Illuminating Sustainable Catalysis

We design light-responsive nanocatalysts that turn sunlight into chemical reactivity for green hydrogen, CO₂ conversion, and sustainable chemical manufacturing.

Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki

Our Mission

We build nanocatalysts that use light to drive the molecular transformations needed for a fossil-free future. By combining plasmonics, catalysis, and precision nanochemistry, we create materials for cleaner fuels, cleaner water, and more sustainable manufacturing.

Research Themes

Our research sits at the intersection of catalysis, nanotechnology, and sustainable energy. We develop materials and concepts that reveal how light can be used not only to accelerate chemical reactions, but to reshape how those reactions are designed and controlled.

01

Plasmon Enhanced Catalysis

We use light-responsive metal nanostructures to amplify catalytic activity and selectivity under visible-light irradiation. Our work combines synthesis, advanced characterization, mechanistic understanding, and theory to create plasmonic platforms that do more with less.

02

Solar-to-Chemical Energy Conversion

We develop photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical systems for hydrogen production, water splitting, and CO₂ conversion. Our goal is to turn sunlight into chemical value through efficient, robust, and scalable catalytic materials.

03

Nanomaterials by Design

We engineer metal, oxide, and hybrid nanostructures with precise control over composition, size, shape, defects, and interfaces. This materials-by-design approach allows us to optimize activity, durability, and selectivity for real-world catalytic applications.

Watch: How we use light to design better catalysts

191 Peer-Reviewed Publications

4 Patents Filed

4.2 €M in Funding since 2019

Latest Publications

This includes peer-reviewed articles, invited reviews, book chapters, book reviews, and conference proceedings across catalysis, nanomaterials, and sustainability science.

Edited book: Plasmonic Catalysis

From Fundamentals to Applications. Pedro H.C. Camargo (Editor), Emiliano Cortés (Editor)

Team

Camargo Lab is an international research group working across catalysis, nanomaterials, electrochemistry, and light-driven chemistry. We bring together researchers at different career stages and from diverse backgrounds to tackle ambitious scientific problems with real-world relevance.

Prof. Pedro H. C. Camargo
Principal Investigator

I grew up in Brazil, where sunlight is abundant and the need for sustainable solutions is impossible to ignore. That shaped the scientific question that still drives my work today: how can light be used to power the chemical transformations needed for a cleaner future?At the University of Helsinki, I lead an international team working at the intersection of catalysis, nanotechnology, and sustainable energy. We design precision-engineered nanoparticles that do more with less: less precious metal, less energy input, and less waste.Our goal is not only to understand catalytic materials at the nanoscale, but to translate that understanding into technologies for green hydrogen, CO₂ conversion, and fossil-free chemical manufacturing. I believe in mentorship through trust, autonomy, and collaboration, and in building teams that are bold enough to tackle problems that matter.I am also the scientific lead of ReLIGHT, a pre-spin-out effort created to translate our discoveries into impact. For me, science is not only about publishing papers. It is about helping build a fossil-free future, one molecule at a time.

Join US

We are always interested in hearing from talented MSc students, doctoral researchers, and postdoctoral fellows who want to work on catalysis, nanomaterials, and sunlight-driven chemistry.In our group, you will work on scientifically ambitious problems with real-world relevance, in an international environment that values curiosity, independence, and collaboration.Diversity strengthens science. We welcome motivated people from different backgrounds who want to contribute to research that matters.

our sponsors

Contact

Email: pedro.camargo @ helsinki.fi
Address: Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, A.I. Virtasen aukio 1, 00014 Helsinki, Finland

Find us in Helsinki!

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