Quick Facts
Biography
Gábor Laurenczy was born in 1954, in Békéscsaba, Hungary. He graduated in 1978 from Lajos Kossuth University as a chemist with honours. He started his academic career in the Department of Inorganic & Analytical Chemistry of Kossuth University in 1978. In 1981 he obtained a Ph.D. in chemistry with honours, and in 1984 he became assistant professor.
Since 1985 he works in Lausanne, in the Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Lausanne, in 1986 as assistant, from 1987 as first assistant, from 1991 as maître assistant and since 1998 as maître d'enseignement et de recherche (Teaching: general, inorganic and analytical chemistry, instrumental analysis). In 1991 he has obtained the habilitation of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, with the title "kandidátus".
Since 1997 he is member of the Editorial Board of the Acta Chimica Hungarica - Models in Chemistry. He was the chairman of the European COST D10 Action: Innovative Methods and Techniques for Chemical Transformation. He represents Switzerland in the Management Committee of the new European COST Action D29: Sustainable/Green Chemistry and Chemical Technology.
Since 2002 he is the chairman of the European COST D30 Action: High Pressure Tuning of Chemical and Biochemical Processes.
Research
By developing techniques for measurement at high pressures, he has made significant contributions to the study of chemical reactions in gaseous and liquid phases. For many years he was in charge of European projects focusing on innovative methods and techniques in the field of chemical transformations as well as on optimization of chemical and biochemical processes using high pressure. His recent work and unfailing commitment have led to a patent for high-pressure storage and production of hydrogen from formic acid. His development of a catalyst and viable production system for hydrogen, considered revolutionary by his peers, has led to licensed commercial use.
- kinetics and mechanisms of complex formation in solution
- variable temperature and pressure (up to 2000 bar) IR, UV-vis and NMR spectroscopy
- NMR studies of carbonyl cluster fluxionalities
- catalytic activation of small molecules