Paul Duchesne

Paul Duchesne is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Queen's University, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Science and the Carbon to Metal Coating Institute. His research focuses on developing heterogeneous catalyst materials using Earth-abundant elements to enable sustainable energy solutions, particularly in renewable fuel synthesis and CO₂ sequestration. He employs advanced in situ X-ray spectroscopy (XPS, XANES, EXAFS) to study catalyst behavior under operational conditions.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Dalhousie University (2016)
• B.Sc. in Chemistry, Dalhousie University (2010)

Research Interests:

• Design of low-cost catalysts for CO₂ conversion
• Photocatalytic and electrocatalytic systems
• Surface characterization via X-ray techniques
• Scalable materials synthesis

Awards:

• Killam Trust Scholarship (PhD)
• NSERC Research Scholarship (PhD)
• NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship (University of Toronto)

Advising & Labs:

• Leads the Duchesne Research Group at Queen’s University
• Focuses on in situ characterization of nanoscale materials in energy applications
• Collaborates with the Carbon to Metal Coating Institute