Francesco Banfi | Materials Science | Research Excellence Award

Prof. Francesco Banfi | Materials Science | Research Excellence Award

Professor | Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 – Institut Lumière Matière | France

Prof. Francesco Banfi is a leading physicist internationally recognized for his contributions to ultrafast energy transport, nanoscale thermo-mechanics, and time-resolved optical spectroscopy. Over the past two decades, he has advanced the understanding of energy transients in nanostructures, high-temperature superconductors, and surface-based electron systems, establishing a strong interdisciplinary research profile that bridges condensed-matter physics, ultrafast photonics, and nanoscale material science. His scholarly impact is reflected in 1,826 citations, 101 publications, and an h-index of 25, underscoring his sustained influence in the global physics community. Prof. Banfi has led and participated in numerous competitive international projects across Europe, the USA, and Switzerland, contributing significantly to frontier research initiatives. Notably, he served as Principal Investigator for a 500 k€ FIRB Consolidator Grant on ultrafast thermo-mechanics and a 70 k€ French National Research project, strengthening cross-border scientific collaborations. His research group has produced high-impact publications in Nano Letters, Physical Review Letters, Applied Physics Letters, and Nature Communications, complemented by more than 70 conference presentations and 15+ invited institutional seminars. Prof. Banfi has further shaped the scientific landscape through editorial roles in EPJ, IOP, and MDPI journals and by serving on review panels for national research agencies in Italy, the UK, Spain, Hungary, and Germany. His international engagement includes invited positions at CNRS, leadership in joint doctoral programs with KU Leuven, Notre Dame, and institutions in Chile, and coordination of major research-exchange initiatives with IIT India and UNESCO-ICTP. With extensive mentoring experience spanning PhD, postdoctoral, and graduate levels, Prof. Banfi continues to contribute profoundly to advancing ultrafast physics and strengthening global scientific networks.

Featured Publications

  1. Dal Conte, S., Giannetti, C., Coslovich, G., Cilento, F., Bossini, D., Abebaw, T., … Banfi, F. (2012). Disentangling the electronic and phononic glue in a high-Tc superconductor. Science, 335(6076), 1600–1603. Cited by: 250

  2. Dal Conte, S., Vidmar, L., Golež, D., Mierzejewski, M., Soavi, G., Peli, S., Banfi, F., … Giannetti, C. (2015). Snapshots of the retarded interaction of charge carriers with ultrafast fluctuations in cuprates. Nature Physics, 11(5), 421–426. Cited by: 130

  3. Nardi, D., Travagliati, M., Siemens, M. E., Li, Q., Murnane, M. M., Kapteyn, H. C., … Banfi, F. (2011). Probing thermomechanics at the nanoscale: Impulsively excited pseudosurface acoustic waves in hypersonic phononic crystals. Nano Letters, 11(10), 4126–4133. Cited by: 118

  4. Giannetti, C., Revaz, B., Banfi, F., Montagnese, M., Ferrini, G., Cilento, F., … Parmigiani, F. (2007). Thermomechanical behavior of surface acoustic waves in ordered arrays of nanodisks studied by near-infrared pump-probe diffraction experiments. Physical Review B, 76(12), 125413. Cited by: 105

  5. Benetti, G., Cavaliere, E., Brescia, R., Salassi, S., Ferrando, R., Vantomme, A., … Banfi, F. (2019). Tailored Ag–Cu–Mg multielemental nanoparticles for wide-spectrum antibacterial coating. Nanoscale, 11(4), 1626–1635. Cited by: 82

Abdolreza Farhadian | Materials Science | Editorial Board Member

Dr. Abdolreza Farhadian | Materials Science | Editorial Board Member

Senior Researcher | Kazan Federal University | Russia

Dr. Abdolreza Farhadian is a senior researcher whose work has significantly advanced flow assurance, gas hydrate science, corrosion control, and sustainable technologies for the oil and gas sector. His academic influence is demonstrated by 2,485 citations, 67 publications, and an h-index of 33, reflecting strong global recognition of his contributions. Dr. Farhadian’s research centers on the development of environmentally friendly, next-generation kinetic hydrate inhibitors, anti-agglomerants, and corrosion inhibitors designed to improve the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of hydrocarbon production and transportation. A core element of his work involves pioneering hybrid inhibition strategies capable of simultaneously mitigating hydrate formation and corrosion, addressing long-standing compatibility challenges in conventional inhibitor systems. His innovations extend to the design of novel hydrate promoters for natural gas storage and CO₂ capture using clathrate hydrate technology, supporting cleaner energy transitions. Dr. Farhadian also engages in the development of advanced corrosion inhibitors, biomaterial-based reagents, surfactants, and catalysts for enhanced oil recovery and heavy-oil aquathermolysis. His research portfolio includes major industry-supported projects with organizations such as Gazpromneft STC, the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, and the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, underscoring the applied value and national importance of his work. A prolific inventor, he holds multiple patents on polyurethane-based and bio-derived hydrate and corrosion inhibitors, as well as castor-oil and chitosan-based technologies. He has contributed extensively to leading books and journals, including Chemical Engineering Journal, Green Chemistry, and Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. Through international collaboration—particularly with research groups in China and Europe—Dr. Farhadian continues to influence the scientific and industrial landscapes of gas hydrates, energy storage, and environmentally responsible oilfield chemistry.

Profiles: Google Scholar | Scopus | ORCID | ResearchGate

Featured Publications

  1. Farhadian, A., Rahimi, A., Safaei, N., Shaabani, A., Abdouss, M., & Alavi, A. (2020). A theoretical and experimental study of castor oil-based inhibitor for corrosion inhibition of mild steel in acidic medium at elevated temperatures. Corrosion Science, 175, 108871. Citations: 270

  2. Rahimi, A., Farhadian, A., Berisha, A., Shaabani, A., Varfolomeev, M. A., … (2022). Novel sucrose derivative as a thermally stable inhibitor for mild steel corrosion in 15% HCl medium: An experimental and computational study. Chemical Engineering Journal, 446, 136938. Citations: 149

  3. Farhadian, A., Kashani, S. A., Rahimi, A., Oguzie, E. E., Javidparvar, A. A., … (2021). Modified hydroxyethyl cellulose as a highly efficient eco-friendly inhibitor for suppression of mild steel corrosion in a 15% HCl solution at elevated temperatures. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 338, 116607. Citations: 101

  4. Farhadian, A., Zhao, Y., Naeiji, P., Rahimi, A., Berisha, A., Zhang, L., … (2023). Simultaneous inhibition of natural gas hydrate formation and CO₂/H₂S corrosion for flow assurance inside the oil and gas pipelines. Energy, 269, 126797. Citations: 98

  5. Omrani, I., Farhadian, A., Babanejad, N., Shendi, H. K., Ahmadi, A., & Nabid, M. R. (2016). Synthesis of novel high primary hydroxyl functionality polyol from sunflower oil using thiol-yne reaction and their application in polyurethane coating. European Polymer Journal, 82, 220–231. Citations: 92