Catalysis Science & Technology Blog

Matthieu Raynal got his PhD degree under the supervision of Dr P. Braunstein in 2009 (Strasbourg). He conducted postdoctoral studies at UPMC with L. Bouteiller (Paris) and in the group of Prof. P. W. N. M. van Leeuwen at ICIQ (Tarragona, Spain). In 2012, he was appointed as a CNRS researcher at Sorbonne Université, Paris. He is fascinated by how non-covalent interactions can be designed to control the outcome of a catalytic reaction, i.e. supramolecular catalysis. His group is currently developing supramolecular helical catalysts with particular efforts devoted to exalt their chirality amplification and switchable properties. His research activities also concern the design of functional chiral assemblies and the structure-property relationship of supramolecular polymers.

Read his Emerging Investigator article “Asymmetric hydroamination with far fewer chiral species than copper centers achieved by tuning the structure of supramolecular helical catalysts” and read more about his in the interview below:

How do you feel about Catalysis Science & Technology as a place to publish?

Catalysis Science & Technology is a renowned platform for scientific advances in the various fields of catalysis. I’m very pleased that my first article in Catalysis Science & Technology will be part of the 2021 Emerging Investigator Series. It will undoubtedly broaden the audience of our research topic which stands at the frontier between supramolecular chemistry and homogeneous catalysis

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment and what do you find most challenging about your research?

I’m fascinated by how non-covalent interactions can help to drive catalytic processes in the desired direction. I’m more specifically working with hydrogen-bonded supramolecular polymers, which possess particularly intriguing properties regarding their chiral and dynamic nature.  I consider that supramolecular catalysts, notably those operating through hydrogen bonds, are still in their infancy but that important applications for this class of catalysts may emerge in the future.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

One important question which is intimately related to the paper we published in the EMI is the emergence of homochirality in non-enantiopure systems. This is a fundamental question with implications in the understanding of the origin of biological homochirality. This can also lead to innovative asymmetric catalytic systems which operate with infinitesimal amounts of chiral species.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

I just want to express my support to all young academic researchers and new PIs who have been extremely impacted by the actual sanitary crisis.

Keep up to date with Matthieu and his research by following his Twitter @raynal_cnrs

Dr. Ludovic Troian-Gautier received his B.S. (2008), M.S (2010) and Ph.D. in chemistry (2014) from the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB – Belgium) where he focused on the development of novel transition metal complexes for opto-electronic applications with Prof. C. Moucheron and Prof. A. Kirsch-De Mesmaeker. He then undertook post-doctoral research at X4C, a new start-up, where he worked with Prof. I. Jabin and Dr. A. Mattiuzzi on surface modification using calix[4]arene derivatives. At the end of 2015, he was awarded the Belgian American Educational Foundation (BAEF) fellowship, followed by the Bourse d’Excellence WBI.World (2016-2018) to undertake postdoctoral research with Prof. Gerald J. Meyer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). In April 2017, he joined the UNC Energy Frontier Research Center, the Alliance for Molecular PhotoElectrode Design for Solar Fuels (AMPED EFRC, directed by Pr. Thomas J. Meyer and Pr. Gerald J. Meyer), where he focused on the development of novel molecular photocatalysts and their use in the development of novel photoelectrodes that in turn can generate so-called “solar fuels”. In May 2019, he started a Chargé de Recherches position (FNRS) at ULB where he worked on energy related challenges. As of October 2021, he continues his research endeavor on energy related challenges as Collaborateur Scientifique at the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain).

Outside of the lab, he enjoy sports (football, swimming, yoga, axe throwing), traveling, hiking, cooking, brewing and drinking beers!

Read his Emerging Investigator article “Mechanistic investigation of a visible light mediated dehalogenation/cyclisation reaction using iron(iii), iridium(iii) and ruthenium(ii) photosensitizers” and read more about his in the interview below:

How do you feel about Catalysis Science & Technology as a place to publish?

I feel particularly grateful to have been given the chance to participate to the special Emerging Investigator Series. As Catalysis Science & Technology is a premium venue that appeals to everyone interested in catalysis, broadly speaking, this offers a unique opportunity to reach the entire catalysis community.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment and what do you find most challenging about your research?

I’m very excited to be able to pursue research in collaboration with extremely talented scientists. I’m also looking forward to continuing studying Iron photosensitizers in the broad field of homogeneous and heterogeneous photocatalysis. The most challenging part about research is probably to get enough funding to pursue all my crazy ideas.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

I’m interested in the “why?” and the “how?”. Those are the two questions that I ask on a daily basis. I’m particularly interested in seeking answers to why photocatalysts/photoreactions are behaving the way they do, and how can we control and tune them to reach more efficient and optimized transformations.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

Be kind and surround yourself with collaborators that support you and challenge you to always give the best of yourself and constantly improve. Be patient with others and with yourself, especially when facing rejections (there are unfortunately many).

Keep up to date with Ludo and his research by following his Twitter @LudoTroian

Originally from southwest Oklahoma, USA, Deven Estes studied chemistry at the University of Oklahoma, obtained his bachelors’ degree in 2009. He then went on to earn his Ph.D. in Organometallic Chemistry from Columbia University in 2014 in the laboratory of Prof. Jack Norton. During postdoctoral stays in the groups of Profs. Christophe Copéret (ETH Zürich) and Walter Leitner (RWTH Aachen then MPI for Chemical Energy Conversion) he first became interested in surface organometallic chemistry and molecular heterogeneous catalysis. In 2019, he was appointed Junior-Professor (tenure track) in the Institute of Technical Chemistry at the University of Stuttgart where his group uses molecular models and well-defined surface species to understand the interplay between metal hydrides and support materials.

Read his Emerging Investigator article “The reaction of HV(CO)₄dppe with MoO₃: a well-defined model of hydrogen spillover” and read more about his in the interview below:

How do you feel about Catalysis Science & Technology as a place to publish?

Catalysis Science and Technology is a great specialist catalysis journal where we are free to discuss important issues to the catalysis community and still has excellent visibility. This makes Catal. Sci. Technol. well suited for papers discussing the chemical nature of hydrogen spillover, which has become a pet project of many catalysis researchers over the last several decades.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

I am very excited at our approach’s ability to study hydrogen spillover on a molecular level. By using well-defined metal hydrides with similar thermodynamic properties to hydrogen adsorbed on metal surfaces, we can replace the metal nanoparticles on a support surface, thereby greatly simplifying the system. This allows us to study these PET reactions just as molecular chemists have done for many years.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

In my opinion, the two important questions in hydrogen spillover are ‘When and how does hydrogen spillover occur?’ and ‘What effect does hydrogen spillover have on catalytic processes?’.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

I once got the advice to keep a journal of research ideas that I had and this has proven invaluable for recording and improving projects.

Keep up to date with Deven and his research by following his Twitter @esteslab

Dr. Luis M. Martínez-Prieto received his PhD degree in Organometallic Chemistry in 2012, working at the IIQ – “Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas” (Seville, Spain) on Ni and Pd pincer complexes under the supervision of Prof. J. Cámpora. He then moved to the LCC – “Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination” (Toulouse, France) for a postdoctoral stay in the group of Prof. B. Chaudret. His research focused on the synthesis, characterization and study of the surface chemistry of metal nanoparticles (MNPs). In 2015, he joined the LPCNO – “Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie des Nano-Objets” (Toulouse, France), exploring the use of MNPs as catalysts in the lab of Prof. P. van Leeuwen. In 2017, he was awarded with a “Juan de la Cierva” fellowship that allowed him to start an independent career working on confined/supported metal catalysts and magnetically induced catalysis at the ITQ – “Instituto de Tecnología Química” (Valencia, Spain), in the team of Prof. A. Corma. Recently, he has been selected as “Ramon y Cajal” researcher and he is starting a new stage as independent scientist in his alma mater, the University of Seville.

Read his Emerging Investigator article “Tailoring graphene-supported Ru nanoparticles by functionalization with pyrene-tagged N-heterocyclic carbenes” and read more about his in the interview below:

How do you feel about Catalysis Science & Technology as a place to publish?

RSC journals in general and Catal. Sci. Tech. in particular are always one of the first options when publishing my results, since the whole publishing process is comfortable and smooth (from submission to proof edition). The good work of the editorial board is also highly appreciated.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment and what do you find most challenging about your research?

Right now, I am very interested in magnetically induced catalysis, a novel and efficient way to perform catalytic reactions by transforming electromagnetic energy into heat. One of the most challenging aspects of magnetic heating is to control the temperature during the catalysis.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

Perhaps due to my organometallic background, I am more interested to understand fundamental aspects of catalytic reactions such as reaction mechanisms or precise location of active sites than other important aspects such as the activity itself.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

This is a long-distance career, with a lot of competition and hard moments, and it is very important to have a great calling and strong conviction in yourself.

Keep up to date with Luis and his research by following his Twitter @fisco51

Hiroyuki Asakura has been a Project-Specific Assistant Professor of Elements Strategy Initiative for Catalysts and Batteries (ESICB), Kyoto University, since April 2016. He worked as a Designated Assistant Professor of Nagoya University Synchrotron Radiation Research Center and a beamline staff at BL5S1, Aichi Synchrotron Center from April 2012 to March 2016. He received his Ph.D. degree in Engineering from Kyoto University in 2015. His current research interests are development of X-ray absorption spectroscopy, catalysis for automobile exhaust purification, and fuel cells.

Read his Emerging Investigator article “Real-time observation of the effect of oxygen storage materials on Pd-based three-way catalysts under ideal automobile exhaust conditions: an operando study” and read more about his in the interview below:

How do you feel about Catalysis Science & Technology as a place to publish?

I feel that CS&T is one of nice places to publish research results because even though this journal is dedicated to catalysis as named itself, but most reports include not only the catalytic performance but also fundamental insights into the catalysis.

Keep up to date with Hiroyuki and his research by visiting his website here

Caroline E. Paul received her Honours BSc and MSc in Biological Chemistry at the University of Toronto with Prof. M. Nitz, and her PhD degree at the University of Oviedo in the group of Prof. V. Gotor with Prof. V. Gotor-Fernández and Prof. I. Lavandera on developing biocatalytic processes. After postdoctoral work with a Marie Curie fellowship at TU Delft with Prof. F. Hollmann, she carried out her research interests on oxidoreductases with a NWO VENI grant at Wageningen University. Since 2018 she is assistant professor at TU Delft in the Department of Biotechnology. Her current research interests focus on artificial cofactors, enzymatic cascades, and exploring non-natural enzymatic reactions for applications in organic chemistry synthesis.

Read her Emerging Investigator article “Asymmetric azidohydroxylation of styrene derivatives mediated by a biomimetic styrene monooxygenase enzymatic cascade” and read more about her in the interview below:

How do you feel about Catalysis Science & Technology as a place to publish?

In my opinion, Catalysis Science & Technology is a high quality journal to publish work in the field of Biocatalysis. The research articles published in this journal are of high standards in the catalysis field and well-advertised. There is a dedicated editor for Biocatalysis and the publication process is professional and efficient, with quality peer-review reports.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment and what do you find most challenging about your research?

The exciting aspect of my work currently is discovering new enzymes their chemical reactivity. A challenge in Biocatalysis is how to predict enzyme activity.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

Follow the research you are passionate about and work with a team.

Keep up to date with Caroline and her research by following her Twitter @Caroline_E_Paul

The Catalysis Science & Technology 10^th Anniversary Symposium was held virtually 16-17 November 2021 and was attended by researchers from all areas of catalysis, from all over the world.

The event showcased cutting edge research across all areas of catalytic science, and provided an opportunity for the broad catalysis community to come together in honour of the journal’s important milestone. The event gave our attendees lots of opportunities to network and engage with world leading speakers, Catalysis Science & Technology Editorial Board members, the Editorial Office as well as other attendees. There were many exciting discussions and attendees had the chance to share their ideas with key members of the catalysis science community.

The programmed featured invited speakers across all areas of catalysis science, a panel discussion on the chemical recycling of plastics as well as a poster session. We had over 140 poster abstract submissions from researchers worldwide, and across a diverse spectrum of catalysis research areas. The posters were of exceptional quality, and judging decisions were very tight.

We were delighted to award 10 poster prizes to the below participants:

Poster Prize Winners

Francisco Alonso Gómez Mudarra, University of Barcelona, Spain
“Theoretical studies of Copper-Catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling”

Ian C. Chagunda, University of Victoria, Canada
“A mechanistic investigation of the Suzuki polycondensation reaction using MS/MS methods”

Lorianne Shultz, University of Central Florida, USA
“Copper oxide catalysts supported on contiguous nickel foam: an earth-abundant alternative to precious metals for aqueous redox chemistry”

Vera Giulimondi, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
“Controlled Formation of Dimers and Spatially Isolated Atoms in Au‑Ru Single‑Atom Catalysts via Carbon‑Host Functionalization”

Maria-Iuliana Chirica, National Institute of Material Physics, Romania
“Selective oxidation of p-cymene using MAX Phase catalysts”

Jie Ren, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
“Understanding promotional effects of trace oxygen in CO₂ methanation over Ni/ZrO₂ catalysts”

Sue-Faye Ng, Xiamen University Malaysia, Malaysia
“Solar-powered chemistry: Engineering 2D carbon nitride-based nanomaterials for high-performance photocatalysis”

Donald Inns, Loughborough University, UK
“Evaluating Perovskite-Based Pt Catalysts in the Aqueous Phase Reforming of Glycerol”

Bingqiao Xie, University of New South Wales, Australia
“Role of surface chemistry in understanding light-enhanced catalytic performance in CO₂ hydrogenation reactions”

Amelie Rochet, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Brazil
“Operando Bragg coherent diffraction imaging visualising defects dynamics during CO oxidation”

Each winner was awarded a digital certificate and a £50 cash prize. Many congratulations again to our winners, and to all of our poster participants. We were proud to showcase so much exciting work and look forward to their future developments.