The chemical industry is one of the largest consumers of energy and emitters of CO₂, and most of its processes rely on catalysts operating at high temperature and pressure with fossil feedstocks. Renewable electricity, now among the cheapest forms of energy in regions such as Saudi Arabia, opens a route to drive these transformations at ambient conditions. However, key reactions such as CO₂ reduction, nitrogen reduction to ammonia and the partial oxidation of methane involve multiple proton and electron transfer steps that compete with hydrogen evolution or lead to over-oxidized products, and the lack of active, selective and stable catalysts made from earth-abundant elements remains a central barrier. Our group designs and synthesizes heterogeneous catalysts and electrocatalysts, including transition-metal oxides, nitrides and alloys, single-atom catalysts, MXenes and metal–organic frameworks, for the production of fuels and chemicals such as ethanol, ammonia, methanol and formate, and for the valorization of biomass-derived molecules. Our approach combines materials synthesis with in situ and operando spectroscopy (infrared, Raman, UV–vis and synchrotron X-ray absorption), advanced microscopy and density functional theory to identify active sites and reaction intermediates under working conditions, and to establish structure–activity relationships that guide rational catalyst design.

Electrochemical CO₂ conversion is approaching commercialization, yet several engineering challenges still limit its deployment at scale. Most systems require purified CO₂, while the majority of industrial emissions are released in dilute flue gas that also contains oxygen, water and other impurities. In alkaline and neutral electrolyzers, CO₂ reacts to form carbonate that crosses the membrane and precipitates as salt, flooding the electrodes and shortening their lifetime. In addition, the anodic oxygen evolution reaction consumes most of the energy supplied to the electrolyzer while producing a low-value product. Our group develops electrodes, membranes and reactors that address these challenges at industrially relevant current densities. We design permselective gas diffusion electrodes that integrate CO₂ separation and conversion in a single device, enabling the direct use of dilute industrial CO₂. In addition, we engineer ion-exchange membranes, including ultrathin anion-exchange, cation-exchange and bipolar membranes, to control ion transport, water management and product crossover for long-term stability. We also couple CO₂ reduction with value-added anodic reactions, such as methane and biomass oxidation, to lower the cell voltage while producing useful chemicals. Our approach combines electrode fabrication, flow-cell and membrane electrode assembly (MEA) testing, electrolyte and interface engineering, multiphysics modeling and pressurized operation, with the goal of moving these systems from laboratory cells to pilot-scale stacks.

New energy technologies are often judged by laboratory metrics such as current efficiency and production rate, but their real value depends on cost and environmental impact at commercial scale. Alongside experimental work, Our group evaluates the economic and environmental feasibility of emerging electrochemical and sustainable fuel technologies. Using process simulation and cost modeling, we estimate capital and operating costs and the minimum selling price (MSP) of target products, compare alternative pathways and products, identify the process steps that dominate cost, and quantify how scale, energy price and technical performance affect economic viability. In parallel, we use life cycle assessment with established inventory databases to quantify energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts from raw material extraction to final product, and to determine the conditions, such as the carbon intensity of the electricity supply, under which a new process outperforms the conventional one. Together, these analyses set performance targets for our catalyst and reactor development, support decisions by industry and policymakers, and are tailored to the energy landscape of Saudi Arabia, including its low-cost renewable electricity, concentrated industrial CO₂ sources and goals under Vision 2030 and the Circular Carbon Economy (CCE).