Solar energy into fuels - the importance of interface catalysis

Finding sustainable energy solutions for the future will rely heavily on the energy influx from the sun. One convenient way of storing solar energy is by transforming that energy into a chemical form - like a fuel. The efficiency of such a transformation will require catalysts that are optimized for specific reactions, and we will need to find new catalysts for a number of processes, if we are to successfully synthesize fuels from sunlight. A fundamental insight into the way the catalysts work at the molecular level is an essential ingredient if one wants to speed up the discovery process. In this presentation I will discuss some of the challenges in catalyst discovery. In particular, I will focus on the conversion of syngas to methanol, an important sub-reaction in the biomass to fuels process.