Research activities are focused in the fields of Heterogeneous Catalysis and Photocatalysis and, especially, in materials synthesis and characterization, (photo)catalyst development and evaluation, and investigation of reaction kinetics and mechanisms. Of particular interest is the investigation of the surface chemistry and structure of dispersed metallic systems and of reducible metal oxides and their mixtures. Materials are characterized using a combination of physicochemical techniques, including selective chemisorption of probe molecules, temperature programmed desorption, reduction and oxidation (TPR, TPO and TPD), FT-IR, Raman, XPS and XRD. In parallel to catalyst development and testing, fundamental studies are made to identify the surface parameters, which determine the catalytic performance. Identification of reaction pathways and mechanisms is accomplished with the combined use of in situ FT-IR spectroscopy and transient mass spectrometry, including steady-state isotopic transient kinetic analysis (SSITKA).
 
Primary goals in the field of Heterogeneous Catalysis are:

• Production of hydrogen for fuel cells, by reformation of biomass-derived components and derivatives.
• Development of water-gas shift (WGS) catalysts for fuel processors used in PEM fuel cell systems.
• Development of catalytic materials for the selective methanation of CO in reformate gas
• Production of methanol and dimetylether via hydrogenation of CO and CO2.

• Oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOC) over metal and metal oxide catalysts.

• Development of novel catalysts for the selective reduction of NOx present in the exhaust of lean-burn and diesel engines.

 
In the field of Photocatalysis, current research activities are focused on:

• Production of hydrogen by photocatalytic reforming of biomass components and derivatives at ambient conditions.
• Development of innovative photoelectrochemical devices (Photo-Electro-Reformers) for the production of electricity with simultaneous mineralization of waste organic compounds in solution. 
• Photocatalytic treatment of wastewater streams containing non-biodegradable organic compounds.
• Investigation of photocatalytic reaction kinetics and mechanisms.
• Development of novel photocatalyst formulations with improved absorption characteristics in the solar spectral region.
• Development of methods for photocatalyst fixation on appropriate substrates.
• Design of advanced photocatalytic reactors, operating with artificial or solar light.