Alexey Cherevan is a junior research group leader based at TU Wien’s Institute of Materials Chemistry. He studied chemistry at Moscow State University and received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Münster, after which he joined the TU to pursue his habilitation. His scientific focus is on functional inorganic and hybrid nanomaterials for a variety of energy-related applications. In particular, he develops novel tools towards the combination of the heterogeneous and homogeneous fields of photocatalysis.

In his talk, Alexey will focus on the idea of artificial photosynthesis – a process that aims to mimic the functions of biological systems by creating human-made materials able to convert water and carbon dioxide into useful chemicals relying solely on the energy of light. He will discuss the capabilities and complexity of natural photosynthesis and show how material scientists can be inspired by nature to re-create the process.