Dr. Matthew Kanan is a distinguished scholar and leader in the field of chemical innovation for sustainable energy solutions. He currently serves as Professor of Chemistry and Director of the TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy at Stanford University, where he also holds the position of Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy. Dr. Kanan received his BA Summa Cum Laude in Chemistry from Rice University in 2000 before earning his PhD in Organic Chemistry from Harvard University in 2005, followed by postdoctoral research at MIT focusing on water-oxidation catalysis. After completing his postdoctoral studies, he joined the Stanford Chemistry Department faculty in 2009, establishing a research program dedicated to addressing critical challenges in energy conversion and sustainable resource utilization.
Dr. Kanan's groundbreaking research has led to multiple innovative approaches for transforming carbon dioxide into valuable products through novel catalytic processes and chemical reactions. His laboratory pioneered the development of defect-rich heterogeneous electrocatalysts that efficiently convert carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into liquid fuels, representing a significant advancement in electrochemical carbon conversion technology. The Kanan group has also invented processes that utilize CO2 to streamline chemical production, developed metal-free CO2 hydrogenation catalysts that improve sustainable fuel synthesis, and created membrane-free electrochemical systems for generating acid and base from water. Perhaps most notably, his team developed a novel method to create performance-advantaged plastics from carbon dioxide and inedible biomass, a breakthrough that led to the founding of ReSource Chemical Corp., where he serves as Chief Scientific Advisor, offering a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics.
Beyond his specific inventions, Dr. Kanan plays a pivotal role in advancing sustainable energy research through his leadership of the TomKat Center, where he directs programs that help Stanford students and researchers develop and commercialize innovative energy solutions. His laboratory takes a comprehensive approach to sustainability challenges, spanning both thermochemical and electrochemical transformations, including studies of structure-activity relationships in heterogeneous catalysis, solvent-free chemistry, and gas-solid reactions. The overarching goal of his research is to develop scalable processes that recycle CO2 as a feedstock instead of relying on petrochemical resources, with the potential to substantially mitigate emissions and advance carbon-negative technologies. Dr. Kanan's work exemplifies the integration of fundamental chemical research with practical applications, demonstrating how innovative chemistry can address pressing environmental challenges while creating valuable products. His ongoing research continues to push the boundaries of CO2 utilization, influencing both academic research directions and industrial approaches to sustainable chemical production.
