Prof. Dr. Seda Keskin Avcı Named One of the World's 20 Most Distinguished Women Scientists

Prof. Dr. Seda Keskin Avcı Among World's Top 20 Women Scientists Chemical Engineering Research and Design (ChERD), one of the most established journals in chemical engineering, has announced its "World's Top 20 Women Scientists" list for this year, and Turkey is represented on the roster. Prof. Dr. Seda Keskin Avcı, Faculty Member in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Koç University, has been recognized as worthy of inclusion in the list, which highlights names that have made an impact in the field of chemical engineering. Her featured research in the journal is expected to provide significant contribution to solutions addressing one of the planet's most pressing issues: carbon emissions and climate change. This year, ChERD journal introduced pioneering researchers at different points in their careers, bringing women scientists to the world's attention. With the selection of the World's Top 20 Women Scientists, the journal drew attention to gender imbalance in the field of chemical engineering and shared the work of women who have made an impact in chemical engineering with the scientific community through a special issue. Koç University academics' international achievements in contributing to science were also noted in ChERD's World's Top 20 Women Scientists list. Prof. Dr. Seda Keskin Avcı was among those recognized for outstanding accomplishments in the fields of catalysis, separation, process systems, drug development, energy and environmental engineering and science. Previously selected for membership in the Global Young Academy (GYA) in the engineering field from Turkey, Prof. Dr. Seda Keskin Avcı was honored in the journal's special issue celebrating women scientists making an impact in chemical engineering research and education. ChERD has found Prof. Dr. Seda Keskin Avcı's work in the field of carbon capture noteworthy. Her research also carries importance in the fight against the climate crisis. Prof. Dr. Keskin Avcı and her team are working on the development of MOF (Metal Organic Frameworks) materials that capture carbon dioxide, and these materials offer promise for the future of scientific efforts aimed at reducing greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.

Where can capable MOFs be used?   Upon completion of Prof. Dr. Seda Keskin Avcı's project, MOF materials, referred to as "Metal Organic Framework" structures that capture carbon dioxide, will be usable in numerous applications ranging from factory smokestacks to all spaces where clean environments are desired. Expressing satisfaction at being selected as one of the world's top 20 women scientists by Chemical Engineering Research and Design (ChERD) journal, Prof. Dr. Seda Keskin Avcı shared the following information about her project: "MOFs are three-dimensional crystalline porous structures created by combining a metal and an organic linker that fit together like Lego blocks. With a surface area of 8,000-9,000 m² per gram, these highly porous structures are very suitable for capturing and storing various gases, especially carbon dioxide. MOFs are relatively young structures; they were discovered approximately 10-11 years ago. Due to new MOFs being produced daily, their numbers have now reached around 110,000 and continue to grow, because this work entirely depends on the researcher's imagination and synthesis capabilities. Using a method called computer-aided computational screening, we examine MOFs in a computer environment through atomic-level simulations and under temperatures or pressures that would not be experimentally accessible. Through calculations we perform on atoms, we are able to predict how much carbon dioxide that material will capture under specific conditions," she said. "Engineering" field's first woman selected from Turkey In 2017, Prof. Dr. Seda Keskin Avcı became the first woman scientist from Turkey in the engineering field to receive funding of EUR 1.5 million from the European Research Council (ERC) for her COSMOS project, which accelerates the search for materials that will enable the capture of carbon dioxide causing global warming using innovative computational techniques. In 2018, she was also selected for membership in the Global Young Academy (GYA). Prof. Dr. Seda Keskin Avcı received the title of first woman member selected from Turkey in the "engineering" field through her "Women in Science" focused application.