Main ResearchTopics

General Research Topic : Nucleation, Growth and Transformation of Minerals and Particles under Mild and Hydrothermal Conditions : From Earth systems to Applications

- My experimental setups,
- Some significant results in the last years and
- Project description for the next five years

Current specific research topics

CO2 capture, utilisation and Storage (CCUS). Direct and indirect aqueous carbonation of ultrabasic rocks and alkaline waste (e.g. fly ashes, paper mill waste, steel slag, etc.), gas-solid carbonation and CO2 reactivity in aquifers.

see for example :
Mineral Sequestration of CO2 Using Alkaline Waste
Engineered Magnesite as Permanent CO2 storage
CO2-Mineral-Toxic ion Interactions
CO2 Capture Implications
Simultaneous Serpentinization and Carbonation of Ultrabasic Minerals
Reaction-induced cracking in olivine
Water action in gas-solid carbonation

Nucleation, Growth and Transformation of Mineral Phases by Using Time-Resolved in situ Raman Spectroscopy

see for example :
Nucleation of Mg-Carbonates
Nucleation of Magnetite
Nucleation of Carbonates
Nucleation of Protodolomite
Nucleation of Phosphates
Nucleation of Magnesite

Time-resolved Raman spectroscopy of protodolomite nucleation : avi

Synthesis of mineral nanocomposites, mesocrystals and nanomaterials. Geo-inspired and Engineered systems

see for example :
AgNPs antimicrobial textile fibers
Magnetic Materials
Porous Calcite Mesocrystals
Nanotubes of Chrysotile
Nanostructured Calcite
Ceria Nanoparticles
SeNPs-Calcite composite

Removal of inorganic and organic pollutants from wastewater...

see for example :
Removal of Antibiotics
Removal of Arsenite and Chromate
Removal of Oxyanions by Carbonation
Removal of Cu, Cd, As and Se
Removal of Fe(II)

Mobility of pollutants at the mineral-solution interfaces

see for example :
CO2-Mineral-Toxic ion Interactions
AFM Imaging of Arsenic-Calcite interactions
AFM Imaging of Selenium-Calcite Interactions
AFM Imaging of Antimony-Calcite Interaction

Numerical Modelling of physichemical reactions at the mineral-solution interfaces

see fro example :
Reactive transport in Engineered Clay Barriers
Mineral Nucleation
Olivine Alteration