Alexis Bordet

Dr. Alexis Bordet is a Group Leader in the Department of Molecular Catalysis at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research (MPI CEC). His research focuses on developing adaptive catalytic systems for chemical energy conversion, with expertise in nanoparticle synthesis, hydrogenation reactions, and magnetic heating applications. He leads a team investigating multifunctional catalytic systems capable of activating molecular hydrogen (H₂) for selective transformations such as hydrodeoxygenation and decarboxylation.

Education: Engineer from University of Toulouse/INP ENSIACET (2010-2013), M.Sc. (2012-2013), Ph.D. in Chemistry from University of Toulouse/LPCNO (2013-2016), followed by a Postdoc at RWTH Aachen University (2017-2018).

Research Interests: Adaptive catalytic systems, nanoparticle immobilization on molecularly modified surfaces (NPs@MMS), magnetic induction heating for catalytic activity control, and CO₂-responsive catalysts. His team designs catalysts that dynamically adjust performance in response to environmental changes, enabling reversible control of selectivity and activity.

Key Projects: Development of iron carbide nanoparticles for localized heating, CO₂-responsive ruthenium nanoparticle catalysts, and electrocatalytic systems at oil-water interfaces. Recent work emphasizes adaptive systems for intermittent energy use and decentralized chemical production.

Laboratory Team: Includes postdocs (Neha Antil, Wenting Fang), PhD students (Sihana Ahmedi, Manisha Durai), and lab staff (Jannis Hertel, Petra Höfer). The group collaborates internationally on materials design and catalytic process optimization.