We design, characterise and test new catalysts for efficient and stable production of high-value fuels and chemicals from solar energy. Our particular focus is on designing and understanding interfaces and surfaces that are crucial to improving the selectivity and activity of our catalysts and prolonging their operational stability.
We urgently need to transition to a circular sustainable economy if we want to succeed in mitigating the impacts of climate change and protecting our ecosystem. At the core of this transition is the ability to store and use renewable energy: solar energy, in particular, since the sun is the most abundant renewable energy source available to our planet.
We develop materials that can use solar energy to make energy-rich and therefore high value chemicals aiming for example for hydrogen, ethylene and methanol, made from water and atmospheric carbon dioxide. These “green” chemicals can function as a fuel (and a form of energy storage) as well as a chemical feedstock for various branches of the chemical industry. Using a technique called atomic layer deposition (ALD), coupled with material characterisation carried out during catalysis, the group links material properties with catalyst performance, which is key for the development of the next generation of materials.
