Zakir Moore ’25 was recently recognized for his research into producing industrial quantities of hydrogen in a safer and a more environmentally friendly method.

The Central North Carolina Section of the American Chemical Society awarded Zakir first place for his research among undergraduates at the group’s annual Poster Vendor Night at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering in Greensboro.

Poster Vendor Night is an opportunity for college students and faculty to talk with vendors about the latest lab products and instruments as well as showcasing research being done in the Triad area by students.

Currently, more than 90 percent of hydrogen produced industrially comes from fossil fuels, which release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Hydrogen can be produced in a safer and greener way through the electrolysis of water, but the reaction can be slow and inefficient.

Zakir’s research poster, one of more than 60 that were presented by graduate and undergraduate students, examined using metal oxides as catalysts to speed up the reaction and proceed effectively.

Fellow Chemistry majors Noah Dabney '24 and Maggie Mahanes '25 also presented. Noah and Zakir presented research they did as participants in the NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program "Chemistry for a Sustainable Future" at the University of Bath in 2023.

Maggie presented her research from work she did last summer at Wake Forest University as part of a program funded by the Wake Forest University Translational Science Center.