‘Visionary’ Fellow wins Royal Society prize for pioneering work in solar chemistry
"The Tilden Prize is further recognition of Erwin’s ground-breaking research and visionary approach”
Professor Erwin Reisner, a Fellow of St John’s College, has been awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry Tilden Prize for his ground-breaking work in creating sustainable fuels through solar energy, water and recaptured carbon dioxide.
Tilden Prizes are presented for outstanding contributions to chemistry research made by established career scientists. Announced today (12 June 2024), the prize was awarded for Professor Reisner’s ‘pioneering work on solar chemistry, developing devices that capture sunlight and produce sustainable fuels and chemicals from carbon dioxide, biomass and plastic waste’.
Professor Reisner, who has been Cambridge University’s Professor of Energy and Sustainability since 2017, said: “I am delighted to receive this award as recognition for my team’s efforts and contributions at a crucial stage of our research journey. It provides motivation to accelerate the development of our solar chemical technologies.”
An expert in renewable energy and sustainable chemistry, in particular the sunlight-powered production of sustainable fuels and platform chemicals, Professor Reisner and his team are developing emerging technologies and demonstrating innovative prototype devices for the solar-powered conversion of waste, water and air into practical fuels and chemicals.
Some of the technologies being developed by the Reisner Lab include artificial leaves and photocatalyst sheets, which convert solar energy, water and the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into chemical fuels such as syngas, formate, acetate and ethanol; and solar reforming, which uses only solid waste streams, water and sunlight to produce green hydrogen fuel.
In March this year, Professor Reisner was awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies, which will enable him to focus on strategically developing the methods that can help to decarbonise the otherwise difficult transport and chemical sectors.
Professor James Keeler, Head of the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, said: “This prize, coming close on the heels of the award of a Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies, underlines the esteem with which Erwin is held by the scientific community, and acknowledges the significance and scope of his pioneering work on solar-powered chemistry. I could not be more delighted for him.”
Professor Reisner’s ambition is to found the Cambridge Circular Chemistry Centre in the Department of Chemistry, which will accelerate the multi-disciplinary research and engineering that is needed to support the transition to solar chemical technologies. He plans to raise £3-£5 million in funding from donations to launch the centre in the next two years, and a total of £20 million over the next 10 years to make his plan a reality.
“I am excited by the visibility this prize provides for solar chemistry and our research field in general – it highlights the huge potential and opportunities of this rapidly growing field of research,” said Professor Reisner.
Professor Keeler added: "The Tilden Prize is further recognition of Erwin’s ground-breaking research and visionary approach. The proposed Circular Chemistry Centre will be a great vehicle for accelerating this innovative research and moving on from the lab to a larger scale – and with Erwin at the helm there is every chance of great success in this crucially important endeavour."
In addition to a monetary prize, Professor Reisner will be invited to deliver a series of prize lectures at universities across the UK and Ireland.
Fellow St John’s academic Professor Nic Lane was also awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies this year, funded by the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Published 12/6/2024