Publications
Inspiration-Synthesis-Innovation
Principal Investigator
Ioannis D. Spanopoulos PhD
Assistant Professor
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Professional Appointments
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Assistant Professor, Departments of Chemistry & Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, University of South Florida (08/2021 - present)
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Research Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University (04/2021 – 07/2021)
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Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University (12/2016 – 03/2021)
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Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete (12/2015 – 11/2016)
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Bio. Ioannis (Yannis) holds a BSc. degree in Chemistry and a MSc. degree in Environmental Chemistry and Technology from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the latter under the supervision of Prof. Michael Scoullos. In 2015 he acquired his PhD. degree in Materials Chemistry from the University of Crete, under the supervision of Prof. Pantelis N. Trikalitis working on the development of Metal Organic Frameworks for gas storage and separation applications. After one year as a Post-Doctoral Fellow developing water-stable MOFs, in 2016, he joined the research group of Prof. Mercouri G. Kanatzidis at Northwestern University for a second Post-Doctoral appointment. His work at NU focused on the design and synthesis of environmentally friendly and stable perovskite and metal halide materials for optoelectronic applications. He developed the new family of 3D "hollow" perovskites (US Patent 16/623,873), as well as various water-stable metal halide materials. In 2021, he started his independent career as an Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida. He received the 2020 IIN Outstanding Researcher award from the International Institute for Nanotechnology, the 2022 ACS PRF Doctoral New Investigator Research award, the 2024 DOE Early Career Research Program (ECRP) Award, he is Fellow of the International Association of Advanced Materials (IAAM) and he holds a teaching certificate (2020-2021) from the SEARLE center at Northwestern University.
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Awards & Honors
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2025, Outstanding Research Achievement Award, USF.
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2025, Global Excellence in Research Award, USF.
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2024, DOE Early Career Research Program (ECRP) Award.
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2024, Emerging Investigator, Journal of Materials Chemistry A.
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2024, Top Scholar by ScholarGPS, top 0.5% of all scholars worldwide (prior 5 years).
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2024, High Impact Practices (HIPs) Excellence Award, USF.
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2024, Full member of Sigma Xi , The Scientific Research Honor Society.
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2023, Highly Cited Researcher for the Year 2022 (single-year results based on Clarivate).
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2023, Fellow of the International Association of Advanced Materials (IAAM).
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2022, ACS-PRF Doctoral New Investigator Award.
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2021, CIRTL Associate, SEARLE Center, Northwestern University.
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2020, IIN Outstanding Researcher Award, International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University.
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2019, SPIE.FOCUS: Light and Matter, award for best oral presentation.
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2013, 6th Panhellenic Symposium on Porous Materials, award for best oral presentation.
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Post-Doctoral Fellows
Anand Prakash Tiwari PhD
​PhD. in Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea (2017)
​MSc. in Materials Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India (2010)
BSc. in Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Avadh University, Ayodhya, India (2007)
I earned my Ph.D. from Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea, specializing in 2D materials for energy storage and conversion applications. As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at KAIST, I explored novel 3D nanopatterning of group-III derivatives for electrocatalytic applications and Li-ion batteries. At Dartmouth College, my work focused on 3D printing of ceramic 2D materials (MXene) for electrochemical biosensing and electrocatalytic applications. Driven by a passion for advancing renewable energy solutions and sustainable technologies, my research bridges nanomaterials, energy storage, and cutting-edge fabrication techniques to develop next-generation energy devices.
Graduate Students
Ali Azmy
BSc. in Materials Science
University of Science and Technology (UST) at Zewail City (2021)
I am Ali Azmy, and I am from Egypt. I obtained my BSc. degree in Materials Science from UST-Zewail City in Egypt (2021). Part of my former research experience was related to the adsorption of cationic dyes on water stable MOFs. Currently, I am pursuing my PhD. degree at USF in the Spanopoulos Group.
Alissa Anderson
BA. in Chemistry,
Minors in Biology and Biomedical Physics
University of South Florida (Spring 2022)
I am currently a PhD student in the Spanopoulos group at the University of South Florida, interested in inorganic synthesis of low-dimensional materials and applied spectroscopy. As an undergraduate, I studied Janus modifications of 2D nanosheets, 2D metals, Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), and a variety of synthetic and analytical techniques.
Kamaleldeen Nassar
BSc. in Materials Science
University of Science and Technology (UST) at Zewail City (2021)
My name is Kamal. I am from Egypt. I obtained my BSc. degree in Materials Science from UST-Zewail City in Egypt in 2021. I have always been interested in functional materials and their applications, especially catalysis. I am currently pursuing my PhD. degree at USF in the Spanopoulos Group.
Neelam Tariq MSc
MSc. in Chemistry
Lahore University of Management and Sciences (2018)
BSc. (Hons) in Chemistry
​Government College University Lahore (2016)
Lahore, Pakistan
I am Neelam Tariq from Pakistan. I got my master's degree from LUMS. My research was focused on designing catalysts for electrochemical reactions. Here at USF, I am pursuing my Ph.D. in the Spanopoulos Group.
Mina Bagherifard Sharabiani MSc
MSc. in Organic Chemistry
Sharif University of Technology (2019)
BSc. in Pure Chemistry
​Sharif University of Technology (2017)
Tehran, Iran
I am Mina Bagherifard, and I am from Iran. I got my bachelor’s degree in pure chemistry and my master’s degree in organic chemistry at Sharif University of Technology. I have worked on polymer chemistry, and I have designed smart photo-responsive drug carriers, oil absorbents, and catalysts. I am pursuing my PhD. Degree at USF in the Spanopoulos Group.
Magdy Elolimy
BSc. in Materials Science
University of Science and Technology (UST) at Zewail City (2023)
I am Magdy Elolimy, I am from Egypt. I obtained my BSc. degree in Materials Science from UST-Zewail City in Egypt . My former research experience was in Electrocatalytic application of Metal-Organic Frameworks and metal complexes in water oxidation. Now, I am pursuing my PhD degree at USF at the Spanopoulos Group.
Andrea Woods
BSc. Environmental Science and Policy,
Minor Chemistry
University of South Florida (2024)​
My name is Andrea Woods, and I am a Florida native. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student in the Spanopoulos Group, with an interest in the design of materials to obtain innovative solutions for imperative environmental and energy applications. I am particularly drawn to porous materials, primarily for gas separation and storage, as well as heavy metal remediation.
Ioannis Gkikas MSc
MSc. in Biological Inorganic Chemistry,
University of Ioannina (2024)
BSc. in Chemistry,
University of Ioannina (2022)
My name is Ioannis (Yiannis) Gkikas and I am from Greece. I got my bachelor’s degree in chemistry and my master’s degree in Biological Inorganic Chemistry, at the University of Ioannina. My background research was focused on Metal-Organic Framework synthesis, characterization and application on water remediation.
Suchetana Manna MSc
MSc. in Organic Chemistry,
University of Calcutta (2022)
BSc. in Chemistry,
University of Calcutta (2020)
My name is Suchetana Manna and I am from India. I got my bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in chemistry at the University of Calcutta, West Bengal, India. My prior research projects were focused on optical applications of Metal Halide Perovskites and electrochemical hydrogen generation using topological layered materials. I am a joint PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Marimuthu Andiappan (Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering) and Dr. Ioannis Spanopoulos (Chemistry).
Research Interns
Daria M. Konovalova
BSc. in Biomedical Sciences
University of South Florida (Spring 2022)
My name is Daria Konovalova, and I am from Ukraine. I graduated from the University of South Florida in Spring 2022 with a degree in Biomedical Sciences. I am a research intern in Dr. Spanopoulos' group, where we are working on hybrid semiconductors. In the future, I intend to become a medical doctor and continue participating in research for innovative and environmentally friendly materials with multiple applications.
Undergraduate Students
Nicholas Giunto
BSc. in Chemistry,
Minor in Environmental Science and Policy
University of South Florida (Spring 2025)
I am a junior at the University of South Florida studying chemistry. I have a strong passion for material sciences, specifically, their applications regarding environmental issues. After graduation, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. and continue my studies in material chemistry and environmental remediation.
Charles Dean
BSc. in Chemistry,
Minor in Physics,
University of South Florida (Spring 2026)
I am a Florida native and in my junior year pursing my Bachelors in chemistry. Since starting college, I've developed a deep interest in chemistry and its applications in everyday life. After graduation, I plan on pursuing a PhD in either organic or inorganic chemistry
Jean-Baptiste Lamango
BSc. in Chemistry,
University of South Florida (Spring 2025)
My name is Jean-Baptiste Lamango. I am a senior from Tallahassee, Florida currently studying chemistry. Before college, I had an interest in chemistry and science in general, partly due to my family's scientific background. After graduation, I plan to pursue a PhD in either organic or inorganic chemistry.
Audrey Babcock
BSc. in Chemistry
University of South Florida (Spring 2025)
My name is Audrey and I am from Stillwater, Minnesota. I am a junior at USF pursuing a degree in chemistry. I am interested in material sciences and specifically the applications of inorganic materials in medicine. After graduation I intend to apply for medical school and specialize in pathology.
High-school Students
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Amishi Garg
Steinbrenner High School (Class of 2025)
I am a junior at Steinbrenner High School interested in pursuing a science degree in college. I am hoping to gain experience and learn more about cutting edge academic reserach. I aim to publish a research paper one day and be part of the medical field.
Pranathi Manivannan
Strawberry Crest High School (Class of 2025)
I’m Pranathi and I am a senior at Strawberry Crest High School in the IB program. I am hoping to pursue a degree related to the medical field after high school. After college, I plan to work towards making significant advancements in healthcare. As a part of this team, I hope to learn from experienced mentors and make real-world contributions to the world of science. I am passionate about research and innovation and am eager to apply my knowledge and skills to solve scientific challenges.