معرفی
Dr. Matteo Monai serves as Assistant Professor in the Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis research group within the Faculty of Science at Utrecht University. His research is conducted under the umbrella of the Institute for Sustainable and Circular Chemistry (ISCC), focusing on catalyst design and characterization for sustainable chemical processes. He maintains active collaborations within the ARC-CBBC consortium and contributes to the university's mission in Science for Sustainability.
Monai's research interests center on pushing the boundaries of catalyst design using intermittent external stimuli to break traditional scaling relationships in catalysis. His primary focus areas include heterogenous catalysis, spectro-microscopy, and small molecule activation, with specific applications in CO2 hydrogenation, dry methane reforming, and biomass conversion. His work emphasizes understanding how to develop better catalysts by tweaking their nanostructure both directly and through external stimuli such as stress and light.
His recent publication record demonstrates a strong focus on operando characterization techniques to understand catalyst behavior under working conditions. The research trends show increasing sophistication in monitoring catalyst surfaces at work, with particular attention to metal-support interactions, carbon deposition mechanisms, and structure-activity relationships in CO2 conversion processes. His work bridges fundamental surface science with practical applications in sustainable energy and chemical production.
Scientific Awards:
- Robert Karl Grasselli 2020 Award
- Eni Young Researcher of the Year Award (2019)
- Premio Parmaliana (2017)
Monai actively participates in collaborative research projects, including the recently awarded HyCARB project worth over 45 million euros. His work integrates experimental and theoretical approaches to develop structure-performance relationships for functional nanomaterials. He collaborates extensively within the ICC group and with international partners across Europe, contributing to both fundamental understanding and practical applications of catalytic materials.
The researcher leads projects focused on developing advanced spectro-microscopic techniques to study nanomaterials in catalysis and environmental analysis. His laboratory works at the intersection of materials science, surface chemistry, and sustainable process engineering, with particular emphasis on understanding catalyst deactivation mechanisms and developing strategies to enhance catalyst longevity and selectivity.
