Program – Nanotechnology Crossing Borders 2026

October 15th, 2026
Hasselt University, Diepenbeek Campus
Diepenbeek, Belgium

8:45-9:30

Welcome with coffee and tea

9:30-9:45

Welcome and opening by Marlies K. Van Bael (UHasselt, Director IUMAT)

Session 1: Carbon nanomaterials

Cabon nanomaterials are nanoparticles or nanostructures are widely applied based on their unique properties such as high mechanical strength, lightweight nature, and excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. Famous examples of carbon nanomaterials include fullerenes, carbon nanofibers or nanotubes, graphene and nanodiamond. Application areas include energy conversion & storage (incl. batteries), biomedicine, electronics and sensors, and advanced composites. This session will focus on the synthesis of nanodiamonds and their application in sensing, and on carbon nanomaterials for batteries.

9:45-10:30

Plenary lecture: Magda Titirici (Imperial College London) “Carbon for sustainable energy applications”

10:30-11:00

Break and poster session

11:00-11:30

Invited lecture: Jeroen Prooth (UHasselt, imec, IUMAT) “Synthesis of nanodiamonds”

11:30-12:00

Invited lecture: Anna Ermakova (UHasselt, IUMAT) “Diamond-based quantum sensors”

12:00-12:30

Invited lecture: Dries Vandamme (UHasselt, IUMAT) “Carbon for application in batteries”

12:30-14:00

Lunch break, poster session (including complimentary presentation of demonstrators and visit to demonstrator locations)

Session 2: Nanomaterials for photo(electro)chemical processes

This session explores strategies to use light as an energy source to produce chemicals. The sun and green electricity-fueled light sources can be used to produce chemicals in a sustainable and economic fashion. Emphasis will be placed on equipment, system design, efficiency optimization, and the role of nanomaterials as catalysts in enabling scalable solar chemical technologies.

14:00-14:45

Plenary lecture: Hermenegildo García Gómez (Universitat Politecnica de Valencia) “Plasmonic nanomaterials for photothermal catalysis”

14:45-15:15

Invited lecture: Verena Streibel (TU Munich) “Novel photoelectrode materials for artificial photosynthesis”

15:15-15:45

Break and poster session

15:45-16:15

Invited lecture: Jessi van der Hoeven (Utrecht University) “Studying the behavior of plasmonic catalysts in situ”

16:15-16:45

Invited lecture: Natalia Mazur (TNO) “Plasmonic catalysts for sunlight-powered methanol production”

16:45-16:55

Best poster award presented by Marlies K. Van Bael (UHasselt, Director IUMAT)

16:55-17:00

Closing

17:00 – 18:00

Snacks and drinks