The Group

Jennifer studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Groningen and obtained her MSc from Delft University of Technology. She completed her PhD at the University of Groningen under the supervision of Profs. Paolo Pescarmona and Loredana Protesescu, focusing on the synthesis and electrocatalytic application of novel metal boride nanomaterials. She joined the group in May 2025 and is focusing on the development of sustainable catalytic systems for electrochemical valorization of bio-derived compounds.

Agustin studied chemistry at the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain, with a thesis on the synthesis of zeolites under the supervisor of Prof. Fernando Rey, and did his PhD at the same university with Prof. José Manuel Lopez Nieto working on metal oxides for the selective activation of hydrocarbons. He joined the group in September 2024 as a postdoctoral fellow and he is developing catalytic materials for the valorization of waste into value-added chemicals under new activation conditions.

Sumit carried out postdoctoral research at Bar-Ilan University, ETH Zürich/Empa, the National University of Singapore, and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, working on electrocatalysis, magnetic-electrocatalysis, CO₂ reduction, green hydrogen, and ammonia production. He joined Politecnico di Milano in February 2026 as a postdoctoral researcher, where he is currently developing single-atom catalysts and exploring nanomagnetism and magneto-catalysis for sustainable energy applications.

Nicolò studied industrial biotechnology and did his MSc thesis under the supervision of Prof. Lorenzo Mino and Prof. Elena Groppo at the University of Turin, applying spectroscopy methods to study the structure and function of several zeolite catalysts. He joined the group in September 2022 as a doctoral student and he is exploiting microscopic and spectroscopy methods to understand the structure and reactivity of single-atom catalysts.

Areti studied chemical engineering at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and did her MSc thesis in the group of Prof. Angeliki Lemonidou, studying Pt-based catalysts for hydrogen production via bio-oil reforming. She joined the group in November 2022 as a doctoral student. Her research aims to optimize single-atom catalysts to enhance reaction efficiency and selectivity in the transformation of raw materials into high-value products.

Jia studied chemical engineering in China. He joined the group in November 2022 as a doctoral student funded by a scholarship from the Chinese government. He is focusing on developing continuous processes for the catalytic conversion of feedstocks into valuable chemical intermediates using single-atom catalysts, with particular emphasis on scaling up catalyst synthesis and optimizing catalyst formulation. Additionally, he is investigating innovative manufacturing technologies for single-atom catalysts to enhance their catalytic performance.

Milla studied industrial chemistry at CPE Lyon and during her MSc thesis, she investigated homogeneous organometallic systems to difunctionalize the C-C bond of a cyclopropenone. Prior to joining the group in November 2022, she also worked as an intern in the industrial catalysis department of Arlanxeo, in the Netherlands. She is now building on the group expertise to develop the field of single-atom electrocatalysis.

Mert studied chemical engineering at Istanbul Technical University, where he performed a BSc thesis on the valorization of waste biomass. He then performed a MSc thesis at Bogazici University on CFD modeling and worked as an intern at Technical University of Denmark on anti-solvent crystallization. He joined the group in September 2023 as a doctoral student funded by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie doctoral network. He is studying integrated multi-step continuous-flow processes with theoretical and experimental methods.

Miguel studied pharmacy in Granada and, after dedicating three years working as pharmacist in Spain and Ireland, did a MSc degree in organic chemistry at Stockholm University, driven by his passion for synthetic methods and green chemistry. He joined the group in October 2023 as a doctoral student funded by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie doctoral network. He is studying new light-driven conversion processes using heterogeneous and semi-heterogeneous photocatalysts.

Shilpa studied chemistry at the University of Calcutta in India, where she also completed her experimental MSc thesis on the physico-chemical characterization of photocatalysts. She joined the group as a doctoral student in December 2023, supported by the national PhD program in catalysis. Currently, she is researching innovative thermal and light-driven catalytic processes using single-atom catalysts. Her work encompasses developing sustainable methodologies for catalytic reactions and assessing their environmental impact to ensure that these processes are effective and environmentally responsible.

Kaan studied chemistry at Bilkent University, Turkey, and performed an experimental MSc thesis in the group of Prof. Emrah Özensoy focusing on the photocatalytic mechanism of methanol selective oxidation to formaldehyde. He has experience in conducting in situ FTIR and TPD experiments to elucidate morphology-dependent reaction pathways over shape-defined model catalysts. He joined the group in November 2024 and, in his PhD, he will exploit spectroscopy methods to understand the structure and reactivity of single-atom (photo)catalysts.

Elisabetta studied Chemistry at the University of Milan, where she obtained both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. After graduation, she joined the Department of Materials Science at the University of Milan-Bicocca as a research assistant, working in the field of computational catalysis with Prof. Gianfranco Pacchioni. She joined Politecnico di Milano in September 2025 as a PhD student and is applying theoretical and computational methods to understand and design catalytic systems.

Matteo studied Industrial Chemistry at the Università degli Studi di Milano, where he carried out his bachelor’s and master’s theses in the Benaglia Group, focusing on radical chemistry and light-driven C–C bond formation. During his MSc, he also joined the Nappi Group at CiQUS in Santiago de Compostela as a visiting student, working on photochemical methodologies. He joined Politecnico di Milano in November 2025 as a doctoral student, where he is working on heterogeneous photocatalysis.

Aurora studied Chemistry at the University of Bari and later obtained her Master’s degree in Chemical Sciences and Technologies from the University of Milan-Bicocca. She joined Politecnico di Milano in February 2026 as a PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering. Her research is carried out jointly with IIT in collaboration with Prof. Annamaria Petrozza, and focuses on understanding the photophysical and photochemical phenomena that govern catalytic processes, with particular attention to light-driven reactivity and energy-transfer mechanisms.

Yiheng studied Materials Science and Engineering at the Huaiyin Institute of Technology and obtained his Master’s degree in Materials Engineering from Yangzhou University. His master’s research, supervised by Prof. Duo Wei, focused on the preparation of supramolecular materials and their application in visible-light asymmetric photocatalysis. His research interests supramolecular materials and organic synthesis.

Ahmed studied Process Engineering at the German University of Technology in Oman, where he later obtained a Master’s degree in Industrial Production and Manufacturing Engineering. His previous research covered bio-hydrogen production, renewable energy, and decarbonization. He is currently working on sustainability assessment of chemical and energy processes.