PROGRAMME

Development of Organic Semiconductor-based Photoelectrochemical and Photocatalytic Systems for Z-Scheme Water Splitting DR. PARK, Jin Su EPFL - Scientist (2023-Present) École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) - Ph.D. degree (2023) Dept. of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, KAIST (Supervisor: Prof. Bumjoon J. Kim) - B.S. degree (2017) Dept. of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, KAIST - Research interest: organic synthesis, green hydrogen production, overall water splitting via photocatalysis/photoelectrochemistry, organic photovoltaics

Development of Quantum Materials Assisted by Robots DR. YASUMATSU, Hisato Advanced Research And Innovation Center, Denso Corporation Professor Hisato Yasumatsu has obtained BS and MS degrees at the Chemistry Department of the University of Tokyo. He has done the PhD work on the basic chemical reactions involving the clusters under the supervision of the late Prof. Tamotsu Kondow (1936-2009), with PhD in 1995. After spending two years at the Institute of Physical chemistry in RIKEN, He has joined Prof. Kondow’s group at the Cluster Research Laboratory of Toyota Technological Institute. He has worked there on the advanced material research as successively assistant, associate and full professor from 1997 to 2023. Then he has moved to the Denso Corporation at Kariya, Aichi, Japan, to develop new methods in making the metal clusters. In EKC-2026, he will give a talk, “Toward Practical Handling of Metal Clusters”.

Recent advances in infrared microscopy to characterize mass transfer in electrolyzer ionomers PROF. CHEVALIER, Stéphane Arts et Métiers, Campus de Bordeaux, Institut de Mécanique et d'Ingénierie de Bordeaux Stéphane Chevalier is Associate Professor at Arts et Métiers. He has been working for nearly 15 years on the development of imaging setup and heat and mass transport characterization in complex electrochemical systems in Nantes University, Toronto University, Tokyo University and Arts et Métiers Institute of Technology. He was principal investigator of numerous research projects amounting to a total funding of around 1.2 M€ over the last 7 years to to successfully develop a new platform for heat and mass transfer visualizations in microfluidic fuel cells and electrolyzers. In addition, he was laureate of several international programs (with Canadian and Japanese Universities) to develop infrared spectroscopic imaging microscopy for energy transfer characterization in microsystems. He has trained several PhD students through these programs and important collaborative works, including experiment in Canadian synchrotron with his collaborators. Finally, after successfully obtaining his “Habilitation à diriger des recherches” (HDR) in April 2024, he moved for 1 year at Tokyo University as visiting scholar (LIMMS laboratory) to collaborate on the development, imaging and modeling of new organic redox flow batteries.

Enhanced Catalyst and Process Engineering for Efficient CO₂ Hydrogenation: From Copper-Promoted Fe-K Systems to Thermodynamic and Kinetic Optimization DR. CHATELIER, Corentin Université Grenoble Alpes, Cea, Liten, Dtnm, 38000 Grenoble, France With a PhD and an engineering degree in materials science, Dr. Chatelier's research focuses on the catalytic properties of various materials, including metals and complex intermetallic compounds. He combines experimental approaches, such as catalysis, surface X-ray diffraction, and Bragg coherent X-ray diffraction imaging, with theoretical methods, including density functional theory, molecular dynamics, thermodynamic modelling, and microkinetic modelling.

Accelerated Discovery of High-Entropy Oxide Catalysts for Tailoring CO₂ Hydrogenation Products DR. KNORPP, Amy Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories For Materials Science And Technology Dr. Amy Jenelle Knorpp's research focuses on high-entropy oxides for durable catalysts. Her research, funded by a prestigious SNF Ambizione grant, aims to convert carbon dioxide and hydrogen into green fuels using the "cocktail effect" to enhance catalytic efficiency. She leads an independent research group in Empa after a background in the industrial minerals sector

Lithium-Ion Batteries Required for Various Industry Applications DR. LEE, Keon Woo Henkel Ag & Co. KGaA With more than two-decade long experience in the electronics and battery materials industries, Keon sees himself as a battery generalist with a chemistry background. He makes himself a battery storyteller, covering topics from mines to EVs. Since 2021, he has been leading two unique technology groups in Henkel: battery solutions and simulation & modeling. The former seeks solutions that enable new battery designs and processes based on Henkel's advanced material technology. The latter is developing a new digital platform that utilizes AI to accelerate material innovation and simulation.

Multiscale Modeling and Artificial Intelligence for Battery Material Design PROF. KAGHAZCHI, Payam Forschungszentrum Jülich Gmbh Payam Kaghazchi is currently head of the modeling team at the Institute of IMD-2 in the Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany, and a Professor and Chair of Computational Modelling and Design of Advanced Battery Materials in the Faculty of Science and Technology at University of Twente in the Netherlands. His research has focused on developing and applying Multiphysics and Multiscale Modeling as well as AI approaches to simulate and design materials for energy storage and conversion systems. He has published more than 150 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals (including Advanced Energy Materials, eScience, Energy & Environmental Science, Materials Today, and Nature Energy)

AI-Driven Microstructural Characterization of Bamboo Technical Fibers for Bio-Composite Design DR. FUENTES, Carlos Luxembourg Institute Of Science And Technology Carlos A. Fuentes is Senior Lead Researcher at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) and Visiting Professor at KU Leuven. His research interests include bio-inspired complex materials, natural-fibre composites, and hierarchical structures in plant-based systems. He studies how nano- and microstructural interactions govern strength, ductility, and interfacial behaviour, with the aim of translating these principles into improved bulk and interface properties.

Scalable Silicon Nanowire Anodes for High-Energy Lithium-Ion Batteries: From Mechanisms to Industrialization MR. TOMEY, Rafael Imdea Materials Institute, Madrid, Spain Mr. Rafael Tomey is a chemist specialized in electrochemistry and energy storage, with extensive experience in research, battery electrical testing, materials characterization, and full management of electrochemistry laboratories. He has experienced in R&D projects in both academic and industrial environments, particularly in battery technologies and advanced materials. Currently, he is a PhD candidate at IMDEA Materiales supervised by Dr. Juan Jose Vilatela, focusing on lithium-ion batteries and the study of high-capacity nanostructured materials, particularly silicon nanowires.