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When Yimin Wu set his sights on finding a solution that would impact both sustainable energy and climate change, he turned to nature for his inspiration.

“Green house gases and CO2 are a big problem that lead to climate change,” says Wu. “I looked at how we could mimic plants and nature. Plants absorb CO2 and water and use sunlight to convert them to glucose — fuel for the plant. I wanted to look at the possibility of using a catalyst with CO2 and water to convert into a useful fuel for human use.”

On December 14, 2020, professor Yimin Wu was featured in the YOU + Waterloo Campaign. Click here to read the news release

On October 30, 2020, professor Yimin Wu was one of sixteen recipients recognized for achievements for outstanding contributions to the field of nanotechnology. About the award

Welcome Cheng Du!

He joins the Materials Interface Foundry as a postdoctoral fellow!

Materials Interface Foundry research profiled by the US Department of Energy

Modelled illustration of copper (I) oxide (Cu₂O) photocatalyst particles interacting with carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O) to convert CO₂ and water into liquid methanol (CH3OH).

Dr. Yimin A. Wu was awarded a National Research Council (NRC) Materials for Clean Fuels Challenge Grant for his contributions to solar fuels and carbon-neutral transportation.

About the award

When a University of Waterloo researcher announced he had developed an “artificial leaf” that converts harmful carbon dioxide into fuel, his discovery was celebrated around the world.

Professor Yimin Wu’s breakthrough was an exciting advance in research he conducted at a national laboratory in the United States before joining Waterloo’s Faculty of Engineering last year. Wu landed in Waterloo after undertaking a worldwide search for a post that would allow him to teach and take his work to “the next level.”

His decision to move to Canada was based on two main factors: the distinctive culture at Waterloo and Canada’s reputation for inclusivity.

Scientists have created an “artificial leaf” to fight climate change by inexpensively converting harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) into a useful alternative fuel.

The new technology, outlined in a paper published today in the journal Nature Energy, was inspired by the way plants use energy from sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into food.

“We call it an artificial leaf because it mimics real leaves and the process of photosynthesis,” said Yimin Wu, an engineering professor at the University of Waterloo who led the research. “A leaf produces glucose and oxygen. We produce methanol and oxygen.”

Bryce Kieffer joined Materials Interface Foundry as a Master's student.

Professor Yimin Wu was awarded a Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Discovery Grant and a Discovery Launch Supplement as a principle investigator.