Ivan Halasz

Dr. Ivan Halasz is Senior Scientist and Head of the Laboratory for Solid-State Synthesis and Catalysis at the Ruđer Bošković Institute (RBI) in Zagreb, Croatia. Operating within the Division of Physical Chemistry, he leads a vibrant group that pioneers solvent-free, mechanochemical approaches to materials and organic synthesis, develops real-time monitoring techniques, and explores green synthetic routes to pharmaceuticals and energy-storage materials.

Research Focus

• Mechanochemistry & Solid-State Reactivity: fundamental investigations of milling-induced reactions, cocrystallization, C–H activation, and MOF assembly.
• In-Situ Monitoring: coupling Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction to observe reactions as they happen inside the mill.
• Green & Pharmaceutical Synthesis: solvent-free preparation of APIs, cocrystal polymorph control, and scalable mechanochemical extrusion.
• Energy & Functional Materials: synthesis of bimetallic amidoboranes for hydrogen storage, graphene-based conductive inks, and novel MOFs.

Scientific Output at a Glance

Across >150 peer-reviewed articles (2013–2025) in JACS, Angewandte Chemie, Nature Chemistry, Chemical Science, and ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, Halasz has systematically advanced mechanistic understanding of mechanochemical processes. His work bridges physical chemistry, materials science and pharmaceutical technology, and is frequently highlighted in review journals and conference symposia.

Honours & Funding

• Principal Investigator on three national projects: “Development of solvent-free synthesis of pharmaceutical APIs”, “New materials for energy storage”, and “Systematics of mechanisms in solvent-free solid-state synthesis”.
• Collaborator at the Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials and Sensors (CEMS).

Advising & Team

Dr. Halasz has mentored numerous PhD, master’s and bachelor students, including Leonarda Vugrin, Stipe Lukin, Tomislav Stolar and Vedrana Stantić, who have gone on to co-author high-impact publications. He leads a fully equipped laboratory housing Raman spectrometers, powder X-ray diffractometers, planetary mills, twin-screw extruders and thermal analyzers, fostering an interdisciplinary environment that integrates synthesis, spectroscopy, diffraction and computational chemistry.