The 4th International Electronic Conference on Catalysis Sciences

Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland;Prof. Dr. Narendra Kumar is a Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Industrial Chemistry and Reaction Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Finland, where he has been affiliated since 1990. He received his Dr. Tech. in Chemical Engineering from Åbo Akademi in 1996. His research encompasses catalysis, catalytic materials, synthesis and characterization, microporous and mesoporous materials, petrochemicals, oil refining, biofuels, environmental catalysis, and the synthesis of fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and specialty chemicals. He has authored 498 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact international journals and holds an H-index of 47. He has co-supervised over 75 Doctoral, Licentiate, and MSc theses. In recognition of his three decades of service, he was awarded the Åbo Akademi University Bronze and Silver Medals. Dr. Kumar has evaluated doctoral dissertations and served as opponent and examiner for universities in Finland, Sweden, Italy, and Spain. He is a member of scientific committees for FEZA, IZA, the International Conference on Waste and Biomass Valorization, and major catalysis symposia, and serves as a reviewer for these events. He is also an expert evaluator for EU projects and Horizon Europe (2021–2027). He holds memberships in the Finnish Association of Graduate Engineers, Finnish Catalysis Society, EFCE, British Zeolite Association, and IZA. He reviews for over 35 journals from Elsevier, ACS, RSC, Springer Nature, MDPI, and other publishers. His editorial roles include board membership for Universal Journal of Catalysis, Catalysis Research, Current Catalysis, Waste and Biomass Valorization, J. American Chemical Engineering, Catalysts, and Explora Environment Resource. He serves as Academic Editor for Catalysts, Guest Editor of a Special Issue, and Associate Editor, Review Editor, and Topic Editor for Frontiers in Chemical Engineering.

Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China;Kwun Nam Hui is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering (IAPME), University of Macau. He received his PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Hong Kong in 2009 and held academic appointments at Pusan National University before joining the University of Macau in 2015. Dr. Hui research focuses on advanced electrode and catalytic materials for energy storage and conversion, including lithium–sulfur, potassium-ion, sodium-ion, and aluminum-ion batteries, as well as supercapacitors and electrocatalytic systems (ORR, OER, HER, CO₂RR, NRR). His group combines nanostructure design, lattice/strain engineering, molecular dynamics, and DFT calculations to accelerate charge transfer and reveal fundamental reaction mechanisms. Dr. Hui has published over 290 SCI-indexed papers in top journals including Advanced Materials, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Advanced Energy Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, Advanced Science, and EES Batteries. He has an h-index of 71 with more than 16,000 citations (Google Scholar). Recognized among the World’s Top 2% Scientists (Stanford/Elsevier) since 2021, he is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA;Ed Gillan is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Iowa, joining the faculty in 1997 after postdoctoral research at Harvard and Rice Universities. He obtained a B.S. in Chemistry from University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Inorganic Materials Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles. His research interests are in thermochemically-driven synthetic inorganic materials chemistry targeting materials such as polymeric carbon nitrides and crystalline metal oxides, nitrides, phosphides, or borides. Some of these materials have been investigated as photocatalysts or electrocatalysts in environmental or energy applications. Professor Gillan has published over 60 research papers and book chapters and given more than 70 presentation at national and international conferences and academic institutions. He has also received several university awards for sustained activities in mentoring faculty and students in laboratory chemical safety best practices.

Institute of Research on Catalysis and the Environment of Lyon (IRCELYON), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France;Dr F.C. Meunier is a CNRS researcher based at IRCELYON. He received a joined PhD in Physical-Chemistry from the University of Strasbourg (France) and Limerick (Irlande) in 1995. His main interests regard the investigation of the mechanisms of heterogeneous catalytic reactions, in particular by using in situ and operando FTIR spectroscopy, themes that were initiated with Prof Julian Ross during his post-doctoral stay in Limerick from 1996 until 1999. He carried out a von Humboldt fellowship in Munich with Prof Johannes Lercher from 1999-2000, where he studied acid-base catalysis and diffusion in zeolites. He was previously senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast (United Kingdom) over 2000-2007, period during which he researched in the CenTACat group led by Prof Robbie Burch on hydrogen production and environmental catalysis. He has supervised 16 PhD theses. Dr Meunier has published more than 100 papers in the field of heterogeneous catalysis and spectroscopy applied to catalysis. He has two worldwide patents, and he was awarded the 2009 prize of the Catalysis Division of the French Chemical Society.

Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain;Miguel Ladero holds a PhD in industrial chemistry and has 29 years of experience in the development and optimization of bioprocesses and catalytic processes in green chemistry. He is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). He earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1992. His doctoral thesis focused on lactose hydrolysis using free and immobilized beta-galactosidases from various sources, applying novel mathematical techniques and kinetic models to reflect the effects of key phenomena occurring in the reacting systems, including enzyme deactivation by heat, pH, and chemical agents. Subsequently, his research has encompassed different aspects (process development, kinetic modeling, and phenomenological studies) studying various microbial (microalgae, fungi and bacteria), enzymatic, and catalytic systems: biodesulfurization of diesel with R. erythropolis and P. putida; anaerobic and microaerobic bioprocesses with biosafety class 1 microorganisms to obtain 2,3-butanediol, D-lactic, fumaric, and succinic acids; sun protection ingredients (UVB chemical filters) by thermal and catalytic procedures; plasticizers and prodrugs with industrial lipases; rosin derivatives by esterification and disproportionation through catalytic and thermal processes; and enzyme stabilization by immobilization and reaction media engineering. His research also focuses on green thermal and catalytic processes for obtaining carbonates and ketals from glycerol in biphasic-monophasic media and the development of physicochemical, enzymatic, and microbial processes in integrated lignocellulosic/oilseed biorefineries. This research effort has resulted, to date, in 10 doctoral theses, with him directing 4 more, and over 100 undergraduate and master's theses. Since 1993, he has participated in 23 research projects (regional, national, and international), serving as principal investigator on 5 of them and as ge