Solar-driven Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation & Advanced Catalysts (Call Module 2026-05)

As a Senior Researcher and Docent at Uppsala University, I am seeking to join European consortia preparing project proposals for Call Module 2026-05: Hydrogen and renewable fuel. With over 20 years of research dedicated to inorganic materials and solar-driven photocatalysis, our group contributes to advanced catalytic materials design and deep mechanistic insights to accelerate low-cost, scalable green hydrogen production and renewable fuel synthesis.
Based on our expertise and facility on photolytic hydrogen generation, we can lead or contribute to Work Packages (WPs) in the following areas:
1. **High-Efficiency & Low-Cost Photocatalytic Materials:
**Rational design of platinum-free and noble-metal-free catalytic systems using conjugated polymer nanoparticles and earth-abundant elements to dramatically reduce production costs.
Engineering organic–inorganic hybrid heterojunctions (e.g., polymer-TiO2-x, Z-scheme architectures, and dual-cocatalyst systems) to maximize charge separation and visible-light harvesting.
Bandgap engineering and surface defect manipulation in graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and metal-sulfide/oxide catalysts.
2. Coupled Solar Hydrogen Evolution & Value-Added Synthesis:
Development of bifunctional photocatalytic systems that couple solar hydrogen evolution with the selective oxidation of biomass-derived feedstocks or organics, improving overall thermodynamic efficiency and project economics.
Investigation of direct water splitting kinetics, proton adsorption, and charge transfer pathways.
3. Advanced Structural & Mechanistic Characterization:
Comprehensive optical, electrochemical, and surface characterization to correlate catalyst microstructure with photocatalytic performance.
Mechanistic elucidation of photogenerated charge dynamics, interfacial ohmic contacts, and long-term photostability under continuous operation.

We offer fully equipped wet-chemistry synthesis and photo(electro)catalytic testing facilities. We are eager to collaborate with European research consortia, photoreactor developers, industrial hydrogen stakeholders, and project coordinators targeting innovative solar fuel pathways under Call Module 2026-05.