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Congratulations to Professor Matthew Neurock of the University of Minnesota, who has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Herman Pines Award in Catalysis, presented by the Catalysis Club of Chicago.

Professor Neurock is honored for his pioneering contributions to catalysis research, particularly in applying molecular-level theory to complex catalytic systems. The award will be presented at the Club’s Spring Symposium in May 2025.

For more details visit the Catalysis Club of Chicago website.

We are thrilled to recognize the outstanding contributions of our poster competition winners at the CD4DC 2024 All-Hands Meeting. From left to right, they are congratulated by Professors Laura Gagliardi and Jenny G. Vitillo:

Jan Hoffman (Stony Brook University)
Dana Sanchez (Stony Brook University)
Haomiao Xie (Northwestern University)
Huy Nguyen (University of Minnesota)
Hilal Daglar (University of Chicago)

Congratulations to all! Your work is driving the future of clean energy.

The Catalyst Design for Decarbonization Center (CD4DC) held its annual All-Hands Meeting on September 24-25, 2024, at the David Rubenstein Forum of the University of Chicago. Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, the center brings together researchers from the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Argonne National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, University of Minnesota, Stony Brook University, Ohio State University, and University of Illinois at Chicago. This year’s event focused on advancing catalyst design to accelerate decarbonization efforts and featured presentations from Principal Investigators, Senior Scientists, and Junior Investigators.

Building on last year’s meeting held in October 2023, the 2024 gathering provided a platform for sharing the latest research breakthroughs and brainstorming future strategies. Led by Professor Laura Gagliardi, the center’s work is key to developing clean energy technologies, with a strong emphasis on hydrogen as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Attendees also discussed the roadmap for future projects, reinforcing the CD4DC’s commitment to combating climate change through scientific innovation.

Renowned chemist Prof. Laura Gagliardi of the University of Chicago has been featured in Italy’s prominent newspapers, La Stampa and Il Messaggero, for her groundbreaking work on a high-tech sponge that absorbs water vapor from the air and generates water.  Originally developed with military applications in mind, the sponge has the potential for wider uses, including air pollution cleanup and providing water in arid environments like deserts.  The prototype developed by Gagliardi’s research group showcases innovative solutions to global challenges and is a testament to her visionary scientific leadership.

You can read the full articles here:

La Stampa
UChicago News
Il Messaggero (pictured below)

The Anderson, Gagliardi, and Wuttig groups, operating under the Catalyst Design for Decarbonization Center (CD4DC), have led to significant progress in the development of sulfur-based metal-organic frameworks. Their recent achievements include the publication of two groundbreaking papers in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. These studies delve into the potential applications of these frameworks in catalysis and electrocatalysis, marking crucial advancements in sustainable energy research. Read the article here.

Massimiliano (Max) Delferro has been elected a Fellow of the American Asociation for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in recognition of his contributions to science and technology, scientific leadership, and extraordinary achievements. Read more about Delferro’s work in this feature story from Argonne National Lab.

We’re thrilled to announce that Mónica Lugo has officially joined CD4DC as our new Managing Director! She brings a wealth of experience in administration and a heartfelt dedication to community development.

Before stepping into her role at CD4DC, Mónica served as the Executive Assistant to Maestro Riccardo Muti at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, where she expertly managed his extensive agenda and fostered global stakeholder relationships since 2017. Additionally, Mónica has led the Alegre Strings Program at Merit School of Music for over a decade, guiding hundreds of students from underserved communities to achieve remarkable success in music and beyond.

With certifications in Net Zero and Sustainability Analysis, along with a Master of Music from Johns Hopkins University, Mónica brings a unique blend of skills and vision to her new position. Join us in welcoming Mónica as she leads CD4DC in creating positive change and impact within our community!

Laura Gagliardi has been selected as the recipient of the 2023 Linus Pauling Medal Award for outstanding achievements in Chemistry. Gagliardi is honored for the development of groundbreaking electronic structure theories and combined classical/quantum methodologies that have accelerated the design of new materials, including reticular frameworks. 

The Catalyst Design for Decarbonization Center (CD4DC), a U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC), is based at the University of Chicago. PIs, senior scientists, junior researchers, and the Scientific Advisory Board gathered at The Study at University of Chicago for the All-Hands Meeting on October 17 -18, 2023.

Matthew Hennefarth is a second-year theoretical chemistry PhD student and a member of Professor Laura Gagliardi’s research group. He is interested in electronic structure methods which are applicable to studying quantum dynamics and light-matter interactions. He is currently developing a new multi-state pair density functional theory which can give the correct potential energy surface topology near conical intersections, respect spatial and spin symmetry when present, and generate quantitatively accurate molecular properties. Ultimately, Matthew wishes to apply this method to various iron-sulfur cluster proteins which play important roles in photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and nitrogen fixation to name a few.