Ahmad Hazim Abdul Aziz | Separation Process | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Ahmad Hazim Abdul Aziz | Separation Process | Best Researcher Award

Senior Lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia

Dr. Ahmad Hazim Abdul Aziz is a lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, specializing in green extraction technologies with a strong background in Chemical Engineering. His work focuses on supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, subcritical water extraction, optimization, and mathematical modelling for high-value natural products. He has published extensively, including 18 articles in 2024, contributing to a total of 64 indexed documents with 728 citations from 514 citing sources and an h-index of 17. Dr. Ahmad Hazim leads several competitive research grants involving process optimization, modelling, and product development, and actively participates in innovation and invention competitions where he transforms scientific findings into functional prototypes and value-added solutions. His research integrates engineering principles with food science to advance sustainable product development in the food and natural products industries. He holds two editorial appointments, maintains two active research collaborations, and is a member of two professional bodies as a Professional Technologist and Graduate Engineer. His contributions strengthen Malaysia’s capacity for sustainable extraction technologies and support industry-driven innovation aligned with national and global sustainability objectives.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Khurun Hizar, S. A., Mamat, H., Pindi, W., Julmohammad, N., Mohd Amin, S. F., Awang, M. A., Roslan, J., Ahmad Zaini, M. A., Putra, N. R., Jaziri, A. A., et al. (2025). Solubility modeling of Sabah green robusta coffee (Coffea canephora) bean oil extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide. Sci, 7(4), 139.

Md Sarip, M. S., Nik Daud, N. M. A., Idham, Z., Mohd Zainudin, M. A., Abu Bakar, A. R., Ruslan, M. S. H., & Abdul Aziz, A. H. (2025, June 10). The effect of temperature on the upscaling process of 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol extraction from Zingiber officinale using subcritical water extraction. Engineering Proceedings.

Mamat, H., Mohd Faizal, A. N., Mohd Amin, S. F., Julmohammad, N., Kobun, R., Mohamad, N. E., Md Sarip, M. S., Putra, N. R., Ahmad Zaini, M. A., & Abdul Aziz, A. H. (2025). Application of supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of bioactive compounds from cat’s whiskers leaves. Separation Science Plus.

Leong, K. Y., Ibrahim, S. N., Ronie, M. E., Abdul Aziz, A. H., Kobun, R., Pindi, W., Roslan, J., Md Ridhwan, N., Putra, N. R., & Mamat, H. (2024). Quality characteristics of cookies made with red rice flour composite flour. Akademik Gıda, 22(?), Article 1609371.

Putra, N. R., Abdul Aziz, A. H., Rizkiyah, D. N., Che Yunus, M. A., Alwi, R. S., & Qomariyah, L. (2023). Green extraction of valuable compounds from rubber seed trees: A path to sustainability. Applied Sciences, 13(24), 13102.

Abdul Aziz, A. H., Rizkiyah, D. N., Qomariyah, L., Irianto, I., Che Yunus, M. A., & Putra, N. R. (2023). Unlocking the full potential of clove (Syzygium aromaticum) spice: An overview of extraction techniques, bioactivity, and future opportunities in the food and beverage industry. Processes, 11(8), 2453.

Dr. Riccardo Narducci | Energy | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Riccardo Narducci | Energy | Best Researcher Award

Tor vergata university, Italy.

Riccardo Narducci is an Italian researcher currently holding a fixed-term research position (RTDb) at the Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata. He obtained his National Scientific Qualification as Associate Professor in Chemical Foundations of Technologies (CHEM-06/A) on January 13, 2020. His research focuses on advanced materials for energy applications, particularly ion-conducting membranes for fuel cells.

Profile

Scopus
Orcid

🎓 Education:

Dr. Riccardo Narducci holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Sciences and Sciences des Matériaux, earned in 2014 through a double degree program between the University of Rome Tor Vergata and Aix-Marseille Université. His dissertation, titled "Ion Conducting Membranes for Fuel Cells," was awarded Cum Laude under the supervision of Prof. M.L. Di Vona and Prof. Philippe Knauth. Prior to his doctorate, he completed a Master’s degree in Chemistry at the University of Perugia in 2004, specializing in Inorganic and Material Chemistry, with a final grade of 108/110. His thesis focused on the "Effect of Acceptor-Donor Pair Adsorption on Surface Conductivity of Non-Stoichiometric Oxides." Dr. Narducci's academic journey began with a Technical Diploma in Industrial Chemistry from I.T.I.S. "L. Allievi" in Terni, where he graduated with the highest distinction (60/60) in 1998.

💼 Professional Experience:

Dr. Riccardo Narducci is currently a Researcher (RTDb) (2022-2025) at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Department of Industrial Engineering, where he is an active member of several research grant selection committees and a participant in the 2024 PACE project.

Previously, he served as a Research Fellow (2017-2022) at the same university, contributing to the HORIZON 2020 CREATE project focused on energy and hydrogen production. From 2016 to 2017, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow under the VINCI Grant, working on functionalized polymers for next-generation redox flow batteries.

Between 2010 and 2017, Dr. Narducci held the position of Research Associate, collaborating on various European and industrial projects, including LoLiPEM, MAESTRO, and HVAC systems research. In addition to his research activities, he has also served as a Contract Professor at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Faculty of Engineering.

🔬 Research Interests:

Energy Materials: Ion-conducting membranes for fuel cells and hydrogen production.

Polymeric and Composite Materials: Functionalized polymers and nanostructured materials.

Electrochemical Devices: Redox flow batteries and electrochemical energy conversion.

Environmental Technologies: Sustainable heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

🏆 Awards & Grants:

National Scientific Qualification for Associate Professor (2020).

VINCI Grant (2016) – Université Franco Italienne for postdoctoral research.

Several European Research Grants (FP7, HORIZON 2020).

Research funding from the University of Rome Tor Vergata.

📚 Selected Publications:

One-Component Catalytic Electrodes from Metal–Organic Frameworks Covalently Linked to an Anion Exchange Ionomer
Molecules (2025-03-10) 
DOI: 10.3390/molecules30061230
Contributors: Riccardo Narducci, Emanuela Sgreccia, Alessio Vincenzo Montella, Gianfranco Ercolani, Saulius Kaciulis, Suanto Syahputra, Emily Bloch, Luca Pasquini, Philippe Knauth, Maria Luisa Di Vona

Composite Membranes Based on Polyvinyl Alcohol and Lamellar Solids for Water Decontamination
New Journal of Chemistry (2024) 
DOI: 10.1039/D3NJ04942F
Contributors: Maria Bastianini, Michele Sisani, Eziz Naryyev, Annarita Petracci, Irene Di Guida, Riccardo Narducci

Composite Anion Exchange Membranes Containing a Long-Side Chain Ionomer and Exfoliated Lamellar Double Hydroxides
Membranes (2024-12-20)
DOI: 10.3390/membranes14120275
Contributors: Riccardo Narducci, Suanto Syahputra, Maria Luisa Di Vona, Philippe Knauth, Luca Pasquini

Porous Polymers Based on PSU and PSU-TMA with Grafted Zirconium-Organic Moieties: Synthesis and Application for Removal of Arsenite and Arsenate Water Pollutants
Preprint (2024-11-20)
DOI: 10.20944/preprints202411.1539.v1
Contributors: Alessio Vincenzo Montella, Maria Bastianini, Michele Sisani, Emanuela Sgreccia, Maria Luisa Di Vona, Riccardo Narducci

Polyvinyl Alcohol Coatings Containing Lamellar Solids with Antimicrobial Activity
Physchem (2024-08-01) 
DOI: 10.3390/physchem4030019
Contributors: Maria Bastianini, Michele Sisani, Raúl Escudero García, Irene Di Guida, Carla Russo, Donatella Pietrella, Riccardo Narducci