Valeria Puddu

Dr. Valeria Puddu serves as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and Forensic Science within Nottingham Trent University's School of Science & Technology. She leads modules including Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (CHEM30303), Research Methodology (CHEM30305), and Inorganic Chemistry Beyond the Molecule (CHEM40241), while teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate chemistry curricula. As Placement Manager for Chemistry, she oversees professional development opportunities for students.

Her educational background includes a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Cagliari (2004) and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nottingham (2008). After joining NTU in 2009 as a post-doctoral Research Associate in the Biomolecular Materials Interface Research Group, she was appointed Lecturer in 2013.

Dr. Puddu's research centers on photocatalysis for environmental remediation, focusing on inorganic nanomaterial synthesis and interfacial interactions to develop selective binding systems. Her work bridges fundamental materials science with applications in air/water purification, utilizing biomimetic approaches for nanomaterial design and exploring plasmonic photocatalytic mechanisms. Current projects include Non Thermal Plasma Catalysis for sustainable synthesis.

Analysis of her 13 most recent publications (2012-2024) reveals a dominant focus on biomolecule-inorganic material interfaces, particularly peptide binding to silica/titania surfaces. Her research has evolved toward applied nanomedicine (e.g., bactericidal CaCO₃-nanosilver hybrids) and advanced photocatalysis for pollutant degradation, increasingly integrating computational modeling with experimental synthesis to decode atomic-scale interfacial phenomena.

Her professional distinctions include:

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
• Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC)

Dr. Puddu actively supervises undergraduate and Master's projects while offering EPSRC-funded PhD opportunities in Non Thermal Plasma Catalysis (UK-resident candidates only). Her research is supported by grants including the Royal Society of Chemistry Enablement Grant (2022; £9,996) for developing selective photocatalysis through substrate competition studies. She maintains active collaborations within NTU's Biomolecular Materials Interface Research Group and with international partners including Professor Carole Perry and Professor Hendrik Heinz.