Andrea Piazzi

PhD in Industrial Chemistry | Chimico Sviluppo Processi

Greater Bologna Metropolitan Area

About

Sustainable Chemistry | Organomellic Synthesis and Catalysis | Biofuels and Bioplastics | Project Management I'm currently finishing my Industrial Chemistry PhD at the University of Bologna. My research focuses on sustainable chemistry: I've been working on improving the Guerbet reaction for advanced biofuels synthesis starting from bio-ethanol and creating bioplastic building blocks from HMF. I also have a strong computational chemistry background. I have hands-on experience with many analytical techniques, including GC-FID/TCD/MS, HPLC/HPLC-MS, NMR, and FT/ATR-IR. I'm also skilled in conducting high-pressure reactions (autoclaves) and working in inert conditions. My computational skills include Python and Bash programming, DFT calculations (using Gaussian/GaussView), and molecular dynamics simulations (with AMBER and VMD). Outside of my lab work, I've had the chance to develop leadership and project management skills by guiding students during their academic internships. I also gained valuable industry experience during a six-month placement at Johnson Matthey. Additionally, I've explored the Italian start-up world with our "Further" project. Our team was honored to be named the best in the 2023 Emilia-Romagna Start-Cup competition and was among the top 4 finalists at the PNI 2023 in Milan.

Experience

  • Chimico sviluppo processi at REAGENS S.P.A.
    Feb 2026 - Present · 5 mos

  • PhD student in Industrial Chemistry at Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna
    Nov 2022 - Feb 2026 · 3 yrs 4 mos

  • Industrial Placement PhD Student at Johnson Matthey
    Sep 2024 - Mar 2025 · 7 mos

    Research at leading multinational company in precious metals sector. Application of ruthenium-based catalysts for Guerbet reaction in flow reactor under supervision of Dr. Stephen Bennett (RT&PGMCs).

  • Start-up Competition at Start Cup Emilia-Romagna
    Jun 2023 - Jan 2024 · 8 mos

    Business project “FURTHER” awarded Start Cup Emilia-Romagna 2023 prize and selected among top four national finalists at PNI 2023. Gained skills in drafting business plans and interacting with venture capital funds, incubators, and industry partners.

  • Academic Tutor at University of Bologna
    Sep 2023 - Dec 2023 · 4 mos

    Inorganic Chemistry course for BSc second year students.