Topic: Advanced functional materials for the water-energy nexus: hybrid catalysis for the remediation of emerging contaminants and conversion into high-value products

Lecturer: Researcher Hugo Higino

Time: November 17th, 2025, 10:30-11:30, UTC+8

Venue: Report Hall of the International School of Materials Science and Engineering, Room 201, West Campus Library

Biography: Hugo Salazar received his PhD in Materials Engineering from University of Minho in Portugal. His work was based on multifunctional catalysts and membranes for water remediation, mainly for removing emerging contaminants using hybrid technologies. In 2022, he joined BCMaterials (Spain), where he holds a Juan de la Cierva Post-Doctoral Fellowship. His most recent activities and interests have focused on the development of nano-, 2D- and composite hybrid materials for the water-energy nexus, mainly for water treatment, conversion of contaminants into high-value products, green energy production, and energy storage systems. To date, Hugo has published 28 scientific publications in top-tier Q1 journals, with 11 as corresponding author. His work has received over 537 citations, with an h-index of 15. He co-authored two book chapters and 23 conference communications. He has directly participated in 12 research projects; three of them as Principal Investigator and two as co-coordinator. He supervised 1 PhD (defended in 2025) and is currently supervising 2 PhD students. He has also supervised five undergraduate and five master students.

Abstract: The increasing presence of contaminants of emerging concern in water bodies poses a major challenge for sustainable development, particularly when aligned with the urgent demand for clean energy production. Addressing these dual priorities requires advanced materials and catalytic processes that can simultaneously remediate contaminants and valorize waste into high-value products. In this context, this lecture will present recent advances in the design of functional nanomaterials, 2D-based systems, and hybrid inorganic-organic composites tailored for catalytic processes at the water-energy nexus. The discussion will focus on tailoring the optical, electronic, and structural properties of materials to optimize their performance in hybrid systems, including adsorption, photocatalysis, and piezocatalysis. These methods not only enable the degradation of contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, heavy metals, and microplastics, but also promote selective conversion pathways leading to the formation of value-added chemicals and hydrogen-based fuels. The synergy of advanced catalytic processes accelerates reaction kinetics and improves sustainability compared to conventional single-mode treatments. Case studies will highlight the integration of MXene-based composites, carbon nitride derivatives, and doped bismuth oxyhalides, demonstrating how tailored material design can bridge environmental remediation with energy conversion. Finally. the potential to scale these hybrid catalytic processes from laboratory conditions to TRL 4-5 prototypes will be discussed, outlining their role in shaping the next generation of circular economy solutions at the water-energy nexus.

Rewritten by: Lin Qiaochu

Editted by: Liang Muwei, Li Tiantian

Source: International School of Materials Science and Engineering