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Biomass conversion into value-added products
The decline of fossil fuel reserves and their negative impacts have led to exploring sustainable alternatives. Recycling waste biomass offers a promising solution by converting it into value-added materials for medicine, cosmetics, food packaging, and polymers. Our research aims to develop new methods for creating active pharmaceutical ingredients and bio-derived polymers from biomass-derived molecules (furanics), utilizing photo-, mechano-, and flow chemistry.
Research team
  • Dr. Minavar Shaimardan
    Senior Researcher, Group leader
    Education
    PhD (2014) - Kazakh-British Technical University, Kazakhstan
    Master of Science (2005) - Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan
    Bachelor of Science (1989) - Capital Normal University, Beijing, China

    Research Area
    Biomass, Flow Chemistry, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, Platform Chemicals, Green Chemistry, Petroleum Chemistry, Catalysts.

    Specialization
    Organic synthesis, preparation, and characterization of heterogeneous/homogeneous catalysts, analysis of petroleum products.
  • Dr. Maira Seiilgazy
    Senior Researcher
    Education
    PhD (2017) - CAS-TWAS President’s Fellowship, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
    Master of Science (2012) - Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan
    Bachelor of Science (2008) - Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan

    Research Area
    Natural product chemistry, Medicinal plant-based biological active compounds, Isolation and identification. Organic synthesis and Flow chemistry

    Specialization
    HPLC, UHPLC, Flash Chromatography, GC-MS, LC-MS Spectrometry, 1D and 2D NMR Spectroscopy, Organic Synthesis Methodology, Column Chromatography, and Thin-Layer Chromatography.
  • Harry Kwaku Megbenu
    PhD student, Nazarbayev University
    Education
    PhD in Chemical Engineering (2022 - current) - Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan
    Master of Science in Chemical and Materials Engineering (2022) - Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan
    Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (2019) - University of Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana

    Research Area
    Biomass, Flow chemistry, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, Platform Chemicals, Wastewater treatment, Mxenes, Cryogels, Hydrogels.

    Specialization
    Flow reactors, HPLC, GC-MS, AAS, NMR, X-ray techniques, Heterogeneous/Homogeneous Catalyst, UV-Vis spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, Aspen Plus, Materials studio, Wolfram Mathematica, Matlab, Python, OpenLCA.
  • Makpal Rakhatkyzy
    PhD student, Nazarbayev University
    Education
    PhD in Chemical Engineering (2022 - current) - Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan
    Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering (2021) - Guangxi University, China
    Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (2017) - Eurasian National University L.N.Gumilyov, Kazakhstan

    Research Area
    Water treatment, Battery research, Biomass conversion, Polymer synthesis, Continuous Flow Reactor synthesis, Organic synthesis

    Specialization
    FTIR, XPS, XRD, TGA, SEM-EDX, ICP-AES, UHPLC, NMR, Continuous Flow Reactor, Microwave reactor, Aspen Plus, Battery testing
  • Zhanat Azhikhanova
    PhD student, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University
    Education
    PhD in Chemistry (2019 - current) - L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan
    Master of Science in Chemistry (2013) - L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan
    Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (2010) - International Kazakh-Turkish University, Kazakhstan

    Research Area
    Biomass, Flow chemistry, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, Platform Chemicals, Bioactivity.

    Specialization
    Flow reactors, HPLC, GC-MS, AAS, NMR, X-ray techniques, Heterogeneous/Homogeneous Catalyst, UV-Vis spectroscopy, SEM, TEM.
  • Gertrude Ellen Fynn
    MSc student, Nazarbayev University
    Education
    Master of Science Chemical and Materials Engineering (2023 - Current) - Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan
    Bachelor of Science Industrial Chemistry (2018) - University of Cape Coast, Ghana

    Research Area
    Biomass valorization, wastewater treatment, catalyst synthesis, green chemistry, computational analysis, sustainable energy, and recycling technologies

    Specialization
    XRD, FTIR, BET, SEM, Aspen Plus, Python, Comsol Multiphysics, DFT calculations
  • Kyran Kassym
    Research Assistant
    Education
    Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science

    Research Area
    Organic Chemistry
  • Gulnaz Ingkar
    BSc student, Nazarbayev University
    Education
    Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering (2021-current) - Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan

    Research Area
    Biomass, platform chemicals, active pharmaceutical ingredients, flow chemistry.

    Specialization
    FTIR, HPLC, TLC, Aspen Plus, Python, COMSOL Multiphysics, continuous flow reactor.
Publications
  • Megbenu, H. K., Gou, J., Zhuge, J., Rakhatkyzy, M., Shaimardan, M., & Nuraje, N. (2025). Chapter 12 - Nanotechnology safety in the marine industry. In R. Asmatulu, W. S. Khan, & E. Asmatulu (Eds.), Nanotechnology Safety (Second Edition) (pp. 229–249). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-15904-6.00011-3
  • Megbenu, H. K., Azhikhanova, Z., Ingkar, G., Rakhimgaliyev, N., Mels, A., Kenzheshov, A., Askarov, A., Shaimardan, M., & Nuraje, N. (2024). Catalytic Dehydration of Biomass-Derived Feedstocks to Obtain 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural and Furfural. Eurasian Journal of Chemistry, 29(2), 96–105. https://doi.org/10.31489/2959-0663/2-24-1
  • Rakhatkyzy, M., Askar, Z., Akhmetzhanova, Z., Nuraje, N., & Shah, D. (2024). Innovative microwave and continuous flow synthesis of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural from Biomass-Derived Resources using Deep eutectic solvents. Chemical Engineering Journal, 499, 156304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.156304
  • Azhikhanova, Z., Duru, E., Kucukaydin, S., Megbenu, H. K., Tas Kucukaydin, M., Baisalova, G., Shaimardan, M., Nuraje, N., & Özler, A. (2024). Phytochemical profiling and various biological activities of Phlomis tuberosa L. Scientific Reports, https://doi.org/10.1038/S41598-024-80456-5
  • Azhikhanova, Z., Duru, M. E., Megbenu, H. K., Kucukaydin, S., Tas-Kucukaydin, M., Baisalova, G., Shaimardan, M., Seiilgazy, M., Adekenov, S., Nuraje, N., & Özler, M. A. (2024). Phytochemical Study of Achillea setacea Waldst. et Kit. with Anticholinesterase, Antidiabetic, Anti-Urease, and Anti-Tyrosinase Activities. Engineered Science, 31. https://doi.org/10.30919/es1256
  • Rakhatkyzy, M., Suleimenova, B., Shaimardan, M., Shah, D., & Nuraje, N. (2023). Modeling Solubility of Acetylsalicylic Acid in Aspen Plus. Engineered Science, 26. https://doi.org/10.30919/es987
Funded projects
Waste-to-pharma: from lignocellulosic residues to active pharmaceutical ingredients using benign-by-design methodologies (CRP Project)
Project PI: Nurxat Nuraje
Duration: 2023 - 2025
Waste-to-wealth: Benign-by-design Furanics Biowaste Conversion into Pharmaceuticals (MSHE Project)
Project PI: Nurxat Nuraje
Duration: 2022-2024