How Molecules and Computers Hold the Key to Our Sustainable Future
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How Molecules and Computers Hold the Key to Our Sustainable Future
Thu, 26/06/2025 - 17:30 to 18:30
Speaker:
Prof. Grazia De Angelis
Affiliation:
University of Edinburgh
Synopsis:
The Inaugural Lecture of Prof. Grazia De Angelis, Chair of Thermodynamics of Materials and Processes in the Oak Lecture Theatre, Nucleus Building, King’s Buildings, University of Edinburgh
All are welcome to attend
Please confirm in-person attendance to: louise.farquharson@ed.ac.uk
Attendees can also register to attend via Teams Webinar -https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/15bf0a36-0db5-4094-bd79-6a0ef66...@2e9f06b0-1669-4589-8789-10a06934dc61
Few realise the full scope of chemical engineering, yet this field is behind nearly every product we use—from the food in our cupboards to the fuel in our cars and the heat in our homes.
Today, chemical engineers face a monumental responsibility: steering our transition towards a world that uses fewer natural resources and emits less carbon, thus safeguarding our climate and the ecosystems that depend on it.
To achieve this, they leverage their deep knowledge of natural mechanisms—from simple boiling and chemical reactions to the purification of air and water from waste compounds. Key objectives include removing CO2 from the atmosphere, purifying contaminated water, and producing green hydrogen safely—all pivotal steps toward building more resilient and sustainable communities.
The smartest way to accomplish this is to use materials with a molecular structure tailored to allow only certain molecules to pass, mimicking the natural separation mechanisms our bodies have always used. After all, separating is much more difficult than mixing, as thermodynamics and experience teach us.
Supercomputers, acting as powerful molecular microscopes, can show us how to direct molecules where we want them to go. Our technological knowledge will then translate this information into advanced processes that significantly reduce our impact on the world.
Biography:
Prof. Grazia De Angelis is a Chair of Thermodynamics of Materials and Processes at the University of Edinburgh since December 2020. Previously she worked at the University of Bologna, in the Chemical Engineering Department.
In Edinburgh, she leads the Sustainable Processes: Materials and Models (SusProM) group. Her research deals with the design and characterisation of novel materials for sustainable separations, using theoretical models and experimental analysis.
She has published more than 100 papers in the field of membranes, polymers with separation ability and thermodynamics, and edits Journals such as Membranes and Fluid Phase Equilibria. She has developed models that explain the behaviour of complex materials and unlock novel purification processes such as CO2 capture, water purification and green dialysis.
She leads the Working Party on Thermodynamics and Transport Properties of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering, and was in the European Membrane Society Council. Her network of collaborators include scientist from Europe, Australia and the Americas. She has organised several international conference and scientific training events for graduate students.
ps://edit.eng.ed.ac.uk/about/people/prof-maria-grazia-de-angelis https://suspromgroup.eng.ed.ac.uk/