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Developing organic photoactive polymers for sustainable chemical generation
presents significant challenges, primarily due to limited control over their
surfaces and interfaces. Over the past few years, my research has focused on
tailoring material interfaces to facilitate the immobilization of diverse
biocatalysts and drive semi-artificial solar reforming. In this paradigm,
sunlight is harnessed for the simultaneous generation of solar fuels and
valorization of waste streams, including CO 2 and PET plastics. By integrating
machine learning with directed evolution, we have engineered PET hydrolase enzymes with
enhanced activity and selectivity for monomer production, generating feedstocks compatible with
downstream solar reforming processes. Furthermore, by coupling multiple enzymes, we have
established domino enzymatic solar reforming on a pixelated photopanel, thereby allowing for the
precise regulation of product distributions. Additionally, advanced interface engineering strategies
were employed to integrate perovskite photoanodes for enantioselective organic synthesis and solar
ammonia production. These studies highlight the transformative potential of interface engineering
in executing complex, multi-step chemical transformations and advancing the frontiers of circular
carbon chemistry. |