Sudip Bhattacharjee from the Materials-Envi Lab (MEL) at VŠB–Technical University of Ostrava has received the Early Career Scientist Award at the international Catalytic CO₂ Conversions Conference (CCC2026) in Copenhagen. The researcher involved in REFRESH presented his work on the development of single-atom catalysts for the sustainable conversion of carbon dioxide.
“It is a great honor and pleasure for me that my work has received this recognition. I see it not only as an acknowledgement of my research contributions to date, but also as motivation to continue developing innovative and sustainable catalytic technologies for CO₂ utilization and carbon-neutral chemical production. I hope that advances in this field will contribute to a more sustainable future and support the global transition towards a low-carbon economy,” said the researcher, who has been working at MEL for around ten months.
He also sees the award as recognition of a research journey he has been pursuing for the past six years. He began exploring the use of CO₂ for the synthesis of higher-value-added chemicals using heterogeneous catalysts during his doctoral studies. At MEL, he is continuing this research and further developing it.
“Currently, I focus on the development of advanced heterogeneous catalysts and sustainable catalytic processes for carbon dioxide conversion, renewable fuel synthesis, and carbon-neutral chemical manufacturing. Through the development of highly active single-atom catalytic systems, we aim to develop sustainable and economically viable pathways for transforming CO₂ into valuable products, supporting carbon-neutral chemical manufacturing and the transition towards a circular carbon economy,” he explained.
He completed his Ph.D. in 2025 at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science. His research focused on developing sustainable catalytic processes for carbon utilization, addressing both environmental and energy-related challenges. During his doctoral studies, he participated in several Indo–German collaborative research projects focused on CO₂ valorization and sustainable fuel production. In addition to his research publications, he is a co-inventor of several international patents, including German and Indian patents related to innovative CO₂ utilization technologies. Following the completion of his Ph.D., Bhattacharjee joined VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava as a postdoctoral researcher under the supervision of Radek Zbořil.
The CCC2026 conference took place in Copenhagen from 25 to 28 August and focused on the latest developments in catalytic CO₂ conversion, ranging from fundamental research and catalyst design to the production of fuels, chemicals and materials, as well as the potential industrial applications of these technologies.
