Prof. Dr. ir. Gino Baron

General introduction

Gino Baron is emeritus professor with a part-time research appointment in the Department of Chemical Engineering since November 2008. As past Head of the department, he was teaching various courses in the Chemical and Biochemical Engineering curriculum and involved in research in a broad range of subjects, now mainly managed by the other members of the department. He has extensive industrial experience both in industry itself and in collaborative research: chemical, pharmaceutical and food and beverages. Fellow of the AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers), Past President of IAS (International Adsorption Society), Member AIChE Separations Division, Adsorption and Ion Exchange Committee Member FWO Commission W&T6 Chemical Engineering and Materials, Member of the VIB Board (Flemish Institute for Biotechnology), Member Editorial Board, Journal Adsorption Science and Technology, International Journal of Chemical Engineering, and Editor-in-chief of Adsorption, Journal of the IAS, Recipient of the Francqui Chair 2009-2010 at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.

Research

His research is now focused on the use of structured (micro-)porous materials in gas and liquid separation both by physical adsorption and chemisorption and the study of adsorption effects in heterogeneous catalysis. Other projects deal with novel reactor and catalyst technology, high throughput synthesis and testing, and hot gas cleaning. In all these projects order and structure effects are exploited to improve performance or perform unique separation and reaction operations. He has published 180 journal papers, two books and 10 patents. Some 27 PhD were granted under his supervision.

Selected publications

• Rouquerol, J., Baron, G.V., Denoyel, R., Giesche, H;, Groen, J., Klobes, P., Levitz, P. Neimark, A.V., Rigby, S., Skudas, R., Sing, K., Thommes, M., Unger, K. (2012) The characterization of macroporous solids: An overview of the methodology, MICROPOROUS AND MESOPOROUS MATERIALS, 154, 2-6
• Remy,T., Cousin Saint Remy, J., Singh, R., Webley, P., Baron, G.V., Denayer, J.F.M.(2012) Adsorption and Separation of C1-C8 Alcohols on SAPO-34, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 1932-7447
• Nacken, M., Ma, L., Heidenreich, S., Verpoort, F., Baron, G.V. (2012) Development of a catalytic ceramic foam for efficient tar reforming of a catalytic filter for hot gas cleaning of biomass-derived syngas, Applied Catalysis B-Environmental, 125, 111-119
• Couck, S., Denayer, J.F.M., Baron, G.V., Remy, T., Gascon, J., Kapteijn, F. (2009) An Amino-Functionalized MIL-53 Metal Organic Framework with Large Separation Power for CO2 and CH4, JACS, 131, 6326-6327
• Ma, L., Baron, G. (2008) Mixed Zirconia-Alumina Supports for Ni/MgO based Catalytic Filters for Biomass Fuel Gas Cleaning, Powder Technology, 180, 21-29