Description:

The Industrial Chemistry group develops its research activities in the Laboratory of Chemical and Electrochemical Technology. The group is currently constituted by two full professors Alessandro Galia and Onofrio Scialdone, four assistant professors (RTDa) Najwa Hamdi, Claudia Prestigiacomo, Federica Proietto e Serena Randazzo, two PhD students Paola Meli e Dennis Ruvio and 7 master thesis students.

Active research lines:

• Electrolysis and co-electrolysis of carbon dioxides to fuel and chemicals as formic acid, carbon monoxide and syn-gas;
• Electrochemical remediation of soils and sediments contaminated with recalcitrant organic and inorganic compounds and characterized by fine grain size and low hydraulic permeability.
• Electrochemical modification of polymers.
• Hydrothermal conversion of biomass to biofuels also assisted by solar energy.
• Transesterification and interesterification of tryglicerides to biodiesel.
• Catalytic dehydrogenation of organic waste matrices assisted by zinc-based molten salts.
• Study of the utilization of solar heat for the decarbonization of chemical processes.
• Electrochemical abatement of recalcitrant pollutants from aqueous streams.
• Study of reverse electrodialysis process for synthesis of hydrogen, formic acid and/or treatment of contaminated wastewater.

Main active projects:

• Progetto Finanziato dall'Unione europea – Next Generation EU” - PNRR M4 - C2 -investimento 1.1: Fondo per il Programma Nazionale di Ricerca e Progetti di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale (PRIN) - PRIN 2022   dal titolo Strategies for the advanced hydrothermal liquefaction of recalcitrant bioresources to renewable fuel (ReFuel) MUR, 24 mesi Settembre 2023 – Agosto 2025, PRIN 2022KBPRNK.
• Progetto Finanziato dall'Unione europea – Next Generation EU”   - PNRR M4 - C2 -investimento 1.1: Fondo per il Programma Nazionale di Ricerca e Progetti di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale (PRIN) - PRIN 2022   dal titolo   Electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide: towards sustainable electrochemical production of formic acid CUP   B53D23013560006
• Progetto Finanziato dall'Unione europea – Next Generation EU”   - PNRR M4 - C2 -investimento 1.1: Fondo per il Programma Nazionale di Ricerca e Progetti di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale (PRIN) - PRIN 2022PNRR cod. P2022AK3CA dal titolo "Sustainable rEmedial Approach FoR pOlluted mariNe sedimenTs (SEAFRONT)" CUP B53D23033560001
• Project code PE0000021, Concession Decree No. 1561 of 11.10.2022 adopted by Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca (MUR), CUP B73C22001280006 , Project title “Network 4 Energy Sustainable Transition – NEST   Spoke 1 Solar: CSP, CST, PV.
• SiciliAn MicronanOTecH Research And Innovation CEnter “SAMOTHRACE” (MUR, PNRR-M4C2, ECS_00000022), spoke 3 – Università degli Studi di Palermo “S2-COMMs – Micro and Nanotechnologies for Smart & Sustainable Communities”.
• MICS - MADE IN ITALY CIRCOLARE E SOSTENIBILE (MUR, PNRR-M4C2, PE00000004), spoke 5 – Università degli Studi di Palermo
• Piano triennale di realizzazione 2022-2024 della ricerca di sistema elettrico nazionale, solare termodinamico, PTR_22_24_ENEA_1_ 9.

Keywords:

biofuels, electrochemical engineering, water treatment, solar energy, carbon dioxide conversion, remediation, soil remediation, supercritical fluids, advanced oxidation processes, molten salts, hydrothermal liquefaction, thermochemical processes