Achievement

The main challenges for Ulises Martinez in developing the new generation of catalysts evolve around the understanding of reaction mechanisms as well as the design and synthesis of homogeneous catalytic structures. In order to overcome these challenges, Ulises uses a variety of disciplines that must be combined. Ulises' research project combines theoretical methods such as density functional theory, with characterization techniques from materials science, as well as principles of chemical engineering and electrochemistry. The goal is to design electrocatalysts with an understanding of how reactants interact with the catalyst at the molecular and atomistic level. This understanding will fine tune the catalytic system and apply the knowledge to many similar catalytic systems. The success in designing these new materials relies on how well the collaborative UNM research team is able to bring together the knowledge from each of the disciplines involved.