Dr. Areti Leontiou | Food packaging | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Areti Leontiou is a Laboratory Teaching Staff member in the Department of Business Administration of Food and Agricultural Enterprises at the University of Patras. She holds a PhD in Chemical Technology from the University of Ioannina, where she specialized in heterogeneous perovskite-type mixed oxides. Her academic work is distinguished by its interdisciplinary focus, bridging chemistry, materials science, and food technology. Over the past two decades, Dr. Leontiou has been instrumental in advancing nanocomposite materials for active food packaging, contributing extensively to sustainable innovations. Her prolific research output includes over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and numerous conference presentations, often in collaboration with leading researchers. Her recent work explores biodegradable polymer matrices, essential oil nanohybrids, and active edible films. Through her teaching and research, she has contributed significantly to the fields of green chemistry and food preservation. Dr. Leontiou remains an influential figure in eco-friendly material design for food industry applications.

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🎓 Education

Dr. Areti Leontiou pursued her undergraduate studies in Chemistry at the University of Ioannina, earning her BSc in 2000. With a deep interest in material science and environmental catalysis, she continued her academic journey at the same university and completed her PhD in Chemical Technology in 2004. Her doctoral thesis focused on the synthesis and catalytic performance of heterogeneous perovskite-type mixed oxides containing iron and manganese, emphasizing their application in environmentally relevant oxidation reactions. During her PhD, she developed expertise in the structural and kinetic analysis of complex oxide systems, including the role of strontium substitution in catalytic efficiency. Her training laid the groundwork for her later interdisciplinary research in nanocomposites and functional materials. Dr. Leontiou’s strong academic background in physical chemistry, materials characterization, and applied catalysis continues to underpin her innovative work in polymer science, green chemistry, and sustainable technologies for food packaging.

🧪 Experience

Dr. Areti Leontiou currently serves as Laboratory Teaching Staff at the University of Patras in the Department of Business Administration of Food and Agricultural Enterprises. Her professional experience encompasses both academic teaching and advanced research in chemical materials and applied food technologies. Over the years, she has participated in several collaborative projects involving material scientists, chemists, and food technologists. Her hands-on expertise includes developing active nanocomposite films, conducting catalytic experiments, and performing materials characterization using thermal, spectroscopic, and microscopic techniques. She has also served as a co-author in over 30 high-impact journal publications and book chapters. Her teaching experience integrates practical laboratory instruction with theoretical modules in materials chemistry, food packaging, and sustainability. Dr. Leontiou has also presented her work at major international conferences on catalysis and green chemistry, contributing to knowledge transfer and academic discourse. Her career reflects a commitment to innovation, interdisciplinary research, and quality education in applied sciences.

🏅 Awards and Honors

While specific individual awards are not explicitly listed, Dr. Areti Leontiou’s recognition stems from her influential co-authored publications in top-tier international journals like Nanomaterials, Polymers, Antioxidants, and Applied Catalysis A. Her collaborative work in green chemistry, catalysis, and nanotechnology has received significant citation and visibility within the scientific community. Her contribution to the 2018 Wiley academic publication Composites for Food Packaging marks her standing as an authority in the field. Dr. Leontiou has been an invited presenter at multiple prestigious conferences, including the European Congress on Catalysis and the Green Chemistry and Sustainable Development Conference. Her consistent role in research teams on cutting-edge projects—particularly those involving biodegradable active packaging and environmental catalysis—demonstrates her standing in the academic and scientific world. Her work is frequently referenced and utilized in industrial applications, reflecting both academic recognition and societal relevance in sustainable material development and food preservation technologies.

🔬 Research Focus

Dr. Leontiou’s research lies at the intersection of materials chemistry, nanotechnology, and food science, with a core focus on the development of nanocomposite materials for active food packaging. Her recent work emphasizes the incorporation of natural bioactive agents—such as eugenol, citral, thymol, and carvacrol—into polymeric matrices and clay-based carriers (e.g., montmorillonite, zeolite) to enhance food safety and shelf-life. She also investigates novel perovskite-type oxides for catalytic applications in environmental processes, particularly in NO+CO and CH4 oxidation reactions. Her scientific contributions aim to replace conventional plastic packaging with biodegradable, edible, or recyclable materials that offer antimicrobial and antioxidant functions. By leveraging green chemistry approaches and advanced materials characterization, she addresses environmental sustainability and food quality challenges. Her research is inherently interdisciplinary, merging chemical synthesis, materials engineering, and food technology to create smart packaging solutions aligned with circular economy principles and environmental impact reduction.

✅ Conclusion