Sergio Augusto Venturinelli Jannuzzi

Dr. Sergio Augusto Venturinelli Jannuzzi is a Research Professor and Project Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (MPI CEC), where he heads the group "Spectroscopy and Reactivity of Molecular Catalysts" in the Department of Inorganic Spectroscopy. His academic trajectory includes a B.Sc./M.Sc. from the University of Campinas (2005–2011), a dual Ph.D. from KU Leuven and University of Campinas (2012–2016), a postdoctoral fellowship at MPI CEC (2018–2020), and his current leadership role since 2020.

His research centers on molecular catalysis, leveraging synthesis, spectroscopy, and computational modeling to study first-row transition metals for C-H functionalization. Key interests include bioinorganic systems like Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenase (LPMO), where he investigates copper active sites and oxygen activation mechanisms to enable sustainable chemical processes.

His publications emphasize high-valent metal complexes, spectroscopic characterization, and enzyme-inspired catalysis. Trends include iron/cobalt nitrido/imido chemistry, reactive intermediate trapping, and X-ray spectroscopy applied to metalloenzymes.

Awards & Honors:

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Seal of Excellence (2018)
• Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting alumnus (2017)
• Baden-Württemberg Post Conference Programme participant (2017)
• NanoSystem Initiative Munich Research Award (2010)
• Lavoisier Award for Best Chemistry Student (2009)
• II Assintecal/Petrobras Award in Adhesive Technology (2007)

He mentors PhD student Ashish Vinayak Tamhankar and collaborates on projects involving spectroscopy-driven catalyst design. His lab focuses on mechanistic studies of transition-metal systems for energy-relevant reactions.