TURK 2025

Catalysts are fundamental to a wide range of industrial processes—spanning fuel synthesis, polymer production, and pharmaceutical manufacturing—where they facilitate chemical reactions under milder conditions, lower energy requirements, and enhance selectivity by reducing the formation of undesired byproducts. For two decades, transition metal nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as powerful catalysts due to their high surface-to-volume ratios and the enhanced reactivity of their surface atoms compared to bulk metals. These unique features have led to the rapid development of "nanocatalysis," offering superior performance over conventional homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. Of particular interest are bimetallic NPs—structured as alloys or core–shells—which often demonstrate improved catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability through synergistic interactions between constituent metals. This is especially advantageous when combining noble and non-noble metals to reduce costs without compromising efficiency.
On the other hand, to align with the principles of green chemistry, integrating photocatalysts capable of harnessing a broad range of the solar spectrum into chemical processes presents a compelling strategy for achieving more sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective transformations. While semiconductor materials have long been explored as photocatalysts for diverse chemical reactions, their practical application remains limited. This is primarily due to challenges such as suboptimal band edge alignment with target reactions and rapid recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, both of which significantly hinder their photocatalytic performance.
In this presentation, I will discuss the synthesis and characterization of monodisperse monometallic and bimetallic NPs including alloys, and core@shell structures. These nanoparticles were supported on either high-surface-area carbon materials or two-dimensional platforms such as reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN), with the rationale for support selection highlighted. I will also present the rational design of g-CN and other 2D semicondcutors-based photocatalysts for various chemical transformations. The catalytic performance of these nanomaterials will be demonstrated across a range of applications, including hydrogen generation from chemical hydrogen storage materials (water, ammonia borane and formic acid), transfer hydrogenation reactions for the synthesis of important organic molecules under mild conditions, C–H bond functionalization, and electrochemical processes such as CO₂ reduction. Finally, I will share insights my experience with commercializing a rGO-Ni₃₀Pd₇₀ nanocatalyst and Bismuthene as photocatalysts for practical chemical transformations.