Public defence: Zubair Masaud

Zubair Masaud is defending his dissertation for the degree philosophiae doctor (PhD) at the University of South-Eastern Norway.

The doctoral work has been carried out at the Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences at campus Vestfold. 

You are welcome to follow the trial lecture and the public defence.

• Link to the dissertation  

Summary

This PhD work shows how clean hydrogen and valuable fuels can be produced more efficiently, more cheaply, and without scarce metals by designing catalysts at single atom level and changing how electrolysers are operated.

The thesis demonstrates that single metal atoms, rather than metal particles, can be used as highly efficient catalytic sites when they are placed in the optimised environment. By embedding individual atoms of abundant elements such as copper, nickel, and cobalt into specially designed porous carbon frameworks, and by running electrochemical reactions under pulsed rather than constant voltage, the work achieves major improvements in both performance and energy efficiency.

One key result is a copper-based catalyst that converts carbon dioxide into useful chemicals such as ethylene and ethanol. This material reaches over 70% efficiency, with nearly half of the products being high-value two-carbon chemicals, outperforming previously reported systems based on similar materials. Importantly, this selectivity is achieved without using precious metals and with excellent stability during operation. A second major outcome is in water splitting for hydrogen production. A nickel-based single-atom catalyst combined with pulsed operation produces the same amount of hydrogen and oxygen while using about 42% less electrical energy than conventional steady operation. This energy saving is large enough to have real economic impact and forms the basis of a patent for hydrogen production filed during the PhD work. The thesis also presents a next-generation catalyst containing three cobalt atoms per structural unit and very large internal pores. This completely novel design allows water and gas bubbles to move freely through the material, reducing energy losses. As a result, hydrogen and oxygen can be produced at very low voltages using only earth-abundant elements, matching or outperforming many catalysts based on expensive noble metals. This novel design may also inspire a new generation of catalyst based on this chain.

Beyond the materials themselves, the work shows that how electrolysers are driven electrically matters just as much as what they are made of. By switching the voltage on and off rapidly in a controlled way, surfaces stay clean, gas bubbles are removed more efficiently, and wasted energy is avoided. This insight is broadly applicable and does not require complex or costly equipment. Overall, this research provides a practical blueprint for sustainable electrochemical technologies: use every metal atom efficiently, design conductive and porous catalyst structures, and operate systems dynamically instead of statically. The results are directly relevant to green hydrogen production, carbon-neutral fuels, and future renewable energy systems, and offer pathways toward lowering costs and energy use in industrial electrolysis.