Overview

The Rueping Research Group operates at the dynamic interface of catalysis, materials science, biotechnology and bioengineering. Our mission is to create transformative technologies; synthetic, catalytic, photochemical, electrochemical, and biological; that enable efficient molecular constructions, provide advanced functional materials, and new capabilities in imaging, sensing, and therapeutics.

By combining chemical innovation, engineered materials, and bio-inspired strategies, we aim to address major challenges in sustainability, energy, health, and advanced manufacturing.

Key Research Themes

Catalytic Methodology & Sustainable Synthesis

We develop new catalytic tools to activate otherwise inert chemical bonds (C–C, C–H, C–O, C–F bonds), create cross-coupling reactions under mild conditions, and enable selective functionalizations of molecules relevant to pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, and materials.
Our research spans:

  • homogeneous and heterogeneous metal catalysis

  • asymmetric organocatalysis (Bronsted acid catalysis)

  • photocatalysis and electrocatalysis, and energy-transfer catalysis

  • polymer catalysis

  • mechanocatalysis (ball milling; resonant acoustic mixing; RAM)

These technologies allow direct, step-economical, and energy-efficient transformations with broad applicability.

Photochemistry, Electrochemistry & Hybrid Energy-Driven Catalysis

Light and electricity are powerful, sustainable energy sources.
We design catalytic systems that convert photons and electrons into chemical reactivity:

  • photoredox catalysis methods for C(sp³)–H transformations

  • photo-assisted cross-couplings and radical generations

  • electrochemical methods for catalytic C-H, C-C and C-hetero atom bond formations

  • photoelectrochemical interfaces for selective hydrocarbon or CO₂ conversion

These methods open new mechanistic pathways and enable transformations that are less accessible by thermal catalysis alone.

Advanced Materials, Engineered Surfaces & Nanostructures

Design of functional materials for catalysis, sensing, and energy.
We develop metal nanoclusters and nanoparticles with sub-nanometer to few-nanometer control, enabling tunable electronic and catalytic properties. Their atomic precision allows us to correlate structural features with reactivity, identify active sites, and design materials for:

  • atomically precise metal nanoclusters and nanoparticles

  • single-atom catalysts on oxides and semiconductors

  • engineered hybrid interfaces combining organic and inorganic components

  • porous and structured materials, such as Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) or Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) for controlled reactivity

These materials exhibit unique photochemical, electrochemical, and catalytic behaviour and enable applications ranging from CO₂ transformations, hydrocarbon functionalizations to selective bond-forming reactions.

Biotechnology & Bioengineering

Building on our interdisciplinary foundations, we explore bio-engineered materials and protein-based technologies.

  • Biocatalysis & Cell-Free Engineering

We investigate cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) and biocatalytic systems as rapid prototyping platforms for next-generation therapeutics and functional proteins. This direction merges synthetic biology with hybrid systems fabrication unifying the precision of biology with the versatility of chemistry.

  • Bio-Materials Interfaces and Lateral Flow Assays

We develop nanobody-based LFA platforms with superior selectivity, robustness, and environmental stability. Our research includes, conjugation of nanobodies to nanoparticles and engineered surfaces, high-affinity immobilization strategies, signal-amplification readouts, multimodal LFAs integrating optical, catalytic, or electrochemical signals. These advanced LFAs are applied to infectious diseases, environmental monitoring, and point-of-care diagnostics.

  • Vaccines

Our research in biomaterials and protein engineering extends directly into the design of recombinant protein vaccines to target SARS and MERS and provide precision antigen-display systems. By integrating structural biology with molecular design and modelling, we developed a next-generation vaccine platform that is modular, stable, and suitable for broad deployment.

  • Engineered Protein Nanoparticles

We have pioneered modular strategies to functionalise gas-vesicle nanoparticles (GVNPs) from archaea. Through genetic mutagenesis and selective chemical conjugation, these protein nanoparticles can be effectively functionalized. These bio-inspired nanostructures provide robust, genetically programmable scaffolds for bioimaging, sensing, catalysis, and drug-delivery applications.