Nanoelectrocatalysts for Energy and Water Treatment

Dr. KatlegoMakgopa is a Physical Chemistry Lecturer, Deputy Director of Centre for Applied Chemistry Research (CACRe), and a Leader of the Nanomaterials for Electrochemistry Applications Research Team (NEART), Chemistry Department, Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), South Africa. He is a C2-rated researcher recognized by the National Research Foundation (NRF), South African and serve as the President of the South African Nanotechnology Initiative (SANi). His current research interests entail the electrochemistry of nanostructured materials and their potential applications in energy storage (i.e., supercapacitors), hydrogen production and wastewater treatment.  He has published his research findings in various high impact factor international peer-reviewed journals in the form of articles and book chapters, and presented his research outputs at several scientific conferences. He has participated as reviewer for many accredited international journals, a member of several scientific/professional societies (SACNASP, SACI and SANi) and has attracted several funding from NRF, South Africa.

 

Kwena D. Modibane is currently working at the University of Limpopo (UL) as an associate professor, and leader of the Nanotechnology Research Group (NanoRG@UL), South Africa. He is the DSI-NRF South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI) Chair in Green Hydrogen. His duties involve lecturing of third and second levels in the area of Analytical and Inorganic Chemistry; and specialized topics on electrochemistry, advanced separation techniques and spectroscopies at Honours level. He is also a part-time Lecturer (since 2013) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) for MSc Nanoscience Programme, where he teaches electrochemical energy, kinetics and thermodynamics of hydrogen energy storage and conversion processes, and photophysical chemistry. His current research outputs are on preparation of nanocomposites for various applications such as electrochemical hydrogen production, hydrogen storage, supercapacitors and water treatment. He participates in several research activities aimed at keeping himself abreast with trends in his field, as reviewer for a number of journals that include Elsevier journals, Nature and Springer. He received the University of Limpopo Vice Chancellor's established Researcher Award for 2019 in the school.