Journal of Membrane Science & Technology

Leonardo Palmisano

Leonardo Palmisano
Professor, FRSC Full Professor of Chemistry, FRSC
DEIM - Università degli Studi di Palermo Viale delle Scienze, Italy

Biography

Prof. Leonardo Palmisano was born in Termini Imerese (Palermo, Italy) 13/04/1950.

High school: classical Lyceum, qualified in 1968. Degree in Chemistry (110/110 and laude) on 5th December 1973 at University of Palermo. Researcher in not stable position from 5th December 1973 to 22/4/1974 in the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the University of Palermo. Called-up for National Service as lieutenant from 23/04/1974 to 16/07/1975. Researcher in not stable position from 01/09/1975 to 31/12/1981 in the Institute of Chemical Engineering of the University of Palermo. Researcher in stable position from 01/01/1982 to 31/10/1992 in the Department of Chemical Engineering of Processes and Materials of the University of Palermo. Associate Professor of Chemistry in stable position in the Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Calabria from 01/11/1992 to 31/10/1993. Associate Professor of Chemistry in stable position in the Department of Chemical Engineering of Processes and Materials of the University of Palermo from 01/11/1993 to 31/10/2000. Full Professor of Chemistry in stable position in the Department of Chemical Engineering of Processes and Materials of the University of Palermo from 01/11/2000.

Prof. Palmisano is member of Italian Chemical Society, American Chemical Society and fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC). 

The scientific activity has been mainly focussed in the field of heterogeneous photocatalysis and his papers or chapters of books or the presentations in various national and international conferences deal with various topics concerning preparation, characterisation with many bulk and surface techniques, and testing of various kinds of bare and doped polycrystalline photocatalysts.
Professor Palmisano has been the co-ordinator of many national and international research projects (bilateral projects with Spain, India and Egypt) and moreover he has obtained financial support by the EEC (Economic European Community) to carry out experiments in the Plataforma Solar of Almeria (Spain) by using solar photoreactors. He has collaborated with many scientists all over the world producing many joint papers in international journals and books (more than 200) and many papers in proceedings of national and internationat conferences (around 250). Prof. Palmisano has been invited to carry out research work in U.K., University of Bradford, School of Studies in Chemistry and Chemical Technology (laboratories of Prof. R.I. Bickley) from 01/03/1986 to 31/08/1986, in Germany, Hahn-Meitner-Institut, Berlin (laboratories of Prof. H. Tributsch) in August 1989, and several times in Italy, Dipartimento di Chimica Fisica ed Inorganica (laboratories of Prof. S. Coluccia). From 1st August 2001 to 31st October 2001 Prof. Leonardo Palmisano worked as visiting professor at Hokkaido University, Catalysis Research Center, Sapporo (Japan).
Prof. Palmisano has been recently included in a list of experts to consult for the preparation of a glossary of terms in Photocatalysis and Radiation Catalysis by the Commission on Photochemistry and Commission on Colloid and Surface Chemistry including Catalysis of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). Prof. Palmisano has been the editor of the book “Processi e metodologie per il trattamento delle acque” (translation: Processes and methodologies for waste water treatment), and he is co-author of the books “Fondamenti di Chimica” EDISES ed.,"Elementi di Chimica" EDISES ed. The first one has been translated in Spanish: “Fundamentos de Química”, Ariel Ciencia ed., Barcellona (Spain).
Prof. Palmisano is Italian representative, along with Prof. Claudio Minero, University of Turin, in the "Management Committee" of "COST Action 540 PHONASUM (Photocatalytic Technologies and Novel Nanosurfaces. Prof. Palmisano has been Chairman, co-chairman or member of the International Scientific Committee of many international conferences. From 4 to 8 October 2008 he organized as Chairman SPEA 5th European Conference on Solar Chemistry & Photocatalysis: Environmental Applications in Palermo.
Moreover he is referee for “Wiley Interscience” and for the following international journals:
1) Phys. Chemistry-Chem. Physics. A Journal of the European Chemical Societies (già J. Chem. Soc. Faraday Trans)
2) J. Materials Chemistry
3) J. Catalysis
4) J. Am. Chem Soc.
5) J. Phys. Chem.
6) Mat. Chem. Phys.
7) J. Can. Chem. Engin.
8) Appl. Catal. A
9) Appl. Catal. B
10) Res. Chem. Intermediat.
11) J. Electrochem. Society
12) Langmuir
13) Inorganic Chemistry
14) Chem. Commum.
15) Solar Energy
16) Catalysis Today
17) Topics in Catalysis
18) J, Photochem. Photobiol. A: Chemistry
19) J. Membrane Science
20) Int. J. Photoenergy (member of the Advisory Board)
21) Current Organic Chemistry (member of the advisory board).

Research Interest

Prof. Palmisano is member of Italian Chemical Society, American Chemical Society and fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC).

The scientific activity has initially been developed in (i) the field of the Electrochemical sintheses, (ii) the Kinetics of solid state diffusion, (iii) the coordination compounds syntheses, in particular metal carbonyls compounds syntheses and characterization.

The main field of research in which Prof. Palmisano has been involved has been, however, Heterogeneous Photocatalysis and in particular its coupling with various types of polymeric membranes;

a) Production of NH3 (starting from N2 and H2O) in mild experimental conditions by using iron-doped TiO2 photocatalysts;

b) photodegradtion of organic and inorganic pollutants species in gas-solid and liquid solid systems (e.g. ethanoic acid, cyanids, drugs etc.) by using bare commercial and home made polycrystalline TiO2;

c) photo-oxidation of organic molecules in mild conditions through selective photocatalitic syntheses (alcohols to aldehydes) by using home made TiO2 samples.

Citations 8500 and h index 49 (SCOPUS, July 2014).