Nejib Kasmi

Expertise: Development of biobased Polyesters for sustainable Packaging Materials / Bioplastics based on 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid / Chemical recycling and valorization of plastics waste.

Nejib KASMI is a highly skilled Polymer Scientist with international research experience, in-depth knowledge and proven track record in developing fully biobased polyesters for sustainable packaging materials (mainly Bioplastics based on 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid -FDCA), as well as in the chemical recycling of plastic waste. He is currently working as R&D Project Leader / Polymer Synthesis Specialist at AVANTIUM company in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Before that, he worked as researcher at the Institute Charles Gerhardt Montpellier (ICGM), French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Montpellier, France (Research project: Development of reversibly designed crosslinked polymers based on dynamic covalent chemistry). Before joining CNRS, he worked in several leading European research groups. In fact, he recently worked as researcher at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden (Research projects:1. Microwave-assisted chemical recycling of post-consumer 'polyester type' plastics into high-performance recyclable polymers.2. Development of biobased polyurethane networks with tunable biodegradability and mechanical performance, prepared from hemicellulose sugars). Before joining KTH, he worked as Research Scientist at the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers in Berlin, Germany (Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon). Before that, he worked as Junior Research & Technology Associate at Department of Materials Research and Technology (MRT) at Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Luxembourg (LINK). Prior to that, he undertook Postdoctoral Research in Polymer Chemistry within Bikiaris's Group at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. he has also worked as research assistant at Padova University, Italy. In March 2018, he achieved his PhD in Polymer Chemistry under the supervision of Prof. Dimitrios Bikiaris from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. The title of his PhD dissertation title is "Valorisation of Isosorbide: Synthesis of new functional polymers". In Nov. 2013, he obtained his Master’s Degree in Organic Chemistry (Major: Synthesis and Reactivity in organic chemistry) from the University of Monastir, Tunisia. The title of his Master Thesis is "Synthesis and characterization of new functional structures based on isosorbide".

His research mainly focuses on the following:

1) Design, Synthesis, and in-depth Study of new fully biobased polyesters for sustainable packaging materials (especially Bioplastics based on 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and other renewable monomers such as isosorbide, vanillic acid, succinic acid, among others), as well as the development of sustainable branched polyester/isocyanate-free polyurethane networks from renewable resources.

2) Chemical recycling and valorization of'polyester type' plastics waste, e.g. by utilizing dynamic covalent chemistries, into value-added circular materials / Integrating plastic waste in the circular economy / Plastic waste management.

These activities have been the subject of27paperspublished in good peer reviewed journals (Green Chemistry, Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Biomacromolecules, Polymer Degradation and Stability, ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, European Polymer Journal, Polymers, Polymer Chemistry, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, etc).

Job-related Skills and Expertise

· In-Depth knowledge and technical understanding of the Design, Synthesis, and Study of fully biobased polymers, mainly polyesters, copolyesters, polyester blends and functionalized hyperbranched polyesters derived from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and other renewable monomers (isosorbide, vanillic acid, succinic acid, among others).

· Chemical Recycling of post-consumer‘polyester-type’ plastics to value added circular materials by utilizing dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC) / Integrating plastic waste in the circular economy / plastic waste management

· Excellent command of several synthesis techniques of Polyesters: Melt Polycondensation, Solid state Polycondensation, Polymer Blending, Ring-Opening Polymerization, In Situ polymerization, etc.

· Furan-based Bioplastics: Sustainable polyesters, copolyesters, polyester Blends, Isocyanate-free polyester-urethane networks derived from FDCA / Investigation of crystallization, melting behavior, mechanical performance, and “enzymatic / in soil” biodegradability of renewable (Co-)polyesters / Biobased branched polyesters and polyester-urethanes / Organic chemistry / (Microwave-assisted) organic synthesis

·Teaching experience of Master's students (104 h) at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm / Effective supervision skills (acquired through my experience as co-supervisor of BSc, MSc and PhD students).

Job-related Keywords

Bioplastics, Biobased Polymers, polyester, renewable resources, copolyesters, 2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid, Melt polycondensation, Isosorbide, FDCA, FURAN-based packaging, Isocyanate-free polyurethane, poly(ethylene furanoate), Microwave-assisted Chemical Recycling of "polyester type" plastic, plastic in the circular economy, crystallization behavior, PEF, Polyester Blends, reactive blending, solid-state polycondensation, biodegradability, structure-property relationship, thermal properties, catalysts, Ring opening polymerization, Vanillic acid, etc

Awards:

July 2018: Best Presentation Award at the IUPAC Postgraduate Summer School on Green Chemistry – Venice, Italy, awarded byL'Oréal Group andEniGroup (LINK)