Professional experience

December 1, 2023 to present. R&D project Leader / Polymer Synthesis Specialist

AVANTIUM company – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Leading R&D projects: Development of renewable Co/polyesters derived from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA): e.g. poly(ethylene furanoate) PEF, among others / Sustainable packaging Materials from FDCA / Chemical Recycling of plastics

April 1, 2023 to November 30, 2023. Researcher

French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)

Institute Charles Gerhardt (ICGM), Montpellier, France

Research project: Development of reversibly designed crosslinked polymers based on dynamic covalent chemistry (Horizon Europe project – 11 EU partners)

November 1, 2021 to November 30, 2022. Researcher

KTH Royal Institute of Technology (LINK), Stockholm- Sweden

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Research projects:

– Microwave-assisted Chemical Recycling of post-consumer PET bottles into recyclable high-performance polyimines with exceptional mechanical performance, significantly outperforming most of available commodity plastics in the market!

– Development of a novel portfolio of highly transparent aliphatic polyurethane thermosets, synthesized under very mild conditions from 100% renewable branched polyesters, exhibiting “on demand” tunable mechanical and thermal properties and enzymatic degradability.

In 2022: Teaching “Polymer Physics course” (KF2140) to First-year Master students (104 hours) at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm – Sweden

Research outputs (publications):

Nejib Kasmi, Eva Bäckström, Minna Hakkarainen. Open-loop recycling of post-consumer PET to closed-loop chemically recyclable high-performance polyimines, Resources, Conservation & Recycling 2023, 193, 106974 (IF: 13.716) LINK

Nejib Kasmi, Yosra Chebbi, Alessandra Lorenzetti, Minna Hakkarainen. Highly transparent polyurethane thermosets with tunable properties and enzymatic degradability derived from polyols originating from hemicellulosic sugars, Green Chemistry 2023 (IF: 9.8) LINK

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June 1, 2021 to October 31, 2021. Research Scientist

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon (LINK), Berlin- Germany.

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Research activities: Synthesis and characterization of multifunctional polyester-based biomaterials for adaptive and active polymer systems

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March 1, 2019 to April 23, 2021. Junior Research & Technology Associate

Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Luxembourg.

Research project: New biopolymers based on renewable building blocks from catalytic deoxygenation of hemicelluloses

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April 1, 2018 to October 31, 2018. Postdoctoral Fellowship

Bikiaris’s Group (LINK), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Research project: Furan-based Polyesters (LINK):

Research activities (supervision: Prof. Dimitrios Bikiaris, LINK):

Design, synthesis, and in-depth study of fully biobased Co/polyesters and polyester blends derived from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and other renewable monomers (Isosorbide, vanillic acid, etc.)

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3 months (01/05/2016 to 31/07/2016). Research Assistant

Polymer Engineering Group, University of Padova, Italy

Main activities (supervision: Prof. Alessandra Lorenzetti, LINK):

Synthesis of rigid polyurethane foam insulation panels from new polyols based on renewable resources.

Funding source: National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology, Italy (LINK)