Research Topics - The Photothermal Catalysis Lab

Discover our research portfolio

Explore our diverse portfolio of research topics that are centered around the study of light-controlled heatflow at the nanoscale and at (ultra)fast timescales with applications in photothermal catalysis.

We study sub-wavelength thermal hotspots in metal nitride nanostructures under pulsed illumination

Breaking the limit of nanoscale optical heating

We exploit non-steady state chemical kinetics under (ultra)fast heat-pulsed conditions to make plasmonic nanocatalysts work harder and more selectively

Photothermal catalysis under pulsed illumination

We use focussed ion beam milling and electron-beam lithography to fabricate metal nitride nanostructures such as TiN and HfN and map the plasmonic modes using cathodoluminescence

Fabrication of plasmonic metal nitride nanostructures

We characterize the ultrafast heat generation of metal nitride nanoparticles using transient optical spectroscopy techniques in combination with optical and heat-transfer FEM modelling using COMSOL

Ultrafast heat generation using plasmonic metal nitride nanoparticles

We design and engineer lab-scale photothermal reactors and simulate the heat and gas flows under illuminated conditions using COMSOL

Photothermal reactor engineering

We develop microkinetic models for pulsed (photothermal) catalysis to guide and support our efforts in the lab

Microkinetic modelling of pulsed catalysis

We use Raman scattering microscopy in combination with temperature-sensitive molecular modes to measure the optical heating of plasmonic nanostructures

Measuring the microscopic temperature of plasmonic nanostructures

We optimize the geometry of plasmonic nanostructures for performance in light-induced catalysis using Bayesian and genetic inverse-design algorithms

Inverse design and optimization algorithms