Maryam Tariq Ahmed Khaleel Alhashmi - العربية

Dr. Mariam Al Hashmi's innovation is a materials engineering approach that utilizes controlled crystallization and the "memory effect" of composite gels to enable the synthesis of high-performance, scalable hierarchical porous structures without the need for additives in clean energy technologies.

The idea stemmed from the discovery of a complex hierarchical zeolite structure that relies on toxic and expensive organic additives. This motivated her to find a way to create the same complex structures by understanding and controlling their formation mechanisms at the atomic level.

Her approach represents a novel synthetic concept that uses crystallization kinetics and phase interference to naturally develop multi-scale porosity (hierarchical structures) within materials like zeolites, making them cheaper and safer to develop for industrial use.

These materials are currently used in sustainable catalysis for converting carbon dioxide into fuels and chemicals (such as methanol and light olefins), and in biofuel development, where the optimized pore design improves molecular transport and catalysis efficiency.

Its future plans focus on achieving a continuous-flow synthesis process for rapid and large-scale production, marketing pathways, and robust industrial partnerships to integrate these materials into practical clean energy systems such as industrial decarbonization systems.