Aristeidis Bakandritsos: I want to continue pioneering research that addresses urgent global challenges

The chemist Aristeidis Bakandritsos focuses primarily on the development of functional nanomaterials and their applications in energy storage, catalysis and biomedicine. He moved to Olomouc with his family about nine years ago, bringing with him extensive international experience and scientific accomplishments. Over the past two years, he has achieved extraordinary success, as evidenced by successful projects, awards and publications in prestigious journals.

You have been working at RCPTM, now part of CATRIN, since 2016. Although you have achieved excellent results in the past, your success has been exceptional recently, I would say. Would you agree that the last few years have been especially fruitful?

Yes, indeed. The past few years have been particularly productive and fulfilling. This period has marked a phase of significant scientific output and rewarding collaborations, both within my team and across broader networks, leading to substantial contributions in our research fields.

What do you see as the main reasons for this?

The main reasons are a combination of factors. First, there is the supportive and stimulating research environment at CATRIN, which fosters collaboration and innovation, offers access to state-of-the-art facilities and tools for promoting a culture of excellence. Additionally, the dedication, creativity and continuous effort of our research group, along with strong international partnerships, are integral to our success.

Could you highlight some specific achievements that you consider particularly important? How has your research evolved over time?

Among recent accomplishments, I’m particularly proud of our pioneering research on single-molecule and single-atom engineering (particularly on graphene) and their applications in catalysis, environmental sustainability and healthcare, especially our work published in highly regarded journals like Advanced Materials, Nature Nanotechnology and Energy and Environmental Science, among others. Over time, the research focus has progressively moved towards interdisciplinary approaches, effectively integrating nanomaterials science for tackling major challenges in the fields of energy and sustainability.

What are you currently investing most effort in?

Currently, we are intensively working on developing advanced single- atom catalysts and novel nanostructured materials tailored for energy storage solutions, sustainable chemical transformations, valorization of wastes and environmental remediation. These areas hold great promise for addressing critical societal challenges.

You are implementing important international projects. How successful have you and your colleagues been in fulfilling their goals?

I’m pleased to say we are successfully working towards fulfilling all the goals of the projects. Due to the high degree of cooperation, interdisciplinary expertise and effective project management within our team and international partners, we are significantly enhancing our capability of tackling challenges and finding alternatives when we face difficulties.

Science is a team effort and an interdisciplinary endeavour. How would you evaluate the research environment at CATRIN in this regard, and how successful have you been in attracting new talent to your research group?

The research environment at CATRIN strongly emphasizes collaboration and interdisciplinarity, creating ideal conditions for innovation. We have successfully attracted exceptional young researchers and highly qualif ied international talent to our team, which have been pivotal in achieving excellent results.

This year, you received the CATRIN Award for Outstanding Scientific Output and were also ranked 24th in the Research.com national ranking in the field of Materials Science. How important are these individual recognitions to you?

These recognitions are very important. They are gratifying acknowledgments not just of individual effort but of the collective dedication and hard work of our entire team. Such awards motivate us to continue pushing the boundaries of our research fields.

What challenges lie ahead for you? Do you have any professional dreams or aspirations?

The primary challenge is advancing our research towards practical, real-world applications, particularly in sustainable energy. A key goal is developing highly efficient catalysts based on earth-abundant elements to transform waste into high-value chemicals and fuels. Professionally, Czech Republic. I aspire to continue pioneering research that addresses pressing global challenges, while mentoring young scientists and collaborating with experienced researchers in the team and excellent partners from the Czech Republic.