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The Nefertiti Winter School 2025 brought together researchers, early-career scientists and industry professionals to strengthen collaboration in sustainable CO₂ conversion technologies. The event showcased cutting-edge advances in solar fuels, green hydrogen and value-added molecules. Through interdisciplinary dialogue, participants explored how fundamental research is moving closer to real-world industrial application.
The Nefertiti Winter School 2025 was an event for researchers, early-career scientists and industry professionals, aiming to foster dialogue between academia and industry. The Sant Pau Modernist Complex in Barcelona, a UNESCO-listed architectural landmark, offered a striking backdrop for a day of scientific exchange.
Researchers from different institutions and projects, including PHOTOSINT, had the chance to present objectives and results in CO₂ fixation technologies for value-added molecules. The programme included talks from both experimental and computational perspectives, showcasing solutions for the sustainable production of alcohols (methanol or ethanol), hydrogen and ethylene.
The presentations covered a wide range of promising approaches, with contributions from molecular chemistry. Dr. Carolina Gimbert, a researcher at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), demonstrated the use of cobalt- and nickel-based catalysts for green hydrogen production. She showed how these earth-abundant systems achieve efficient hydrogen evolution and their potential for integration into future solar-fuel technologies.
Through expert presentations, participants gained insight into both fundamental research and applied solutions, emphasising the strong connection between scientific innovation and industrial relevance. The event also explored advances in hybrid COFs (Covalent Organic Frameworks) for combined water oxidation and CO₂ reduction, and the use of microalgae in the ALGAESOL project.
New technological developments were also discussed, including the presentation by Prof. Pau Farràs, Associate Professor at the University of Galway, who presented recent advances in solar-driven CO₂ conversion and showcased work on producing ethylene using sunlight as the primary energy source.
Dr. Sergi Danés, researcher at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ) and member of the PHOTOSINT project, presented the project’s aims and scope. He explained how the team is developing innovative photocatalysts and integrating them into flow photoreactor systems for CO₂ and water conversion, helping solar-fuel technologies progress toward real-world implementation.
Overall, the Winter School provided a meaningful platform for sharing advances and fostering collaboration across the sustainable chemistry community.