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Surface Chemistry Lab
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The surface chemistry lab turns carbon dioxide into fuel with light.
AboutAbout the lab
Turning carbon dioxide into fuel on solid surfaces.
The Surface Chemistry Lab investigates chemical reactions that occur on solid surfaces and pioneers sustainable chemistry.
If shining light on a photocatalyst can convert carbon dioxide into fuels and chemical feedstocks, it will be possible to build a system that recycles carbon.
Because surface reactions are complex, the lab follows changes in molecules and surfaces in situ using infrared spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy.
It also traces reaction pathways with isotopes and follows the elementary steps of reactions using density functional theory calculations.
Key terms
- Photocatalyst
- A material that absorbs light and drives a chemical reaction while remaining unchanged itself
- X-ray absorption spectroscopy
- A method that examines the structure around atoms and the state of electrons from the way X-rays are absorbed
- Density functional theory
- A quantum chemistry method that calculates the properties of molecules and solids from the distribution of electrons
ResearchResearch themes
The lab pioneers sustainable chemistry by making use of the reactivity of solid surfaces. It builds catalysts that use light to convert carbon dioxide into fuels and resources, and catalysts that convert unreactive molecules such as nitrogen into resources, and it follows how the reactions proceed through both spectroscopy and theoretical calculations.
*Illustrative imagePhoto-Conversion of Carbon Dioxide into Fuel
The lab develops photocatalysts that use light energy to convert carbon dioxide into fuels and chemical feedstocks. The state of the molecules as they react is examined with infrared spectroscopy and X-ray spectroscopy.
*Illustrative imageWater-Fueled Photo Fuel Cells
The lab studies high-voltage photocatalytic solar cells (photo fuel cells) that use water as fuel rather than hydrogen or methanol. A distinctive feature is that they can produce higher voltages than silicon solar cells.
*Illustrative imageCatalysts That Convert Nitrogen into Resources
The lab pioneers catalysts that convert unreactive molecules such as nitrogen into fuels and resources in a sustainable way.
*Illustrative imageObserving Reactions In Situ
Using X-ray spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy, the lab selects and observes, in situ, the functional sites on a surface where a reaction is proceeding. It also uses methods that distinguish carbon dioxide and water by isotopes to track which molecules change and how.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Surface Chemistry Lab are faculty members, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, and special auditing students.As of 2026
- ProfessorYasuo Izumi
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Titanium-dioxide-sample” Benjah-bmm27 / Public domain (cropped)
- Photo-Conversion of Carbon Dioxide into Fuel: “Secretary Chu Visits Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis” ENERGY.GOV / Public domain (cropped)
- Water-Fueled Photo Fuel Cells: “Ground mounted solar panels.gk” Grendelkhan / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Catalysts That Convert Nitrogen into Resources: “Chemical factory in Kankou” 作者不詳 / Public domain (cropped)
- Observing Reactions In Situ: “Aust.-Synchrotron-Soft-X-ray-Beamline-Experimental-Station” jjron / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (反応有機化学研究室): “Iodine crystal” 2x910 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (量子化学研究室): “8orbitals” Ulrich Mohrhoff / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (分子分光学研究室): “Confocal Raman imaging microscope Witec alpha300” Sonjajnos / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (分析化学研究室): “BC photo from research 1” BCanalyst / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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