Dr. Shadi Fatayer joined KAUST in 2022 as an assistant professor of applied physics. He brings expertise in surface science at the atomic scale using scanning probe microscopy techniques to manipulate and probe molecules on surfaces. Fatayer uses the microscope not only to see individual molecules, but also to interact with them, for example, triggering chemical reactions on demand at the single-molecule scale. His PhD dissertation at ETH Zurich won a Silver Medal for his investigations of charge-state transitions of individual molecules on multilayer films — work that paved the way for chemists and physicists to evaluate changes in the structure and behavior of molecules. Dr. Fatayer’s research appears in top-tier journals such as Science, Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Chemistry, Physical Review Letters, Nature Communications, and ACS Materials Letters, and he is active professionally as an invited lecturer at conferences and universities worldwide in the field of single molecules and on-surface synthesis.​

Professor Fatayer's research interests are centered on understanding the fundamental properties of atomically precise systems adsorbed on surfaces (e.g. individual defects, single atoms, individual molecules and small molecular assemblies) from a physics and chemistry perspective. To achieve this, Fatayer's research group uses scanning probe microscopy under ultra-high vacuum and low temperature to observe individual molecules down to their component atoms. The group focuses on expanding existing approaches to investigate systems on top of insulating materials. Additionally, the group characterizes molecular ensembles of applied interest with atomic resolution and single-molecule specificity.​