Bruno Silveira de Souza

Bruno Silveira de Souza is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brazil, where he has been developing research in catalysis and organic reaction mechanisms since 2013. He holds a BSc, MSc and PhD in Chemistry from UFSC, with a specialization in Organic Chemistry. In 2015, he conducted postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, focusing on protein-selective hydrogels.

His research focuses on the development of catalytic systems for sustainable chemical transformations, spanning homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. His work encompasses polymer-supported metal catalysts, nanoparticle-based catalytic systems, hydrogenation, C–C coupling reactions, and the conversion of renewable feedstocks. He is also interested in understanding reaction mechanisms through kinetic and mechanistic investigations, linking catalyst structure and composition to catalytic performance and selectivity.

At the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg, he will collaborate with researchers at the University of Bremen to investigate nanoporous gold as a catalyst for the liquid-phase oxidation of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a promising building block for renewable polymers. This research aims to advance the mechanistic understanding of gold catalysis and contribute to the development of more sustainable catalytic processes.