Scientific Exchange in Germany: A Milestone for MATTER Lab

Posted July 2025 | Sabbatical Update from Dr. Hossein Kazemian

As part of his 2025 sabbatical journey, Dr. Hossein Kazemian, PI of the MATTER research group at UNBC, had the privilege of visiting the Institute of Separation Science & Technology (ISST) at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) in Germany. Invited by long-time colleague and world-renowned adsorption scientist Prof. Matthias Thommes, Dr. Kazemian delivered a seminar titled “Environmental Applications of Porous Materials: From Earth-Born Zeolites to Tailor-Made MOFs.” The visit included a tour of ISST’s cutting-edge facilities for material synthesis, advanced characterization, and adsorption testing—technological resources that represent some of the best in Europe.

Beyond the scientific program, this visit brought together a trio of international thought leaders in porous materials: Prof. Thommes, Prof. Martin Hartmann (former IZA President and Klaus Unger Award recipient), and Prof. Wilhelm Schwieger (2019 IZA Award winner). These three legends in zeolite science shared their insights and enthusiasm over lunch and dinner, sparking a series of valuable discussions about adsorption science, metrology, and the role of hybrid materials in environmental monitoring. For the MATTER group, this interaction was not just a learning opportunity but also a foundation for potential future collaborations that may bridge Canadian and European research initiatives.

Earlier in the same leg of the trip, Dr. Kazemian also visited Fraunhofer UMSICHT, a German institute known for bridging laboratory-scale research with industrial application. While there, he had the chance to visit the lab where Ariadna López Ortega, one of MATTER Lab’s talented graduate students, is currently completing a research internship. The visit reinforced the value of international research mobility and the importance of providing students with hands-on global experiences that connect academic inquiry with real-world applications.

As MATTER Lab continues to expand its expertise in zeolites, MOFs, and porous composites for environmental applications, this type of international engagement underscores our commitment to advancing science through global collaboration and training the next generation of interdisciplinary researchers.