Rice Researchers Awarded Hill Prize In Engineering For Light-Driven Ammonia Synthesis

Naomi Halas, University Professor ⎯ Rice University’s highest academic distinction ⎯ and Stanley C. Moore Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been awarded the 2026 Hill Prize in Engineering, presented by the Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology (TAMEST).

Halas shares the honor with longtime collaborator Peter Nordlander, the Wiess Chair and Professor of Physics and Astronomy and professor of electrical and computer engineering and materials science and nanoengineering, and Hossein Robajatzi, vice president for research at Syzygy Plasmonics and an adjunct professor of chemistry at Rice.

The team was recognized for its work advancing light-driven technologies for sustainable ammonia synthesis, a long-standing challenge with implications for agriculture, energy and climate. Ammonia is essential for fertilizer production and is increasingly viewed as a promising hydrogen carrier and fuel, yet its conventional production relies on the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process, a major source of global greenhouse gas emissions. The Hill Prize will enable the team to work on improving light-based catalysts and reactor prototypes while forging collaborations with industry partners to scale up sustainable ammonia production processes.

The project builds on decades of foundational research by Halas and Nordlander in nanophotonics and plasmonics, which laid the scientific groundwork for antenna-reactor photocatalysts ⎯ nanoscale systems that use light to directly drive chemical reactions. That research also underpins Syzygy Plasmonics, a Houston-based startup founded on technology developed at Rice. The company’s approach combines advanced photocatalysts with innovative reactor design to enable light-driven production of ammonia and other industrially important chemicals without external heating or direct emissions.

Funded by Lyda Hill Philanthropies, the Hill Prizes recognize exceptional Texas-based innovators pursuing high-risk, high-reward research with the potential for broad societal impact in seven categories, including artificial intelligence, biological sciences, engineering, medicine, physical sciences, public health and technology. The 2026 recipients will be recognized at the opening reception of the TAMEST 2026 Annual Conference in San Antonio Feb. 2.