International Advisory Board
Members of the International Advisory Committee (IAC)
Dr. Robert Syvret, Arkema Inc., King of Prussia, PA, USA
Robert (Bob) Syvret has a Ph.D. in main group fluorine chemistry from McMaster University with 28+ year industrial experience creating new molecules, developing new process technology, and commercializing a number of new high-value products. He has hands-on experience with new molecule synthesis for applications in electronics (fluorine etchants and deposition agents), pharmaceuticals (fluorinated steroids, nucleotides, and aromatics), agricultural (fluorinated herbicides, and pesticides), low-GWP refrigerants and foam expansion agents, fluorinated monomers and polymers, fluoro-surfactants, and inorganic fluorine compounds.
During his career, Bob has provided technical leadership in activities including new molecule discovery, process development and optimization, scale up, plant support, hazards assessment and regulatory issues, analytical methods development, product stewardship, and safety testing. He has extensive experience in the safe use and handling of the most aggressive, toxic, and reactive chemicals known including 100% fluorine, HF, SF4 and many other high-oxidation state inorganic fluorine compounds. He has designed, built, and commissioned several systems to handle 100% F2 and F2/N2 mixtures as well as potent oxidizers including BrF5 and ClF3. He was the technical leader on projects that delivered successful commercial products including Selectfluor® (I) and (II) electrophilic fluorination agents, DeoxoFluor™ reagent, and improved process technology for important commercial products that include NF3, SiF4, C4F6, and F2.
Experienced with synthesis and process chemistry of reactive hydrides and pyrophoric gases, liquids, and solid materials with photovoltaic and semiconductor applications.
Bob joined Arkema’s North American R&D team in November 2011 as Research Fellow – Fluorochemicals. Currently he is responsible for process research in the development of low GWP fluorochemicals and for diversification of fluorochemical products and technologies outside of traditional refrigeration and foam expansion areas.
Prof. Rika Hagiwara, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
Prof. Rika Hagiwara is now a professor of Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University. His main research interests are oriented to functional fluorine materials for energy conversion, currently for electrochemical applications of ionic liquid fluorides for electrolytes of rechargeable batteries, electrochemical capacitors and fuel cells. More than 200 papers of his works have been published in peer-reviewed journals. He is the winner of Academic Prize from The Electrochemical Society of Japan in 2010 for his research on ionic liquids and molten salts chemistry. His review article on ionic liquid fluorides published in 2000 is one of the most cited articles in Journal of Fluorine Chemistry (>600 times). He hosted the 20th International Symposium on Fluorine Chemistry held in Kyoto in 2012. He is now a chair of the 155th Fluorine Chemistry Committee of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and a director of The Society of Fluorine Chemistry, Japan.
Prof. Bruno Ameduri, Institut Charles Gerhardt, Montpellier, France
