The Energy Materials and Sustainability (EMS) Unit focuses on the design and development of advanced functional materials, ranging from single atoms to nanoparticles, through precise control of their local surface and electronic environments. The unit aims to integrate these materials into innovative photo and electrochemical systems for sustainable energy conversion. A central goal of the unit is to enable efficient transformation of abundant and low-value resources, including waste, water, and air, into sustainable fuels and high-value chemicals. By combining expertise in inorganic chemistry, nanomaterials, heterogeneous catalysis, and hybrid photo/electrochemical devices, the unit addresses key scientific challenges in catalysis, energy conversion, CO2 and N2 fixation, and selective organic transformations. Current research interest include heterogeneous catalysis for the upcycling of plastic and biomass waste, as well as the valorization of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2). Trough fundamental mechanistic understandings and materials innovation, the unit seeks to establish general design principles for next-generation catalytic systems in a greener way. Overall, the research aspires to advance green fuel and chemical production toward a net-zero future and to contribute to the realization of a circular, green chemical industry.
