Dr. Waseem Iqbal
IIT Postdoctoral Researcher · Center for Sustainable Future Technologies · Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
Materials Science
MOF Research
Electrocatalysis
Water Remediation
Contact Dr. Iqbal
Research Focus
Dr. Iqbal's research sits at the intersection of advanced materials chemistry and urgent environmental challenges. His work spans the design and synthesis of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and MOF-based Mixed Matrix Membranes (MMMs) for water remediation, heterogeneous electrocatalysts for water splitting, and the characterization of innovative polymers and membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for next-generation electrolyzers and fuel cells.
Water Remediation
MOF-based membranes for removal of heavy metals, antibiotics, and contaminants from aquatic environments.
Electrocatalysis
Heterogeneous catalysts for oxygen evolution (OER), hydrogen evolution (HER), and water splitting applications.
Membrane Science
Characterization of innovative polymers, membranes, and MEAs for electrolyzers and fuel cells using operando techniques.
Photocatalysis
Engineering carbon nitride and composite photocatalysts for CO₂ reduction, environmental decontamination, and solar fuels.
Academic Background
Education & Training
Dr. Iqbal's academic journey spans three countries — Pakistan, China, and Italy — reflecting a consistently international approach to scientific training. His doctoral work culminated in a thesis on Metal-Organic Framework technologies for water remediation, supported by a prestigious EU-funded scholarship.
1
BS Chemistry
University of Gujrat, Pakistan
Oct 2011 – Dec 2015
2
M.Phil. Chemistry
Hazara University Mansehra, Pakistan
Mar 2016 – Feb 2018
Thesis: Co₃O₄-Coated TiO₂ for electrical properties
3
Research Assistant
Soochow University, Suzhou, China
Sep 2018 – Aug 2020
4
Ph.D. — Materials Science
University of Calabria, Italy
Jan 2022 – May 2025
Thesis: MOF Technologies for Water Remediation
5
Postdoctoral Researcher
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
Dec 2025 – Present
Career
Professional Experience
Postdoctoral Researcher — IIT (Dec 2025–Present)
At the Center for Sustainable Future Technologies, Dr. Iqbal conducts research within the PROMISERS European Project, developing and characterizing innovative polymers, membranes, and MEAs for electrolyzers and fuel cells using both conventional and operando techniques.
Research Assistant — Soochow University, China (Sep 2018–Aug 2020)
Actively collaborated with M.Phil. and Ph.D. students on synthesis and characterization of heterogeneous electrocatalysts, evaluating their performance for water splitting and production of value-added chemicals.
Chemistry Teacher — Mangwal Science Academy (Sep 2020–Jan 2022)
Focused on secondary-level chemistry instruction while pursuing self-directed learning through scientific literature, online courses, and the development of research proposals in materials science and environmental chemistry.
International Training
Visiting Research & Industry Secondment
Visiting Ph.D. Researcher
Institute of Molecular Science (ICMol)
University of Valencia, Spain
July 2023 – December 2023
Dr. Iqbal conducted collaborative research at one of Europe's leading centers for porous materials and MOF chemistry, broadening his expertise in crystallographic and supramolecular approaches to functional framework design.
Industrial Secondment
Calabra Maceri e Servizi SPA
Italy
April 2024 – September 2024
A six-month industry placement that provided hands-on exposure to the real-world challenges of waste management and environmental services — directly informing his applied research in water remediation and sustainable materials processing.
Scholarly Output
Selected Research Publications
Dr. Iqbal has authored and co-authored peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals including ACS Applied Nano Materials, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, ACS Catalysis, Applied Energy, and Advanced Science. His publication portfolio spans MOF membrane technology, electrocatalysis, and photocatalysis.
MOF Membranes for Battery Metal Recovery (2025)
Waseem Iqbal et al. "Membranes Based on Metal–Organic Framework Nanostructures for Recovering Nickel, Cobalt, and Manganese Ions from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries." ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2025. doi:10.1021/acsanm.5c04698
MOF-Based Mixed Matrix Membranes for Ni/Co Recovery (2024)
Nour, Iqbal et al. "Efficient Nickel and Cobalt Recovery by MOF-Based Mixed Matrix Membranes." ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 12(32), 12014–12028. doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng
Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Review (2025)
Ahmed, Beauger, Zada, Iqbal et al. "Recent advancements in designing high-performance PEM fuel cells: A comprehensive review." Applied Energy 390, 125753. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.125753
Antibiotic Capture via Multivariate MOF (2023)
Negro, Iqbal et al. "(Multivariate)-MOF for Highly Efficient Antibiotic Capture from Aquatic Environmental Matrices." ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 15(2), 3069–3076. doi:10.1021/acsami.2c0458
Paired Electrochemical N–N Coupling (2021)
Qiao, Iqbal et al. "Paired Electrochemical N–N Coupling Employing a Surface-Hydroxylated Ni₃Fe-MOF-OH Bifunctional Electrocatalyst." ACS Catalysis 11(21), 13510–13518. doi:10.1021/acscatal.1c03938
Electro-Synthesis with Heterogeneous Catalysis (2023)
Ali, Wang, Iqbal et al. "Electro-Synthesis of Organic Compounds with Heterogeneous Catalysis." Advanced Science 10(1), 2205077. doi:10.1002/adv.202205077
Manuscripts in Progress
Ongoing Research
Systematic Review: MOF Membranes for Wastewater
Waseem Iqbal, Teresa F. Mastropietro, Emilio Pardo, Donatella Armentano. "A Systematic Review on the Application of MOF-based Membranes Towards Wastewater Decontamination: Challenges and Opportunities." Manuscript in preparation.
In Situ X-Ray Diffraction Studies of Breathing MOFs
Percoco, Bruno, Mastropietro, Iqbal et al. "In situ Studies by Single-Crystal X-ray Diffraction of Activation and Isobutane Adsorption in Breathing MIL-53 (Fe) Metal-Organic Framework." Manuscript in preparation.
Research Impact at a Glance
17+
Publications
Peer-reviewed journal articles
6
Conferences
International events attended
3
Countries
International research experience
Community Engagement
Conferences, Schools & Workshops
Dr. Iqbal has actively participated in and presented at leading international conferences in crystallography, porous materials, and energy storage — spanning Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
ECM 34 — European Crystallographic Association
Poster Presentation · Padova, Italy · Aug 2024
French MOFs, COFs & Porous Polymers Conference
Poster Presentation · Lyon, France · Jun 2024
MEDPore 23 — Mediterranean Conference on Porous Materials
Poster Presentation · Crete, Greece · May 2023
Unical Ph.D. Day — Poster Competition
Selected Presenter · University of Calabria, Italy · May 2023
IESETE-2021 — Energy Storage Technologies
Participation · Virtual / SRMIST, India · Mar 2021
Wiley-Soochow Energy Materials Conference
Participation · Suzhou, China · Dec 2018
Technical Expertise
Skills & Competencies
Material Synthesis Methods
Hydrothermal
Co-precipitation
Sol-Gel
Solvothermal
Microwave
Characterization Techniques
  • SEM — Scanning Electron Microscopy
  • XRD — X-Ray Diffraction
  • FTIR & Raman Spectroscopy
  • Mechanical Membrane Characterization
  • Electrochemical Workstation Analysis
Software Proficiency
  • ChemDraw, Origin, Crystal Maker
  • Jade 6.5, X'Pert High Score Plus, Mercury
  • ImageJ, Blender
  • Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator
  • Microsoft Office Suite, EndNote
Languages
  • English — Professional fluency
  • Urdu & Punjabi — Native
  • Chinese, Italian, French — Basic working knowledge
Recognition
Awards & Scholarships
🇪🇺 EU National Scholarship (PON) — Ph.D. Funding
37th Cycle Italian National Scholarship awarded by the European Union PON Program. Fully funded Dr. Iqbal's Ph.D. research at the University of Calabria from January 2022 to December 2024.
🇵🇰 Prime Minister's Laptop Scheme — Pakistan
Awarded a laptop by the Government of Pakistan in recognition of outstanding academic performance during M.Phil. Chemistry studies at Hazara University (2018).
🏛️ Chief Minister of Punjab's Laptop Scheme
Recognized by the Provincial Government of Punjab, Pakistan, for academic excellence during BS Chemistry at the University of Gujrat (2012).
✍️ Essay Writing — 2nd Position, District Chakwal
Secured second place in a district-level essay writing competition organized by the Department of Education, Punjab, Pakistan (2009) — an early marker of intellectual distinction.
Get in Touch
References & Contact
Academic References
Prof. Donatella Armentano — Ph.D. Supervisor
Full Professor, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, University of Calabria, Italy
donatella.armentano@unical.it
Dr. Teresa Fina Mastropietro — Ph.D. Co-Supervisor
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, University of Calabria, Italy
teresafina.mastropietro@unical.it
Dr. Wajid Rehman — M.Phil. Supervisor
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan
sono_waj@yahoo.com
Direct Contact
Institutional Email:
waseem.iqbal@iit.it
Phone:
+39 351 952 2522
+33 784 676 819
Affiliation:
Center for Sustainable Future Technologies
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT)