Metal exsolution is a synthesis route for supported metal nanoparticles that enables the activation of earth-abundant elements and the functionalization of oxide surfaces for versatile applications in catalysis. After more than a decade of research, considerable progress has been made in understanding metal exsolution pathways at the atomic level. Exsolution catalysts have demonstrated promise for in-situ regeneration, enhanced stability, and a reduced reliance on critical metals in energy conversion systems, contributing to sustainability goals. With a growing scientific community in this cross-disciplinary field, closer exchange among researchers is needed to clarify future directions and explore the next generation of exsolution catalysts. Therefore, the proposed symposium will bring together leading experts in heterogeneous catalysis, ceramic synthesis, and advanced materials characterization from both inside and outside the exsolution community. Topics will include not only recent breakthroughs in nanoparticle exsolution, but also a critical review of the current state of knowledge to refine the catalysts design principles followed in the community. The main goals are to identify shared challenges and synergies, clarify the role of metal exsolution in addressing key challenges in catalysis, and establish a common foundation in relevant thermodynamic and kinetic principles.
- Nanoparticle socketing, wetting and stability of metal ceramic interfaces
- Redox stability of exsolution oxides and reversibility of metal exsolution reactions
- Control strategies for tailored nanoparticle properties via exsolution reactions
- Performance descriptors in exsolution catalysts
- Future directions in metal exsolution for new functionalities
Fabian Luca BuchauerAlfonso J. Carrillo holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering by Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (Spain)—research conducted at IMDEA Energy. Then, he moved to the Electrochemical Materials Laboratory, first at ETH Zurich (Switzerland), and after at MIT (USA), where he was 2018 Eni-MIT Energy Fellow. He has been awarded with the Energy and Environmental Research Grant by Fundación Iberdrola, Juan de la Cierva Formación by the Spanish Ministry of Science, and Junior Leader Fellowship by Fundación LaCaixa. He has worked at ITQ (Spain) since January 2019, with a focus on the functionalization of redox oxides for energy storage and production of renewable fuels.
Vincenzo EspositoDylan JenningsWayne D. Kaplan holds the Karl Stoll Chair in Advanced Materials at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.
He completed his B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, and his M.Sc. and D.Sc. in Materials at the Technion after immigrating to Israel from the U.S. He then spent a year at MPI Stuttgart before joining the Technion faculty in 1995.
Since 1995, Kaplan's research activities at the Technion have focused on the structure, chemistry and energy of interfaces between metals and ceramics. In recent years he has focused on the atomistic mechanism of grain boundary motion, and the role of adsorption solutes on grain boundary mobility. In addition to his fundamental research in materials science, Kaplan works on the development of electron microscopy techniques for material characterization. Kaplan is the author of more than 150 scientific articles, including 4 publications in Science, as well as two textbooks (w/ D. Brandon): Joining Processes and Microstructural Characterization of Materials. He is a Fellow of the American Ceramic Society.
Kaplan served as Dean of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Technion (2010-2014), Executive VP for Research of the Technion (2014-2018), where he coordinated all research funding and collaborative research efforts between the Technion and external bodies, including industry. This included operations of TRDF Ltd., a for-profit company owned by the Technion, where technology transfer from the Technion is implemented. From 2022-2025 Kaplan served as the VP for External Relations and Resource Development of the Technion.
Dr Kalliopi Kousi is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the University of Surrey. Her research background is in Heterogeneous Catalysis and Materials Synthesis and Characterisation. She obtained her degree in Chemistry from the University of Patras, Greece in 2011, where she also got her MRes in 2013 and PhD in 2016. Her current research focuses around nanoengineering of materials for the conversion of greenhouse gases and the production of clean energy. She is also very interested in Science Communication and has been recognised for her work in the EDI space.
Dr. Jonathan M. Polfus is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and the Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology at the University of Oslo, a position he has held since 2021. He obtained his PhD in Chemistry from the same institution in 2012 and subsequently worked as a Senior Researcher in the Department of Sustainable Energy Technology at SINTEF. His research is founded in defect chemistry and solid-state ionics, with applications to metal exsolution and proton ceramic electrochemical cells.
Ivar ReimanisAleksandar Staykov