Research

Sunlight is an ubiquitous, renewable and abundant energy source, which is bound to play an increasingly prominent role as the world transitions away from fossil resources and towards carbon-neutral models. Our research team is interested in contributing to this transition by leveraging the energy carried by sunlight photons to drive electrochemical reactions of interest. These reactions are primarily designed to generate value-added products from abundant, low-value substrates, typically generated as waste in the current industrial landscape.

To power these reactions, we develop photoelectrochemical cells, involving light-absorbing semiconductors, capable of converting photons into charge carriers. These carriers are subsequently harvested at an electrode-liquid junction to sustain the desired electrochemical process. As photoelectrochemical processes are complex and involve many physico-chemical steps, we conduct in-situ and operando investigations to understand and elucidate charge behavior in the materials and molecular mechanisms unfolding on electrocatalyst surfaces. The insight provided by these analysis is crucial for the design of optimized and selective systems. Finally, we work on photoelectrochemical device engineering to design lab-scale prototypes capable of solar-assisted chemical valorisation.