Francesco D'Acierno received his PhD in Chemistry from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. His PhD research focused on improving the thermal stability of cellulose materials, with an emphasis on polysaccharide-based nanomaterials. In 2021, Francesco joined the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Nantes, France, as a Postdoctoral Associate, where he worked on the development of new Pickering emulsions using cellulose and chitin nanocrystals to encapsulate thermosensitive gases and liquids into powders through electrostatic spray drying. Francesco then moved to Imperial College London in 2023 as a UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) Postdoctoral Fellow with a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) project. His research focused on the development of alkali-ion batteries and fuel gases derived from pressure-carbonized single-use, non-recyclable plastic waste, such as cigarette butts and fishing nets. In January 2025, he moved to Belgium, to KU Leuven, Ghent, as an Assistant Professor in Chemical Engineering, as part of the Soft Matter, Rheology, and Technology (SMaRT) team.

Francesco is the author of 16 peer-reviewed articles and 1 patent. He has received the Teaching as Research (TAR) Stipend Award from the Centre for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) in 2019, the Award for Graduate Research Excellence, and the Gladys Estella Laird Research Fellowship from the UBC Department of Chemistry in 2020.

His current research interests focus on sustainable materials and waste valorization, particularly through the development of functional materials from residual debris made of soft matter, such as chitinous waste and non-recyclable plastics. He is also exploring the use of electrostatic spray drying for the creation of advanced powders from Pickering emulsions, with particular interest in the encapsulation of thermosensitive compounds, enhancing sustainability in material production. Francesco’s work extends to the development of flame-retardant and hydrophobic coatings for packaging, as well as electroactive materials obtained through pressure carbonization for applications in energy storage. His research is supported by various institutions, including KU Leuven and collaborations with international research bodies.