Rememberting Nicola

Nicola Gatti, a brilliant student of the Department of Physics, after receiving his master's degree in 2014 and his PhD in 2018, left us prematurely on 10 May 2023. One year after his passing, friends and colleagues in the Department remember him.

Intervengono:

Paolo Tosi, Department of Physics, University of Trento: "The scientific and human path of Nicola Gatti"

Gerhard van Rooij Department of Circular Chemical Engineering, Maastricht University: "Plasma Technology to aid the Energy and Material Transition of the Process Industry"

A carbon-neutral and circular economy will rely on the utilization of waste materials and biomass as feedstock for the production of new materials. Its energy input must have a zero carbon footprint, which implies intermittent electricity. Some of the challenges encountered in the transition towards such an economy may be
addressed by plasma technology. Particularly its compatibility with (intermittent) sustainable energy and unique opportunities for efficiency and/or selectivity in reactions with CO2, N2, and CH4 inspire our research in the context of the Dutch process industry.

This presentation discusses the use cases of CO2 activation for the synthesis of fuels and chemicals and CH4 valorization via carbon coupling to illustrate the plasma opportunities. These insights are used to draft a roadmap for industrial implementation of the technology for the direct production of ethylene (C2H4), an important building block for the chemical industry.

Leonardo Ricci, Department of Physics, University of Trento
Luca Matteo Martini, Department of Physics, University of Trento
Gabriele Ferrari, Department of Physics, University of Trento

... and those who wish to express their personal remembrance.