Biopolymers: Synthesis, Properties, and Emerging Applications

Valentina Sessini is currently GET co-funded Marie-Curie Fellow at the University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain. She received her PhD in Civil Engineering and Innovative Materials from the University of Perugia, Italy, in May 2017, and completed a postdoctoral stay at the University of Mons for 15 months, contracted in the framework of the INTERREG BIOHARV project. Dr. Sessini has published 14 peer-reviewed JRC scientific publications (9 as first author) in international JCR journal of high impact factor and 6 book chapters, has participated in 5 research projects, and her work has been presented at more than 24 national and international congresses. She has a broad experience in the development of bio-based, biocompatible, biodegradable and smart polymeric materials and nanocomposites, melt processing of plastics (extrusion, injection, compression, etc.), and reactive extrusion. In recent years, her work has focused on the sustainable synthesis of biobased polymers with piezoelectric properties for energy harvesting applications.

Dr. Srabanti Ghosh is currently a Senior Scientist in the Energy Materials & Devices Division, at CSIR - Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata, India. She received her PhD degree in Chemistry from UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research, Kolkata Centre, and Jadavpur University, India, before completing postdoctoral programs at the University of Paris SUD, France (Marie Curie co-fund) and working as GOT ENERGY TALENT co-fund Marie Curie Fellow Researcher at the Universidad De Alcala, Spain. Her main research interests include synthesis, and characterization of functional materials at the nanoscale and their photoelectrochemical properties for energy conversion devices, photocatalysts, electrocatalysts, fuel cells, and biosensor applications. Dr. Ghosh has co-authored 104 publications in international journals, 4 patents, edited 6 books, and contributed 24 book chapters, and acts as a reviewer for several SCI journals.

Marta E. G. Mosquera is currently Associate Professor at the University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain. She received her PhD degree in Chemistry from Oviedo University, and previous completed postdoctoral research stays at Cambridge University (United Kingdom) and Würzburg University (Germany). Dr. Mosquera has a broad experience in organometallic, coordination chemistry and catalysts. She has participated in 23 research projects (10 as PI) and her work has been reported in more than 112 papers in JCR journals and 90 conferences contributions (several as invited speaker). She has participated in the organization of worldwide conferences and has also been invited to give talks at various universities in Spain, Poland and the UK. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Dr. Mosquera’s research efforts are focused on homo and heterometallic main group (aluminum, potassium, etc.) compounds active in catalytic processes of polymerization of functionalized monomers and co-polymerization with CO2, aiming in particular to develop catalysts for the next generation of biopolymers.