in 1995. Since 1995 he has been a member of the Department of Inorganic Technology, in 2008 he received a full professorship at the Faculty of Chemical Technology, UCT Prague. Josef Krýsa is a leader of the group “Photocatalytic Materials and Processes“ at UCT Prague.

He published more than 148 scientific papers in impacted refereed international journals. The number of citations to these papers is 4250, h-index 33. His research interest covers preparation and characterization of nanostructured photocatalyst materials, photoelectrochemistry, energy and environmental applications of photo(electro)catalysis as light-assisted water electrolysis, photoelectrochemical production of valuable chemicals/fuels, water and air treatment, antibacterial and virucidal photocatalytic surfaces, etc.

• View the Josef Krysa Group website

Professor Javier Marugán

Professor - University Rey Juan Carlos, Spain

Dr. Javier Marugán is Full Professor of Chemical Engineering and Director of the Wastewater Treatment Plant and Water Analytical Laboratory (LAGUA) at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC, Spain).

He has been working in photochemical processes for water treatment for more than 25 years, including the synthesis of catalytic materials, their application to the photocatalytic oxidation of pollutants and the inactivation of microorganisms, and specially the modelling and scaling-up of photochemical processes for water decontamination and water disinfection.

His scientific outcome has been published in more than 10 book chapters, more than 150 articles in peer-reviewed international journals and more than 300 contributions to scientific congresses.

• View profile on Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

Professor M. Lucia Curri

Professor - University of Bari, Italy

M. Lucia Curri is Full Professor of Physical Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry, University of Bari (Italy), and holds the position of associate research scientist at the Institute for Physical and Chemical Processes of the Italian National Research Council, CNR. Lucia actively contributed in the field of material chemistry, with a focus on original strategies for preparing and functionalizing colloidal nanocrystals.

Her investigation aims to elucidate their photocatalytic, optoelectronic, and energy-related properties, as well as their potential applications in biomedical and environmental contexts. With over 250 publications, she has made important advancements in the field of functional colloidal nanomaterials.

• View profile on CNR

Professor Joaquim L. Faria

Associate Professor - University of Porto, Portugal

Joaquim L. Faria is Associate Professor at Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), Board Member of the Department of Chemical Engineering of the same Faculty, member of the Scientific Committee of the MSc in Chemical Engineering and member of the Scientific Council of the Associate Laboratory LSRE/LCM.

Published about 100 articles in international journals and more than 190 communications in international congresses and symposia. His work focuses on catalysis and catalyzed reactions, with thermal and photo activation, for environmental applications, energy and fine chemical synthesis. Awarded with the Scientific Prize of the Portuguese Association of PhD Studies in France (APDF) "Celestino da Costa / Jean Perrin" in 2005.

Professor Ignasi Sirés

Assistant Professor - University of Barcelona, Spain

Ignasi Sirés is Tenured Assistant Professor at the Universitat de Barcelona (UB, Spain) since September 2014, where he is currently the Head of the Laboratory of Electrochemistry of Materials and the Environment. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in Chemistry in 2007 from the UB, and he is also a Materials’ Engineer by the UB and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.

His research interests mainly focus on all aspects of electrochemical science and technology for environmental remediation, showing a relevant scientific outcome with high impact in the field.

As young researcher, he received the prestigious ‘Carl Wagner Medal of Excellence in Electrochemical Engineering 2014’ (WPEE of the EFCE) and the ‘1st Prize Dr. Alejandro J. Arvia for Young Researchers in Electrochemistry’ in 2018 by the Iberoamerican Society of Electrochemistry.

Professor Cesar Pulgarín

Emeritus Professor - École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland

Professor Cesar Pulgarín is a chemist from Lausanne University, Master in environmental chemistry from Geneva University, Ph D in synthesis bio-inspired of natural substances from Neuchâtel University and did two post PH D in electrochemistry and environmental biotechnology in EPFL.

He is Emeritus Prof from EPFL where he was the leader of the Advanced Oxidation Processes Group active in photochemical, electrochemical, and ultrasonic processes (and their combinations with biological system) to degrade chemical and microbiological pollutants in water.

He developed self-disinfecting surfaces under visible light. He has more than 290 publications in referred journals and 20 chapters of books (H index 74).

• View profile on Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

Professor Gianluca Li Puma

Professor - University of Palermo, Italy

Gianluca LI PUMA is Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at University of Palermo and Visiting Professor at Loughborough University. Qualifications: Laurea, Chemical Engineering (University of Palermo) MPhil, Chemical Engineering (University of Bath) PhD, Chemical Engineering (HKUST).

After a 3-years PDRA at HKUST, he was Assistant/Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham (1999-2010) and Full Professor at Loughborough University (2010-2023)

His research areas are

• Environmental Nanocatalysis and Heterogeneous Photocatalysis for Environmental and Renewable Energy Applications
• Photo/Microbial Electrosynthesis Systems and Solar Chemicals
• Advanced Disinfection, Advanced Water Detoxification and Reuse
• Process Intensification, Photoreaction/Solar Engineering and Advanced Mathematical Modeling

View profile on L'Università degli Studi di Palermo

Professor Daphne Hermosilla

Professor - Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain

Full Professor at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain. Her scientific interest and expertise focus on wastewater treatment, industrial water management and waste valorization.

With around 60 peer reviewed publications and H index of 25 (Scopus)and numerous participations in scientific symposia, and my participation in several related research initiatives, including European FP6, FP7, and H2020 projects.

Professor Hynd Remita

Professor - Université Paris-Saclay, France

Hynd Remita is a Research director at the Laboratory of chemistry and physics (Laboratoire de chimie-physique, LCP - CNRS/Université Paris-Sud).

Her current research includes synthesis of Composite Nanomaterials by Radiolysis, development of nanomaterials for Solar Energy Conversion, Plasmonic Photocatalysis, Conjugated Polymer Nanostructures for Photocatalysis, Water Treatment by Photocatalysis, Fuel Cells and Nanomedecine.

The goal is not only to enable the development of practical devices but ultimately, to find out the guiding principles by which the performance of a particular material is achieved. She is also devoted to dissemination of Science.She published more than 110 research papers, 6 book chapters, 8 articles of dissemination of science and filled 12 patents.

She is coordinator of a research strategic initiative (IRS) of Université Paris-Saclay MOMENTOM (Materials and Molecules for the Energy of Tomorrow).