Professor Weitz’s research focuses on energy related scientific problems which are approached from the perspective of a physical chemist.  One area of current emphasis is delineating the critical molecular level reactions involved in the catalytic breakdown of glucose to produce feedstock chemicals that can be used in the production of liquid transportation fuels.  A second area involves developing an understanding of the critical reactions steps in the photochemical conversion of carbon dioxide to higher energy chemical feedstocks.  In each case, he seeks a molecular level of understanding of the reactions and the process that will help facilitate the design of new more efficient catalysts.