Designing catalytic materials that are selective in breaking and forming chemical bonds within molecules with diverse functional groups presents a longstanding challenge in heterogeneous catalysis. Our research focuses on the design of multifunctional catalysts with enhanced interactions by tuning catalyst structure and composition. Through the integration of controlled synthesis methods, characterization, and kinetic studies, we aim to understand the mechanisms that govern catalyst structure-property relationships, which are critical in identifying active site requirements.

Specific projects within our research group include:

• Methanol synthesis from CO2

• CO2 methanation

• Biobased substrate conversion to chemicals through deoxydehydration and hydrodeoxygenation reactions 

• Selective deconstruction and conversion of waste plastic polymers into chemicals (used for plastic resynthesis or the synthesis of alternative chemicals)

funding sources