Biography:
Dr. Frans J. Smit began his academic career at the University of Pretoria, earning a B.Sc. in Biochemistry (2007) before completing his Honours and M.Sc. (cum laude, 2010) in Chemistry at North-West University (NWU). He obtained a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, focusing on chalcone derivatives for malaria treatment. As a postdoctoral fellow (2014–2017), he co-authored 16 publications on malaria, tuberculosis, and cancer therapeutics. After a brief industry hiatus (2018–2021), he returned to NWU as head of the Catalysis and Synthesis group. His current research explores surfactants and catalytic systems for energy, sustainable agriculture, and cosmeceuticals.
Title : Harnessing surfactant chemistry to supercharge solar energy efficiency