Photo-catalysis

🔬✨ A bright achievement for young science!
We are delighted to celebrate Behdokht Hashemi Hosseini, a PhD candidate in Prof. Juan Carlos Colmenares’s Photocatalysis Research Team at IPC PAS, who has been named a winner of the 2026 “Young Researchers of IPC PAS” competition in the doctoral-student category.
Behdokht works in photocatalysis, research that explores how light can help drive useful chemical reactions. This distinction recognizes her dedication, professional development, and valuable contribution to the team.

Congratulations, Behdokht! May this success be one of many bright milestones in your scientific journey. 🌟

Behdokht Hashemi Hosseini Named a Winner of the 2026 “Young Researchers of IPC PAS” Competition We are delighted to announce that Behdokht Hashemi Hosseini, a PhD candidate and member of our Photocatalysis Research Team at the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, has been named a winner of the 2026 ​“Young Researchers of IPC PAS” competition in the doctoral-stud...

What if sound could help build a cleaner catalyst, and blue light could produce two valuable chemicals simultaneously? 🔊💡
In our new study, ultrasound was used during synthesis to shape a carbon catalyst made from chitosan and lignin, without metals. Under visible blue light, this material converted coniferyl alcohol, a lignin-derived molecule, into ferulic acid while simultaneously producing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).
The central idea is simple: use sound to design the catalyst, then use light to power more sustainable chemistry.

Warm and sincere congratulations to all co-authors, especially to you, dearest Ahmed!

Article: https://www.photo-catalysis.org/publications/ultrasound-enhanced-solvo-hydrothermal-synthesis-of-metal-free-carbon-catalysts-for-eco-friendly-visible-light-driven-oxidation

🔊 What if sound could steer a chemical reaction toward the product we want?
Our research demonstrates that carefully controlled ultrasound, combined with LED light and catalytic materials, can transform coniferyl alcohol, a molecule derived from lignin, into valuable chemical products under ambient temperature and pressure.
Too little acoustic energy creates an uneven reaction. Too much generates chaos and unwanted products. The correct energy distribution produces a controlled chemical pathway.
This is the real breakthrough: ultrasound is not merely extra energy. It can become a precision instrument for cleaner chemical manufacturing.

Sincere thanks to all co-authors for your valuable contributions, especially Marta (from my research group) for her outstanding dedication.



https://www.photo-catalysis.org/publications/sonophotocatalytic-dimerization-of-coniferyl-alcohol---the-influence-of-energy-distribution-during-sonication

A tiny material could make a big difference in forensic science.
We developed a silver-doped gallium oxide sensor capable of detecting he**in and morphine at very low concentrations, even when other substances such as caffeine, paracetamol, and alprazolam are present. Most importantly, the approach was also tested in real urine samples.
This is where advanced materials stop being “just nanotechnology” and start becoming tools with real societal impact.
My sincere congratulations to all co-authors, especially to Dr. Bappi Paul, for leading this interesting idea. Powerful Intl collaboration Colombia-Poland-India!!!

https://www.photo-catalysis.org/publications/enhanced-charge-transfer-in-noble-metal-dopped-gallium-oxide-for-selective-electrochemical-sensing-of-he**in-and-morphine-in-biological-matrix

🌿 What if natural materials, light and sound could replace metals in chemical synthesis?
Our research introduces a metal-free catalyst made from chitosan and lignin. Under UV-A light and ultrasound, it selectively joins two molecules of lignin-derived acetovanillone to produce diapocynin, a pharmaceutically relevant compound.
This is not simply another catalyst. It demonstrates how biomass-derived materials can help manufacture valuable chemicals through cleaner and more intelligent processes.

My sincere congratulations to all co-authors, especially to Behdokht (my Ph.D. candidate), for leading this disruptive idea.



https://www.photo-catalysis.org/publications/metal-free-sonophotocatalytic-c-c-coupling-of-acetovanillone-using-a-synthesis-frequency-tuned-chitosan-lignin-hybrid-catalyst

♻️ Waste is not the end. It can be the beginning of something extraordinarily valuable.
In my Featured Scholar Interview with Chemical Synthesis, I explain how light, ultrasound and mechanical energy can work together to transform biomass and other organic wastes into clean hydrogen, hydrogen peroxide and valuable chemicals.
But I also address the uncomfortable truth: an impressive reaction inside a laboratory flask is not yet a sustainable industrial technology. We need efficient continuous-flow reactors, durable catalysts, honest energy calculations and evidence that these solutions work with real waste, not only perfect model compounds.
Chemistry must stop seeing waste as a burden and start recognising it as a renewable carbon mine.
Discover my scientific journey, the influence of Nobel Laureate Professor George A. Olah and my vision for the future of sustainable catalysis.
🔗 Watch the interview: https://www.oaepublish.com/cs/academic_talks



https://www.photo-catalysis.org/news/waste-is-not-the-end-professor-colmenares-presents-a-new-vision-for-sustainable-chemistry

Waste Is Not the End: Professor Colmenares Presents a New Vision for Sustainable Chemistry In a Featured Scholar Interview (virtual) prepared by Chemical Synthesis (https://​www​.oaepu​blish​.com/cs), Prof. Dr. Juan Carlos Colmenares Quintero presents a bold vision for transforming waste into clean energy and valuable chemicals.Prof. Colmenares leads the CatSEE research group at...

☀️ What if sunlight could help produce hydrogen using safer, lead-free materials?
Our research introduces two ultrathin antimony-based perovskite layers grown tightly together. Their shared interface works like a fast highway for electrical charges, allowing visible light to drive hydrogen production more efficiently.
This is more than an attractive new material. It is a smarter way to control energy at microscopic interfaces, and another step toward solar-driven fuel production.
My heartfelt congratulations to all the co-authors, especially to you, my dearest brother Sam!

Interfacial Dynamics of In Situ Constructed Antimony-Based Halide Perovskite Epitaxial Heterostructures for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution AbstractDeveloping efficient and sustainable H2-production technologies is crucial for addressing the global energy crisis and environmental pollution. Although the sulfur – iodine thermochemical cycle is a conventional route for HI splitting, its practical application is limited by harsh ope...

Dangerous PFAS “forever chemicals” are among the hardest pollutants to destroy.
Our chapter explores how sonication-induced catalytic approaches can use ultrasound-generated cavitation bubbles to create extreme local conditions that help break down PFAS in water.
A powerful idea: use sound to fight one of the toughest water-pollution challenges.
Thank you to all co-authors, especially Dr. Ahmed Malek Djaballah, for pushing this important work forward.

https://www.photo-catalysis.org/publications/sonication-induced-catalytic-approaches-for-pfas-based-plastics-degradation-in-aqueous-systems

My sincere congratulations to all co-authors (International Strong Collaboration Colombia-France-Poland-China!!!) Specially to you, dearest Ahmed, for being the engine of this amazing review article, I strongly appreciate your great effort! Please stay in touch for the coming common victories!
🌊 Plastic waste is not just litter — it breaks down into micro- and nanoplastics that can move through water, soil, air, food chains, and even the human body.
Our new review explores a cleaner idea: using ultrasound, light, and catalysts to attack these tiny plastics and transform them into useful products such as hydrogen and valuable chemicals.
In simple terms: sound waves create microscopic “hot spots,” sunlight activates catalysts, and reactive species help break stubborn plastic chains.
From pollution problem to circular-economy opportunity.

https://www.photo-catalysis.org/publications/from-nano-micro-plastics-to-value-added-fuels-and-chemicals-a-review-of-mechanisms-and-future-perspectives-on-sonication-assisted-photocatalytic-upgrading

Everyone loves the slogan that “people no longer trust science.” Clean, dramatic, convenient.
But maybe the real crisis is not science itself, it is our addiction to simplistic narratives about distrust.

www.nature.com