Prof. Sanja Armaković, member of the EMOS research group at the University of Novi Sad, and Prof. Ana Savić from the University of Niš have been appointed as the Serbian members of the Management Committee of the new COST Action CA25132 – MXene-Based Catalysts for Sustainability Chemical Challenges (MXeneCatSus).

The Action officially begins on September 15, 2026, and will run until September 14, 2030. Its objective is to establish a coordinated European research network focused on the development of MXene-based catalysts for major sustainability-related chemical challenges. (cost.eu)

The first major organizational step will be the kick-off meeting in Brussels on September 15, 2026, where Management Committee members from participating countries will meet to establish the initial structure and activities of the Action.

For EMOS, participation in MXeneCatSus is particularly important because the scientific scope of the project strongly overlaps with several of the group’s current research directions, including photocatalysis, sustainable materials, computational materials science, and the growing use of machine learning in materials research.

MXenes as materials for sustainable catalysis

MXenes are a family of two-dimensional materials that have attracted increasing attention because of their structural, electronic, and surface properties.

Within MXeneCatSus, these materials will be investigated as potential catalysts for several major technological and environmental challenges.

The COST Action identifies important targets including hydrogen generation, CO₂ capture and conversion, and the development of sustainable routes toward nitrogen-based fertilizers.

These problems are closely connected with the broader transition toward renewable energy and more sustainable chemical technologies.

However, progress depends on the availability of catalytic materials that are not only active, but also selective, stable, cost-effective, and based on Earth-abundant elements.

MXeneCatSus aims to explore whether MXene-based systems can help address some of these limitations.

Connecting experimental and theoretical materials research

One of the particularly attractive aspects of MXeneCatSus is its explicitly interdisciplinary character. The Action is designed to connect researchers working on materials synthesis and characterization with researchers applying theoretical and computational approaches. This is essential in modern materials science.

Experiments provide direct information about material preparation, structure, stability, and catalytic performance, while computational methods can help explain how and why particular materials behave as they do at the molecular and atomic scale.

The official COST description specifically highlights the importance of combining experimental and theoretical researchers in order to accelerate progress in MXene-based catalysis. The listed Action keywords also include Computational Materials Science and Machine Learning, alongside synthetic procedures, catalytic conversion, and MXene materials. (cost.eu)

This combination is particularly relevant for EMOS, where experimental studies are frequently complemented by atomistic modeling and computational analysis.

Photocatalysis as one of the central research directions

Photocatalysis represents one of the major areas covered by the Action.

The currently defined structure includes five Working Groups devoted to:

• MXene-based catalyst formulation and preparation;
• thermocatalysis;
• electrocatalysis;
• photocatalysis by MXene-based materials;
• communication, dissemination, and outreach.

This connection is especially relevant to ongoing EMOS research on the development and application of materials for the degradation of environmental pollutants.

A significant part of the group’s recent work has focused on photocatalytic materials, their modification, interaction with organic contaminants, and their potential application in water purification.

Participation in MXeneCatSus therefore creates opportunities to connect these existing research activities with a much broader European network working on next-generation catalytic materials.

Sanja Armaković and Ana Savić represent Serbia in the Management Committee

The official COST Action page lists Prof. Sanja Armaković and Prof. Ana Savić as the two Management Committee members representing Serbia. (cost.eu)

The Management Committee has a central role in coordinating the scientific and networking activities of a COST Action.

Its members contribute to the development of the Action’s scientific strategy, organization of Working Groups, meetings, training activities, mobility opportunities, dissemination, and the broader development of the research network.

For Sanja Armaković, participation in MXeneCatSus also represents a natural continuation of research activities that combine environmental chemistry, photocatalysis, materials science, and computational approaches.

For EMOS, her participation creates an important connection with an international community working on problems that are closely related to the group’s present and future research.

Opportunities for young researchers and international collaboration

COST Actions are particularly valuable because they are designed around research networking.

Their purpose is not only to connect established researchers, but also to create opportunities for early-career scientists through Working Groups, scientific meetings, training schools, research visits, and other forms of international mobility and knowledge exchange.

This aspect is especially important for a research group such as EMOS, where the participation and development of young researchers represents an essential component of ongoing scientific activity.

MXeneCatSus explicitly identifies the strengthening of collaboration and the creation of new research and training opportunities for young scientists as important goals of the Action. (cost.eu)

Over its four-year duration, the project can therefore provide an important framework for establishing new collaborations, developing joint research activities, exchanging expertise, and connecting young researchers with laboratories and research groups throughout Europe.

A new international research opportunity for EMOS

The start of MXeneCatSus represents an important milestone for the EMOS research group. Its combination of advanced materials, catalysis, photocatalysis, computational materials science, and machine learning corresponds closely with the interdisciplinary direction in which much of modern materials and environmental research is developing.

At the same time, participation in a COST network provides something equally important: the opportunity to establish lasting scientific relationships between researchers who approach the same problems from different experimental and theoretical perspectives.

The first Management Committee meeting in Brussels on September 15, 2026 will mark the beginning of this four-year collaboration.

We look forward to following the development of MXeneCatSus and to the new research, networking, and training opportunities that it will create for EMOS researchers and collaborators.

COST Action CA25132 – MXene-Based Catalysts for Sustainability Chemical Challenges (MXeneCatSus)
Start: September 15, 2026
End: September 14, 2030

More information about the Action, its objectives, Management Committee, and Working Groups is available on the official COST website.