Our research aims at designing and optimizing nanostructured electrode surfaces for the electrochemical or photoelectrochemical conversion of water and CO₂ to fuels and higher-value chemicals. The focus is on fundamental investigations of the physical properties of the laterally structured electrified interfaces and the relation of these properties to the electrocatalytic activity of the patterned electrodes. Current examples include metal/insulator/semiconductor (MIS) structures and plasmonically active surface modifications for plasmonic catalysis.