lunedì 26/01/2026 alle ore 16:00, presso la sala del Consiglio dell'Edificio C11, la Prof.ssa Carla Casadevall della Universitat Rovira i Virigli (URV) e Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), Tarragona (Spain) terrà un seminario dal titolo:

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Abstract: The sustainable production of fuels and chemicals from sunlight, H₂O and waste CO₂ offers a promising route to mitigate rising CO₂ emissions and decarbonize the chemical industry. In this context, our research focuses on artificial photosynthesis (AP), combining bioinspired homogeneous and hybrid systems hybrid systems to understand and improve the key half-reactions involved. We are currently developing polymeric microphotoreactors based on catalyst-functionalized polymersomes that mimic the compartmentalization of natural photosynthesis, with the ultimate goal of driving electrons from water oxidation to CO₂ reduction in aqueous media under visible light. Within this platform, we have designed a family of asymmetric Co-, Ni- and Fe-based porphyrin and phthalocyanine complexes that, in combination with Ir-, Cu- and organic photosensitizers, achieve highly active and selective photocatalytic CO₂ reduction (CO₂R) under homogeneous conditions. Anchoring both the CO₂R catalyst and the photosensitizer onto polymersome membranes has enabled the first polymersome-based system for compartmentalized photocatalytic CO₂R in water, where membrane confinement and choice of photosensitizer tune product selectivity and suppress competing H₂ evolution. Ongoing mechanistic studies aim to rationalize these effects and guide the design of next-generation AP architectures.