Sequestration of atmospheric and industrial CO2 through carbonation of reactive waste minerals is a proven method for curbing emissions from the mining sector. Carbonation technologies have also been shown to be effective at reducing potentially toxic metal mobility in alkaline mine wastes. However, the molecular scale mechanisms of metal cycling associated with mineral transformation reactions […]

Occupant thermal comfort and ventilation drive the operation of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems in buildings, which consume a large portion of their energy use. “Human-in-the-loop” (HITL), a term borrowed from machine learning referring to a synergy between humans and machines, is a data-driven approach that aims to enable human-based controls of the […]

Demand for aluminum alloys is increasing rapidly, facilitation of electric vehicles being but one example. A consequence is increasing scrap supply; a positive as aluminum is highly recyclable with it consuming a fraction of resources compared to using primary aluminum. There is a growing concern, however, as high-performance alloys are compositionally tuned to maximize performance. […]

In this project, we will develop innovative AI tools to speed up the process of catalyst discovery, in particular in the domain of renewable energy. Specific catalysts are essential to applications such as the efficient synthesis of solar fuels and fertilizer. However, many known catalysts are suboptimal in their efficacy or require scarce elements. Currently, […]

Nitrogen is a key component in many molecules used as medicines, materials and fertilisers. Adding nitrogen into molecules is currently inefficient and expensive: it requires multiple steps and creates a lot of waste. Alternatively, it is possible to introduce nitrogen by processes called hydroamination and hydroaminoalkylation. These reactions are 100% atom efficient (all of the […]

Today’s society faces several challenges in implementing and enforcing environmental protection for future generations. In this respect, supplementation of petro-based chemicals by bio-based ones is of special importance to reduce the consumption of crude oil. Among such measures, chemical surfactants can be replaced by biosurfactants, e.g. rhamnolipids which are produced via fermentation from renewable resources […]