prof. dr. Saim Mustafa Emin

Saim Emin is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Nova Gorica. He obtained his B.Sc. degree from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” in Bulgaria and completed both his M.Sc. and Ph.D. studies in Chemistry at Saitama University in Japan. He received his Ph.D. in 2010 with a dissertation focused on the synthesis and characterization of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals. After completing his doctoral studies, he continued his research as a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Tsukuba, Japan, and subsequently at the University of Nova Gorica, where he has held the position of Associate Professor since 2019.
His research focuses on the development of functional inorganic materials for sustainable energy conversion and catalysis, particularly in the fields of electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, and photoelectrochemistry. His research interests include metal oxides, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), transition-metal phosphides, carbides, chalcogenides, and semiconductor nanomaterials.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1918-3997
Researcher profile: https://cris.cobiss.net/ecris/si/en/researcher/38519

He has led several national and international research projects, including a Marie Curie Career Integration Grant, a trilateral project on electrocatalysis for clean energy conversion, and bilateral projects with France, Israel, and Turkey. He is also actively involved in research projects related to advanced functional materials, electrocatalysis, photoelectrochemistry, and environmental applications. His research results have been published in international journals including Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, Advanced Functional Materials, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Electrochimica Acta, and ACS Applied Energy Materials.
Selected publications
1. S. Emin, M. de Respinis, M. Fanetti, W. Smith, M. Valant, B. Dam, “A simple route for preparation of textured WO₃ thin films from colloidal W nanoparticles and their photoelectrochemical water splitting properties,” Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 166–167 (2015) 406–412. DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2014.11.053
2. S. Emin, C. Altinkaya, A. Semerci, H. Okuyucu, A. Yildiz, P. Stefanov, “Tungsten carbide electrocatalysts prepared from metallic tungsten nanoparticles for efficient hydrogen evolution,” Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 236 (2018) 147–153. DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2018.05.026
3. T. Chouki, M. Machreki, I.A. Rutkowska, B. Rytelewska, P.J. Kulesza, G. Tyuliev, M. Harb, L.M. Azofra, S. Emin, “Highly active iron phosphide catalysts for selective electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia,” Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 11 (2023) 109275. DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2023.109275
4. S. Emin, L.M. Azofra, T.V. Sagar, B. Rytelewska, A. Tsanev, P. Stefanov, U. Lavrenčič Štangar, D. Kovacheva, D. Eder, I.A. Rutkowska, M. François, P.J. Kulesza, “A stable MIL-100(In) metal–organic framework for multifunctional CO₂ capture and electrochemical conversion to formic acid,” Microporous and Mesoporous Materials 413 (2026) 114295. DOI: 10.1016/j.micromeso.2026.114295
5. M. Machreki, I. Arčon, G. Tyuliev, D.H. Apaydin, S. Pfaffel, D. Eder, I.A. Rutkowska, P.J. Kulesza, S. Emin, “A Composite of Hematite and Cerium-Doped Metal–Organic Framework for Stable Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting,” ACS Applied Energy Materials 9 (2026) 896–908. DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.5c03119