Catalysis Institute at Chem4Energy 2025

23 Apr 2025
chem4energy
23 Apr 2025

Catalysis Institute at Chem4Energy 2025 – Walvis Bay, Namibia

The fourth Chem4Energy Annual Conference was held from 7–11 April 2025 at the Protea Hotel Walvis Bay in Pelican Bay, Namibia. Rooted in long-standing UK–Africa research partnerships, the conference continues to grow as a key platform for sustainable energy research across the continent, bringing together scientists from Southern Africa, Europe and beyond.

The Catalysis Institute was well represented by Professor Nico Fischer and Dr Rhiyaad Mohamed, who both delivered oral presentations based on recently published work.

N Fischer
Prof Fischer presented a talk titled “Investigation into support influence on rWGS activity of Fe₃Ni catalysts using metal oxide-overlayered α-Al₂O₃ supports,” highlighting work published in ACS Catalysis DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.4c07514. His talk explored the impact of advanced catalyst support architectures on reverse water–gas shift activity, providing valuable insights for CO₂ utilisation strategies.
Chem4Energy Pic 2
Dr Mohamed gave a presentation titled “Perchlorate fusion–hydrothermal synthesis of nano-crystalline IrO₂: Leveraging stability and oxygen evolution activity,” based on a recently published article in Small DOI: 10.1002/smll.202412237. The talk focused on a novel synthesis route for iridium dioxide electrocatalysts with enhanced stability and activity for acidic water electrolysis.

The conference reinforced the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration, with themes ranging from hydrogen and CO₂ utilisation to solar energy materials and sustainable chemical processing technologies. A strong focus was also placed on supporting early career researchers and bridging experimental and computational approaches in catalysis. The Catalysis Institute’s participation reflects its commitment to leading research and capacity development across the continent.