At the Faculty of Science, Charles University, Assoc. Prof. Mariya Shamzhy leads a research group focused on engineering and understanding heterogeneous catalysts — solid materials that unlock resource- and energy-efficient chemistry by precisely directing molecular interactions and transformations along desired reaction pathway. Her work centers on zeolites, versatile porous materials essential to the chemical industry, and explores how their atomic structure governs their catalytic behavior.

Shamzhy’s research contributes to new concepts in materials science, addressing one of the long-standing challenges in the field: understanding how solid catalysts operate at the atomic scale. Her team, working within the Center for the Targeted Synthesis and Application of Advanced Materials (CUCAM) and the research group Heterogeneous Catalysis and Advanced Materials, combines synthetic chemistry, materials characterization, and catalytic testing to design next-generation catalysts for sustainable applications.

Assoc. Prof. Mariya Shamzhy

A graduate of Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Shamzhy is a recipient of the ERC CZ grant and the Neuron Award for Promising Young Scientists in Chemistry (2022).

She has also received the Award of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic in the category “Young Scientist” for her pioneering work on porous materials.

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Research Group of Heterogeneous Catalysis and Advanced Materials