In Simple Terms

Nearly all of the important chemical transformations related to energy conversion and energy storage take place at surfaces and interfaces between solids and gas or liquids. For instance, catalysis is in the center of fuel cell technology where the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen on a platinum surface produces electricity. In this program we are investigating the mechanism and dynamics of catalytic reactions as well as designing and building effective catalysts using novel synthesis methods that provide higher efficiency and selectivity.

Research Areas

• Fuel Cell Catalysis
• Hydrogen Storage

There are two important research areas relevant to fundamental scientific issues related to clean use of energy.