Moti Herskowitz (Hebrew: מוטי הרסקוביץ) is a professor of Chemical Engineering, the incumbent of the Israel Cohen Chair in Chemical Engineering and researcher in the fields of advanced materials, catalysis and multiphase reactors. He is the founder (1995) and director of the Blechner Center for Industrial Catalysis and Process Development.

Moti Herskowitz
NationalityIsraeli
Scientific career
FieldsEngineering
InstitutionsBen-Gurion University of the Negev
Doctoral advisorsRuben G. Carbonell and J. M. Smith
Websitein.bgu.ac.il/en/indcat/Pages/default.aspx

Career

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Herskowitz joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at BGU in 1979 as lecturer and was promoted to Full Professor in 1992. He served as the chairman of the Department of Chemical Engineering (1989-1993) and the vice-president and Dean for Research and Development (2003-2014). He also served as the Director of the Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology (2009-2010) and as acting director of the National Institute of Biotechnology in the Negev (2015-2016). Herskowitz has consulted and collaborated with multi-national and national companies in a wide range of innovative projects, which resulted in commercial applications and joint patents[1] and publications.[2]

Research

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Herskowitz focused, early in his career, on multiphase reactors research with specific contributions in the area of trickle-bed reactors.[3] The emphasis then shifted to advanced catalytic materials[4] and catalytic processes,[5] combining fundamental research with applications that resulted in various discoveries and inventions. With the establishment of the Blechner Center,[6] most of the research was focused on environmental catalysis, including wastewater[7] and polluted air[8] treatment and the production of renewable and fungible liquid fuels by eco-friendly catalytic processes.[9][10][11][12] The research was funded by national and international foundations, including the Israel Science Foundation, FP5 and Horizon 2020 programs of the European Community, Israel-Strategic Alternative Energy Foundation, Israel Ministry of Science and Technology, Israel Ministry of Energy as well as significant funding from industry. The research findings were published in scientific papers and patents. Some of the discoveries and inventions that were published in the media included the development of on-vehicle hydrogen fuel system,[13] aroma fine chemicals,[14] production of advanced, green diesel fuel from vegetable oils and animal fats[15] and carbon dioxide hydrogenation to renewable liquid fuels.[16][17]

References

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  1. ^ "Patents".
  2. ^ "Publications".
  3. ^ Mordechay, Herskowitz; M., Smith, J. (1983-01-01). "Trickle-bed reactors: A review". AIChE Journal. 29 (1): 1–18. Bibcode:1983AIChE..29....1H. doi:10.1002/aic.690290102. ISSN 1547-5905.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Vradman, L; Landau, M. V; Herskowitz, M; Ezersky, V; Talianker, M; Nikitenko, S; Koltypin, Y; Gedanken, A (2003-01-25). "High loading of short WS2 slabs inside SBA-15: promotion with nickel and performance in hydrodesulfurization and hydrogenation". Journal of Catalysis. 213 (2): 163–175. doi:10.1016/S0021-9517(02)00012-X.
  5. ^ Vradman, L.; Landau, M. V.; Herskowitz, M. (2003-04-01). "Hydrodearomatization of petroleum fuel fractions on silica supported Ni–W sulphide with increased stacking number of the WS2 phase☆". Fuel. 82 (6): 633–639. doi:10.1016/S0016-2361(02)00354-X.
  6. ^ "The Blechner Center".
  7. ^ Abecassis-Wolfovich, M.; Landau, M. V.; Brenner, A.; Herskowitz, M. (2004-08-01). "Catalytic Wet Oxidation of Phenol with Mn−Ce-Based Oxide Catalysts: Impact of Reactive Adsorption on TOC Removal". Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 43 (17): 5089–5097. doi:10.1021/ie049756n. ISSN 0888-5885.
  8. ^ Rotter, H.; Landau, M. V.; Carrera, M.; Goldfarb, D.; Herskowitz, M. (2004-01-28). "High surface area chromia aerogel efficient catalyst and catalyst support for ethylacetate combustion". Applied Catalysis B: Environmental. 47 (2): 111–126. doi:10.1016/j.apcatb.2003.08.006.
  9. ^ Cole, Andrew; Dinburg, Yakov; Haynes, Brian S.; He, Yaya; Herskowitz, Moti; Jazrawi, Christopher; Landau, Miron; Liang, Xiao; Magnusson, Marie (2016-05-09). "From macroalgae to liquid fuel via waste-water remediation, hydrothermal upgrading, carbon dioxide hydrogenation and hydrotreating". Energy & Environmental Science. 9 (5): 1828–1840. doi:10.1039/C6EE00414H. ISSN 1754-5706.
  10. ^ Rabaev, Moshe; Landau, Miron V.; Vidruk-Nehemya, Roxana; Goldbourt, Amir; Herskowitz, Moti (2015-12-01). "Improvement of hydrothermal stability of Pt/SAPO-11 catalyst in hydrodeoxygenation–isomerization–aromatization of vegetable oil". Journal of Catalysis. 332: 164–176. doi:10.1016/j.jcat.2015.10.005.
  11. ^ Landau, Miron V.; Vidruk, Roxana; Herskowitz, Moti (2014-03-01). "Sustainable Production of Green Feed from Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen". ChemSusChem. 7 (3): 785–794. Bibcode:2014ChSCh...7..785L. doi:10.1002/cssc.201301181. ISSN 1864-564X. PMID 24678062.
  12. ^ Utsis, N.; Vidruk-Nehemya, R.; Landau, M. V.; Herskowitz, M. (2016-07-04). "Novel bifunctional catalysts based on crystalline multi-oxide matrices containing iron ions for CO2 hydrogenation to liquid fuels and chemicals". Faraday Discussions. 188: 545–563. Bibcode:2016FaDi..188..545U. doi:10.1039/C5FD00174A. ISSN 1364-5498. PMID 27075823.
  13. ^ "ExxonMobil and Partners to Commercialize On-Vehicle Hydrogen Fuel System for Lift Truck Application". Retrieved 16 November 2007.
  14. ^ "Makteshim Agan sets up new Production Facility in Israel as a result of a Joint Research Venture with BGU". Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  15. ^ "Israeli Scientists Wonder: Could Seaweed Power the World?". Haaretz. 5 March 2008.
  16. ^ "Ben-Gurion University Researchers Unveil Fuel Made From Water, Carbon Dioxide". The Jerusalem Post. 13 November 2013.
  17. ^ "בקרוב במיכל הדלק שלנו: תחליף לנפט תוצרת ישראל". GlobesTV. Retrieved 26 November 2013.