Education

• Ph.D., Columbia University, 2015
• M.S., Columbia University, 2013
• B.Sc., Koç University, 2012

Research

The scientific community has a tremendous responsibility to discover new methods to close the carbon cycle and address the environmental consequences of resource consumption at increasing scales. Our research offers solutions by engineering interfaces at the nanoscale, to develop new materials capable of catalyzing reactions to pull the carbon needed to supply society with essential chemicals through sustainable routes, using carbon from flue gas and other emissions, plastics waste and even the CO₂ in ambient air. A key focus of our research is to lower energy requirements of these processes by taking advantage of dynamic operation to overcome equilibrium limitations. Technological advancement through research is an enormous driving force for change on a broader level, and in connection with this goal our laboratory focuses on rational catalyst design for such applications as the production and utilization of sustainable energy carriers, integrated CO₂ capture and utilization, and upcycling of (micro)plastics.

Selected Publications

• Parrilla-Lahoz, S., Jiménez-Páez, E., Masteghin, M.G., Pawlak, J.J., Venditti, R.A., Bird, R., Servin, P., Odriozola, J.A., Reina, T.R. and Duyar, M.S., 2025. Upcycling textile derived microplastics waste collected from washer and dryers to carbonaceous products using hydrothermal carbonization. Waste Management. (2025) 200, p.114740.
• Merkouri LP, Bobadilla LF, Martín-Espejo JL, Odriozola JA, Penkova A, Torres-Sempere G, Short M, Reina TR, Duyar M.S.* Integrated CO₂ capture and dynamic catalysis for CO₂ recycling in a microbrewery. Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy. (2025) : 361, 124610.
• Ye, R., Ma, L., Mao, J., Wang, X., Hong, X., Gallo, A., Ma, Y., Luo, W., Wang, B., Zhang, R., Duyar, M.S.*, Jiang, Z., Liu, J. “High-performing Ce-CuZn catalyst with abundant Cu/Zn-O_v-Ce active sites for CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol” Nature Communications (2023).
•  Merkouri, L-P., Martín-Espejo, J.L., Bobadilla, L.F., Odriozola, J.A., Penkova, A., Reina, T.R., Duyar, M.S.* “Unravelling the CO₂ Capture and Conversion Mechanism of a NiRu-Na2O Switchable Dual-function Material in Various CO₂ Utilisation Reactions”. Journal of Materials Chemistry A (2023): 11, 13209-13216.
• Hameed, G., Goksu, A., Merkouri, L. P., Penkova, A., Reina, T. R., Ruiz, S. C., & Duyar, M. S.*. Experimental optimization of Ni/P atomic ratio for nickel phosphide catalysts in reverse water-gas shift. Journal of CO₂ Utilization, (2023): 77, 102606.