Xile Hu wins International Catalysis Award

Xile Hu. Credit: Alain Herzog, EPFL

Xile Hu. Credit: Alain Herzog, EPFL

Professor Xile Hu has won the 2020 International Catalysis Award from the International Association of Catalysis Societies.

The International Association of Catalysis Societies (IACS) is an association of catalysis societies across thirty countries that exists “to promote scientific and technological progress in the fields of catalytic chemistry.” The organization also works to structure, support, and defend catalysis as science and technology throughout the world.

Every four years, IACS award the International Catalysis Award, “to recognize and encourage individual contributions by a young person in the field of catalysis.” Examples of such contributions include significantly improving a catalytic process or making an important contribution to the understanding of catalytic phenomena.

This year, IACS has given its prestigious award to Professor Xile Hu at EPFL’s Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering. Hu is the founder and director of the Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Catalysis, where his research focuses on developing catalysts made of earth-abundant elements for chemical transformations related to synthesis, energy, and sustainability. Professor Hu is specifically awarded “for the creative and high-impact work in combining material development, electrochemistry and concepts of homogeneous catalysis for the production of solar fuels».

The Award consists of a plaque and a check for $5,000. It will be presented to Professor Hu during the award ceremony of the ICC2020 conference in San Diego (June 14-19, 2020). As winner of the Award, Professor Hu will also present a plenary lecture on his research.