Maicon Delarmelina

I attained my PhD in 2018 from Fluminense Federal University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Shortly after, I was granted a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the same group by the Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Research Support of the State of Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) to investigate new Frustrated Lewis Pairs containing N-heterocyclic carbenes for the activation of small molecules and hydrogenation of CO₂. In February 2019 I joined the group of Prof Richard Catlow at Cardiff University as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate and I am currently investigating by state-of-the art DFT calculations new zirconia-based catalyst for upgrading bio-oils obtained from hydrothermal treatment of wastewater solids. The main goal of this project is to develop more efficient catalytic systems for the production of biofuels and added-value chemicals from wastewater biomass. I have experience in the application of molecular modelling for mechanistic investigation of organic reaction, namely naphthoquinone derivatives with potential cytotoxic activity, as well as for the design of new homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis for applications in organic synthesis and environmentally relevant chemical transformations.