R Arrigo

I am an expert in heterogeneous catalysis and electro-catalysis, with research interests in material synthesis, testing and characterization, including extensive experience in the analysis of catalyst surfaces under in situ conditions using innovative synchrotron based techniques such as ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS). I obtained a Master in Industrial Chemistry (MSc) with first class marks (mark 110/110) at the University of Messina, Italy under the supervision of Prof. G. Centi and was awarded the prize of “best thesis” in Sustainable Chemistry of the year in 2003/2004. After a 1,5 year fellowship from the Italian Council ‘National Institute of the Science and Technologies of Materials’ (“Istituto Nazionale per la Scienza e la Tecnologia dei Materiali” )(INSTM), I received a prestigious PhD scholarship from the International Max Planck Research School, which enabled me to develop my PhD research in the Department of Inorganic Chemistry of the Fritz Haber Institute (FHI) of the Max Planck Society, one of the Europe’s leading research institutes in Inorganic Chemistry, under the supervision of Prof. R. Schloegl. I completed my PhD in Natural Sciences and defended my thesis entitled "Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes and Application in Heterogeneous Catalysis" at the TU Berlin in August 2009 obtaining the first class degree marks (summa cum laude). During my PhD I had several extended visits to the laboratory of Prof. Laura Prati at the University of Milan, where I gained experience in the sol-gel synthesis of nanoparticles for catalytic applications. My PhD also contributed to successful international research collaborations in the field of electro-catalytic reduction of CO2 to fuel within the EU Network of Excellence on catalysis “Integrated design of catalytic nanomaterials for a sustainable production” (IDECAT). I was also awarded the European Doctorate in Catalysis for having successfully completed the specialized international training on catalysis prescribed by the European Research Institute of Catalysis (ERIC). After my PhD, I was eager to expand my scientific expertise into new fields of science at the interface between chemistry and physics. In particular, I was interested in establishing more robust structure/reactivity relationships by applying in situ spectroscopic methodologies. With a Max Planck postdoctoral research fellowship, I joined the surface analysis group at the FHI. In this group, the second synchrotron based APXPS end station in the world was developed and located at the Max Planck beamline (ISISS) of the synchrotron facility in Berlin, Bessy II. During my post-doctoral research, I pioneered the application of this technique to study in situ polymeric electrolyte based low-temperature electro-catalytic cell in operation. I was appointed a group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion in Muelheim/Ruhr in Germany in January 2013. In this role, I further progressed research on in situ spectroscopy to investigate electrified solid/liquid interfaces. In February 2015, I joined the VERSOX team at Diamond Light Source before moving in September 2018 to Salford University as a lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry.