MCEC

The Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion aims to tackle one of the most important questions of this century; i.e., how can we make our energy carriers and materials in a more sustainable manner? In order to contribute to this ambition, MCEC has defined three Scientific Challenges: mastering catalytic events, complex multiscale structures and mass, and heat flows. Each challenge focuses on the fundamental questions of the nanoscopic, mesoscopic and macroscopic worlds of a catalytic process. Prof. Bert Weckhuysen is one of the initiators of this grand project and current scientific director.

Head of the group - Distinguished university professor


prof. dr. ir. Bert Weckhuysen

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis - Utrecht University
Room - David de Wied 4.82
+31 30 253 4328
B.M.Weckhuysen@uu.nl

The central research theme of the Weckhuysen group is the development of structure-activity relationships and expert systems in the field of heterogeneous catalysis and materials science with special emphasis on the development and use of advanced in situ characterization techniques.

Associate and assistant professors


dr. Florian Meirer

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis - Utrecht University

Room - David de Wied 4.86
F.Meirer@uu.nl

My research focuses on developing and applying spectro-microscopic techniques to obtain insights about nanoscale processes, which is critical towards understanding how advanced functional materials operate. Ideally, the analysis is carried >

dr. Freddy Rabouw

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis - Utrecht University

Room - Leonard S. Ornstein Laboratorium 0.21
F.T.Rabouw@uu.nl

Freddy Rabouw develops advanced optical microscopy and spectroscopy methods on the single-molecule level to study individual reaction events with high spatial and temporal resolution simultaneously. The current focus is on >

dr. Ward van der Stam

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis - Utrecht University

Room - David de Wied 4.88
W.vanderStam@uu.nl

The electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 into hydrocarbon fuels, like methane or ethylene, is regarded as one of the best methods to address one of the main current environmental issues: reducing the CO2 footprint >

Postdoctoral fellows


Xinwei Ye

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis - Utrecht University

Room - David de Wied, 4th floor study area
X.Ye1@uu.nl

Copper exchanged zeolites are efficient catalysts for catalytic reaction like SCR (selective catalytic reaction) and selective oxidation of methanol. Different copper exchanged zeolites are synthesized and the structure-reactivity relationship is >

PhD candidates


Christia Jabbour

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis - Utrecht University

Room - David de Wied, 4th floor study area
C.Jabbour@uu.nl

Her project will be focused on using recently acquired photoinduced force microscopy (PiFM) to chemically image metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). In the first phase, focus will be directed towards the synthesis >

Michael Jenks

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis - Utrecht University

Room - David de Wied, 4th floor study area
M.J.F.Jenks@uu.nl

My PhD project is going to focus on developing approaches that are able to tackle the challenges plastic waste represents for a circular economy. Since 2014, up to 30 % >

Joris Koek

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis - Utrecht University

Room - David de Wied, 4th floor study area
J.G.Koek@uu.nl

Raman spectroscopy is a powerful method for solid catalyst characterization under operando conditions. In recent years Shell isolated Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS) has attracted interest as it improves on SERS by >

Mark Mangnus

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis - Utrecht University

Room - Leonard S. Ornstein Laboratorium 0.18
M.J.J.Mangnus@uu.nl

Most common catalyst particles are host to a complex network of pores and a substantial fraction of their actives sites may be embedded deep within. It is not always straightforward >

Erik Maris

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis - Utrecht University

Room - David de Wied, 4th floor study area
J.J.E.Maris@uu.nl

Rational catalyst design is the holy grail of modern catalysis, which requires a thorough understanding of structure-performance relationships. Micro- and spectroscopy plays a pivotal role in the study of these >

Rafael Mayorga González

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis - Utrecht University

Room - David de Wied, 5th floor study area
R.MayorgaGonzalez1@uu.nl

The efficiencies of heterogeneous catalysts could be dramatically improved by rational design. One of the prerequisites for this is a better understanding of the diffusion processes in hierarchical porous structures. >

Sebastian Rejman

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis - Utrecht University

Room - David de Wied, 4th floor study area
S.Rejman@uu.nl

Due to insufficient recycling and incineration, plastic waste has become a global problem. In my research, I'm trying to find economically viable ways to convert polyolefin waste to a value >

Romy Riemersma

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis - Utrecht University

Room - David de Wied, 4th floor study area
R.L.Riemersma@uu.nl

In this project the genesis of nanobubbles at the surface of thin-film zeolites and MOFs will be studied. This will be done using scanning probe microscopy techniques, such as liquid-phase >

Jim de Ruiter

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis - Utrecht University

Room - David de Wied, 4th floor study area
J.deRuiter@uu.nl

Carbon dioxide (CO2) could be a promising carbon source for the production of chemical building blocks. As big chemical processes release significant amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere, it would >

Ellen Sterk

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis - Utrecht University

Room - David de Wied, 4th floor study area
E.B.Sterk@uu.nl

During my research I will focus on support, alloying and promoter effects and active sites in CO2 hydrogenation in order to spatially resolve the activity of CO2 hydrogenation over supported >

Technical Staff


Jules van Leusden

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis - Utrecht University

Room - Vening Meinesz-C
J.F.vanLeusden@uu.nl

Tim Prins

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis - Utrecht University

Room Kamer 4.50
P.T.Prins@uu.nl

Support Staff


Daan van Arcken

Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion

Room - David de Wied 2.78
D.R.vanArcken@uu.nl

Daan van Arcken works as Communications Assistant at the Netherlands Research Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion (MCEC).

Sabine Frediani

Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion

Room – Vening Meinesz-C 2.07
S.P.R.Frediani@uu.nl

Sabine Frediani works as a Team Assistant at the Netherlands Research Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion (MCEC).

dr. Anne-Eva Nieuwelink

Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion

Room - Vening Meinesz-C
A.Nieuwelink@uu.nl

Anne-Eva Nieuwelink is project manager at ARC CBBC and the coordinator of the gravitation program Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion (MCEC). Additionally, she works on single catalyst particle >