Simon Smart

Associate Professor Simon Smart is a chemical engineering researcher at The University of Queensland, affiliated with the Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Green Electrochemical Transformation of CO₂. His work focuses on sustainable energy systems, inorganic membrane technologies, and molten salt catalysis for hydrogen production and CO₂ utilization.

• Energy Systems Modeling
• Low-CO₂ Hydrogen from Methane Pyrolysis
• CO₂ Dry Reforming
• Molten Salt Catalysts
• Membrane Reactor Design

His recent research explores net-zero transitions, carbon capture pathways, and energy access in developing economies. Articles analyze hydrogen production technologies, CO₂ electrochemical reduction, and nanocomposite membrane development. Smart leads the Net Zero Australia project, collaborating with institutions like Princeton and the University of Melbourne.

• 2018 Influential Researcher (Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research)
• 2016 UQ Foundation Research Excellence Award
• 2012 Queensland Government Early Career Fellowship

As course coordinator for Energy Systems and Sustainable Energy Technologies, he contributes to online education through UQx platforms. His work addresses technical, economic, and social dimensions of decarbonization, including material constraints in power-to-X systems and hydrothermal stability of catalytic membranes.