Interview with Palladium Global Science Award prize winner Professor Safa Faris Kayed

Professor Safa Faris Kayed was named as one of the winners of the first Palladium Global Science Award at the inaugural prize giving ceremony in Hong Kong last November. She received the Best Applied Concept in New Palladium Applications award for her PalladClear water purification solution, winning a $50,000 prize. We sat down with Professor Kayed to discuss her innovative palladium application, other exciting developments in the world of palladium technologies, and the future of the Palladium Global Science Award as it enters its second cycle of submissions.

Firstly, congratulations on becoming the first Palladium Global Science Award prize winner in the Best Applied Concept nomination. PalladClear is a hugely exciting technology, and we’d love to hear more about it from you. Can you tell us about your background in science and how you first came into contact with palladium professionally?

My research background is in inorganic and coordination chemistry, where I focus on designing advanced metal-based materials for environmental and catalytic applications. Throughout my career, I have been particularly interested in how molecular design can transform fundamental chemistry into practical solutions for environmental challenges.

My interest in palladium developed during my work on catalytic materials for wastewater remediation. Palladium is one of the most powerful catalysts in modern chemistry, and is widely used in industrial synthesis and environmental technologies.

I became fascinated by the possibility of exploring new and unconventional roles for palladium, particularly in photocatalysis, and this curiosity led me to investigate palladium coordination complexes as active photocatalysts capable of degrading hazardous pollutants in water systems. That line of research eventually evolved into the concept behind PalladClear, a new approach that integrates palladium chemistry into a practical technology for advanced wastewater treatment.

What was your initial thesis for PalladClear, and how did you get it to work?

PalladClear was inspired by a key scientific challenge: how can we transform highly efficient catalytic chemistry into a real-world environmental solution?

Traditional photocatalysts, such as metal oxides, have been widely studied, but they often struggle with limited light absorption and slower degradation of complex organic pollutants. Our approach was to design palladium mixed-ligand coordination complexes whose electronic structures can be precisely tuned to enhance light absorption and catalytic activity.

These complexes are incorporated into a fixed catalytic reactor system where they are activated by UV or gamma irradiation. Once activated, the catalyst generates highly reactive species capable of rapidly degrading industrial dyes and pharmaceutical contaminants in wastewater.

The resulting device, PalladClear, is designed as a compact, modular technology that can be installed directly at industrial wastewater outlets, enabling the on-site degradation of hazardous pollutants before they enter the environment.

A key issue with palladium technologies in the past has been wastage, especially with palladium catalysts. Could you tell us about the palladium recovery mechanism in your technology?

Because palladium is a valuable metal, responsible use and recovery are essential considerations in any new technology. In the PalladClear concept, the catalyst is immobilized within a fixed-bed reactor, ensuring that the palladium remains contained within the system and does not disperse into the treated water.

At the same time, the catalyst has been designed to operate with very low palladium loading – typically less than 1% by weight – while maintaining high photocatalytic efficiency. This significantly reduces the overall material cost while preserving catalytic performance.

Another important advantage is that the catalyst can be regenerated and recycled after extended use, with expected recovery rates exceeding 90% using established metal recovery methods. By combining immobilization, low loading and efficient recyclability, the system aims to make palladium-based photocatalysis both economically viable and environmentally responsible.

How important is wastewater treatment in Saudi Arabia today? Can you see innovations such as yours changing the picture in the coming years?

Wastewater treatment is becoming increasingly critical in Saudi Arabia as industrial development continues to expand alongside the country’s commitment to environmental sustainability. Industries such as textiles, pharmaceuticals and chemicals often produce wastewater containing complex organic pollutants that are difficult to remove using conventional treatment technologies.

Innovative solutions like PalladClear have the potential to contribute to next-generation wastewater management strategies by enabling on-site treatment directly at industrial facilities. Instead of relying solely on centralized treatment plants, pollutants can be degraded at their source before discharge.

With growing national and global emphasis on sustainable water management and environmental protection, advanced catalytic technologies will play a key role in helping industries meet stricter environmental standards while protecting valuable water resources.

As a winner of the inaugural Palladium Global Science Award, how are you feeling about the palladium space beyond your own work?

Receiving the inaugural Palladium Global Science Award is a tremendous honour. Palladium has long been one of the most important catalytic metals in modern chemistry, but its potential is far from fully explored. Researchers around the world are now investigating palladium in energy technologies, sustainable chemical synthesis, environmental remediation and advanced materials science.

What excites me most is the possibility of designing new generations of palladium-based molecular systems that combine catalytic efficiency with environmental sustainability. By expanding the boundaries of palladium chemistry, we can open entirely new pathways for technological innovation.

The climate crisis is being felt all over the world, from dangerous heatwaves to declining crop yields. What role can palladium play in addressing the problem and powering the green economy?

As the world faces growing environmental challenges, catalytic materials will play an increasingly important role in enabling cleaner industrial processes and sustainable technologies. Palladium is particularly well suited for this role because of its exceptional catalytic versatility and efficiency.

It already contributes to environmental protection through applications such as emission control catalysts. Beyond that, palladium is now being explored in areas including hydrogen technologies, green chemical transformations and pollutant degradation systems.

With PalladClear, palladium complexes accelerate photocatalytic reactions that break down persistent pollutants in wastewater. By enabling faster and more efficient degradation of hazardous contaminants, palladium-based catalysts can help industries significantly reduce their environmental footprint and contribute to the transition towards a cleaner, more sustainable economy.

The award was established to support new palladium technologies and promote links between science, business and government policy. Do you see any new connections forming in your areas of research?

Transforming a scientific concept into a real-world technology requires collaboration across multiple sectors. One of the most valuable aspects of the Palladium Global Science Award is that it strengthens the connection between scientific discovery, industrial innovation and public policy. Scientists develop the catalytic materials, engineers translate those discoveries into scalable systems, and policymakers create frameworks that encourage sustainable technologies.

Awards like this help accelerate that process by highlighting innovative ideas and connecting researchers with industry partners and decision makers. In fields like environmental remediation, these collaborations are essential for ensuring that scientific breakthroughs ultimately lead to practical solutions that benefit society.

Finally, do you have a vision for the large-scale rollout of PalladClear? Has your experience as a prize winner made the product more viable?

My vision for PalladClear is to develop it into a scalable and globally applicable wastewater treatment technology. Because the system is modular, it can be adapted for different industrial sectors and customized to address specific wastewater compositions.

The immediate next step is to move from laboratory proof-of-concept toward pilot-scale demonstrations, where the technology can be tested under real industrial conditions. Successful pilot projects would pave the way for industrial deployment.

Winning the Palladium Global Science Award significantly boosts the technology’s profile, bringing international attention to the concept and helping open doors for collaboration, investment and industrial partnerships, which are essential for transforming a scientific innovation into a widely implemented environmental technology.