We develop materials and catalysts that couple CO2 capture with downstream conversion (thermo- and electro-catalytic), targeting durable, scalable systems compatible with renewable electricity and green hydrogen.
CO2 capture (DAC and beyond)
High-surface-area LDH-derived supports are engineered for solid amine sorbents to increase uptake and kinetics while maintaining long-term stability under realistic conditions. We also study durability and deactivation pathways and advance structured sorbents (including shaped/printed monoliths) for practical contactor architectures.
CO2 to methanol (catalyst precursors)
Ultrathin Cu-based LDH nanosheets can form high-dispersion Cu(Zn)-containing sites after reduction, delivering strong methanol productivity from CO2 hydrogenation. Hollow-core@LDH precursors exploit LDH chemistry (including the memory effect) to control composition, morphology and texture, enabling active precursors for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol.
CO2 activation and homogeneous conversion
Long-standing strengths include molecular CO2 activation and homogeneous transformations, including non-metal mediated hydrogenation to methanol and double CO2 insertion chemistry.
References (chronological)
Ashley et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2009, 48, 9839-9843.
Cooper et al., Chem. Commun. 2015, 51, 11856-11859.
Li et al., ACS Catal. 2018, 8, 4390-4401.
Zhu et al., J. Mater. Chem. A 2020, 8, 16421-16428.
Leung et al., Dalton Trans. 2020, 49, 9306-9311.
Ge et al., Chem. Eng. J. 2024, (in-situ amine-grafting LDHs for DAC).
Shao et al., J. Energy Chem. 2024, (3D printed PEI-functionalised Mg-Al MMO monoliths for DAC).
Zhao et al., Nano-Micro Lett. 2025, (ultra-stable solid amine adsorbents; flue gas).
Zhao et al., Adv. Sci. 2025, (PEI-modified AMO-LDH; DAC).
