B.M. Weckhuysen

Distinguished University Professor
Employed since:
Phone: +31 30 253 4328
Email: b.m.weckhuysen@uu.nl
Room: 4.82

Research

Research

Molecular Movies

 

For years, Prof. Bert Weckhuysen has been trying to build a powerful camera to record what happens in a working catalytic solid. The long-term aim of this work is to bring this technology to a level that enables imaging catalysis at macro, meso and micro scales, from the reactor down to interactions between single atoms and molecules. He is a keen photographer, who has found a way to combine his hobby with his scientific interests in a way that significantly contributed to the significant technological advancement of the method ‘operando spectroscopy’, named by some colleagues and Weckhuysen himself. The term refers to a specialized form of in situ spectroscopy, in which measurements take place under realistic catalytic conditions of high temperature and pressure, empowering us to study catalysts in all their complexity and heterogeneity. Only this way can we accumulate enough knowledge to rationally design more efficient catalyst materials which, on one hand, are necessary to produce the energy and materials for the quickly increasing human population in a sustainable manner and, on the other hand, will help us to reduce the concentration of CO in the atmosphere.

 

C.V.

C.V.

For Bert Weckhuysen’s detailed Curriculum Vitae see bertweckhuysen.com.

Since October 2000, Bert Weckhuysen is full professor Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis at Utrecht University. He has been appointed as the first Distinguished Professor of the Faculty of Science at Utrecht University as of September 2012. From January 2018 he has been promoted to the rank of Distinguished University Professor at Utrecht University.

An overview of additional functions can be found at the profile page of Bert Weckhuysen at the UU-website (Dutch).

News

28 May 2021

Bert Weckhuysen Awarded Comenius Senior Fellowship

Bert Weckhuysen was awarded a prestigious Comenius Senior Fellowship award which will allow him to expand the Bachelor-phase Da Vinci Project (an interdisciplinary honours programme on sustainability developed with a […]

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11 May 2021

And then there was light: the sun powers new chemistry

In an article that appeared in de Telegraaf today, ICC researchers Eline Hutter, Matteo Monai, and Bert Weckhuysen are interviewed about the conversion of CO­2 to methane using sunlight. Although […]

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23 November 2020

Research into microplastics and nanoplastics and chemical substances

Bert Weckhuysen and Florian Meirer are involved in two major European Horizon 2020 projects that are all connected with research into substances that are harmful to our health. A brief […]

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06 June 2019

Ward van der Stam appointed as Tenure Tracker at ICC

In March 2019, Ward initially started as a postdoc in the Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis (ICC) group, but recently, his position was changed into Tenure Track Assistant Professor. He will […]

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18 March 2019

Utrecht twice in ‘final’ for European billion-euro grant

The Energy-X research proposal led by The Technical University of Denmark is one of the six finalists for the billion-euro flagship scientific initiatives. Bert Weckhuysen is a participant in this […]

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11 March 2019

Methane promising route for storage of renewable energy from sun and wind

Charlotte Vogt, Matteo Monai, Gert Jan Kramer and Bert Weckhuysen recently published in Nature Catalysis on the renaissance of the Sabatier reaction. This work focusses on CO2 reduction towards value […]

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20 February 2019

Carbon to carbon: chemistry and legislation need to work together for a true circular economy

Bert Weckhuysen gave a lecture at the Royal Institution London. In his lecture, Bert takes his audience on a journey from the discovery of crude oil to our current problems […]

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06 December 2018

Anne-Eva Nieuwelink receives CHAINS 2018 poster award

Anne-Eva Nieuwelink wins one of the 4 Chemistry of Materials & Chemical Conversion Poster Prizes at CHAINS 2018. Real team effort by two of our PhD students, Anne-Eva & Marjolein […]

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26 November 2018

Ellen Sterk wins AkzoNobel Graduation Prize for Chemistry and Process Technology 2018

The Royal Netherlands Society of Sciences and Humanities (KHMW) has named Ellen Sterk as the winner of the AkzoNobel Graduation Prize for Chemistry and Process Technology 2018. Ellen Sterk completed […]

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20 November 2018

Nature Chemistry publication for Dr. Gareth Whiting, Nikolaos Nikolopoulos, Ioannis Nikolopoulos, Dr. Abhishek Dutta Chowdhury and Prof. Bert Weckhuysen

In their research, the chemists from Utrecht studied the sustainable production of methanol, one of the building blocks for products such as plastics. Sustainable methanol can be synthesised from CO2 […]

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05 November 2018

Poster prize for Thijs Verkaaik

PhD candidate Thijs Verkaaik (ICC) won a poster prize for his work entitled “Photothermal Suzuki Cross-Coupling using Bimetallic Nanorods”, authored by Thijs Verkaaik, Roos Grote, Nicole Meulendijks, Francesc Sastre Calabuig, Pascal […]

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14 March 2018

Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND grant for MCEC

The Gravitation Programme Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion (MCEC) has been awarded 1.7 million Euros to cover part of the costs for the participation of 16 ambitious new […]

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08 March 2018

NWO grant for Florian Meirer

Florian Meirer (ICC), together with colleagues Katrien Keune (Rijksmuseum) and Koen Janssens (University of Antwerp), has been awarded funding for a project called “3D understanding of degradation products in paintings”. […]

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07 February 2018

Bert Weckhuysen receives Certificate for Achievements from the Belgian Ambassador

On February 7 2018 Belgian Ambassador in the Netherlands, Chris Hoornaert, has awarded Professor Bert Weckhuysen a Certificate for Achievements (‘Oorkonde van Verdienste’) of the Christoffel Plantin fund for his […]

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09 July 2017

Recent media appearances – group of Bert Weckhuysen

BNR podcast: interview with Jochem Wijten June 7, 2017 The podcast is about the production of artificial manure, without the high CO2 emmisions that appear during the Haber-Bosch process. Wijten […]

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30 May 2017

Recent media appearances – group of Bert Weckhuysen

Lectures at Universiteit van Nederland in the Media In May 2016, Bert Weckhuysen appeared in a series of five lectures of the ‘Universiteit van Nederland’ (University of the Netherlands), in […]

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24 May 2017

Group of Bert Weckhuysen featured in podcast Captains of Chemistry

(From left to right: Anne-Eva Nieuwelink, Edwin Mooibroek (BNR), Bert Weckhuysen en Katinka Wondergem.) Bert Weckhuysen, Katinka Wondergem and Anne-Eva Nieuwelink feature in the first episode of ‘Captains of Chemistry’; […]

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19 May 2017

Pasi Paalanen and José Moya-Cancino featured in ‘De Werkplek’ on DUB

Pasi Paalanen and José Moya-Cancino have their research topic in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Fischer-Tropsch fuels are a possible alternative for crude oil. Both PhD candidates work under supervision of Bert Weckhuysen […]

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25 April 2017

Bert Weckhuysen wins Tanabe Prize for Acid-Base Catalysis

The prize was initiated by the International Acid-Base Catalysis Group and bears the name of Kozo Tanabe, who pioneered many of the modern concepts in catalytic chemistry of acids and […]

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10 April 2017

The CatchBio Magazine; Ten years of Biomass Catalysis

In November 2016, the CatchBio consortium celebrated a decade of high-level research on catalytic biomass conversion. In an article in Agro & Chemie (March 2017), scientific director Bert Weckhuysen speaks […]

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04 April 2017

Poster award for Carolien Vis at IGCS2017

The poster was entitled “Towards Tandem Catalytic Biomass Conversion in Pickering Emulsions”, Authors: Carolien M. Vis, Pierre-François M. Vittoz, Pieter C.A. Bruijnincx. The poster award consists of a coupon of […]

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15 March 2017

Marie Curie Grant for Mario De bruyn

The European Commission has granted a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellowship to Dr. Mario De bruyn. This three-year grant will allow Dr. De bruyn to execute his TAILORCAT project. The project […]

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06 March 2017

Zoran Ristanović receives the invitation to attend the 67th Lindau Nobel Laurate Meeting

The honorable invitation to the 67th Lindau Meeting is with special regard to excellence in research. The 67th Lindau Meeting will be dedicated to the field of chemistry. So far, […]

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27 February 2017

Bert Weckhuysen to receive Robert B. Anderson Award for contributions to catalysis research

Bert Weckhuysen will receive the 2018 Robert B. Anderson Award for his outstanding contributions to the fundamental understanding of the functioning of solid catalysts and the related development of advanced […]

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09 February 2017

Marie Curie Grant for Matthias Filez

The European Commission granted a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowships to Matthias Filez. The 2-year grant will allow Matthias Filez to link zeolite porosity to molecular diffusion at the single crystal level, […]

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19 January 2017

Recent media appearances – group of Bert Weckhuysen

ARC-CBBC selected the first researchers for personal membership January 2017 The first 39 researchers have been selected for personal membership for the Advanced Research Center Chemical Building Block Consortium (ARC […]

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16 January 2017

ARC CBBC in the media

The Advanced Research Center Chemical Building Blocks Consortium (ARC CBBC), which is linking pioneering science to complex societal issues, potentially leading to vital breakthroughs to sustainably meet future demand for […]

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06 December 2016

Jochem Wijten wins Unilever Research Prize

The Unilever Research Prize is awarded to Jochem Wijten for the research he conducted during his Master’s programme within the ICC-group. Wijten was nominated for the prize because of his […]

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28 November 2016

Thesis defense Sam Kalirai on December 12, 2016

Sam Kalirai will defend his dissertation, entitled: ‘Advances in X-ray chemical imaging of a single catalyst particle’. Date and Time: Monday, December 12, 2016 at 10:30 AM Location: Academic Building, […]

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31 October 2016

2016 Lab of Excellence SEAM Thesis Prize for Thomas Gaudisson

(Thomas Gaudisson receives Lab of Excellence SEAM Thesis Prize 2016) Thomas Gaudisson is awarded the 2016 Lab of Excellence SEAM Thesis Prize for his thesis entitled “Granular magnetically contrasted hetero-nanostructures […]

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30 August 2016

Publication by Meirer and Weckhuysen in Nature Communications

Every catalyst particle contains a kind of “road network” over which molecules travel to the active sites in a catalyst. Metals can clog this road network, making the active sites […]

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12 July 2016

2016 Rayleigh Early Career Award for Naresh Kumar

PhD candidate Naresh Kumar, affiliated with Utrecht University and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL, United Kingdom), has won the 2016 Rayleigh Early Career Award for his work on “Nanoscale mapping […]

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04 July 2016

Jochem Wijten one of the three 2016 Utrecht University Master Thesis Award Nominees

In his research, Jochem Wijten proved that a new category of materials -Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)- can contribute to a more efficient storage of solar-energy. Next to batteries, the sustainable energy can […]

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15 June 2016

PhD-candidate Fang Liu featured in ‘De Werkplek’ on DUB

Fang Liu shows her workplace in the David de Wied building to DUB. The aim of her project is converting biomass derivatives into value-added chemicals effectively. Biomass is a promising […]

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17 May 2016

Vidi grant for Florian Meirer

This month, Florian Meirer received a Vidi grant for his research on the structure of catalysts in relation to their performance. Studying paths through the pore labyrinth of catalysts Functional […]

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07 May 2016

Lectures Bert Weckhuysen at Universiteit van Nederland

Bert Weckhuysen appears in a series of five lectures at the ‘Universiteit van Nederland’ (University of the Netherlands), in which he explains all about catalysis: from fuels, food and plastics […]

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04 May 2016

Launch ARC CBBC, 10 May, 2016

The Advanced Research Center Chemical Building Blocks Consortium (ARC CBBC) officially started with the symposium ‘Chemical Building Blocks for a Sustainable Future’. During the symposium, ARC CBBC brought together potential […]

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21 April 2016

Cover and entertaining video in JPCL

wo PhD-candidates Thomas Hartman and Katinka Wondergem publish an entertaining video and a cover associated with a feature article in Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters (JPCL). The article entitled “A Perspective […]

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22 March 2016

Thesis defense Zoran Ristanović on March 30, 2016

Zoran Ristanović will defend his dissertation, entitled: ‘Zeolite chemistry studied at the level of single particles, molecules and atoms’. During his PhD-track, Ristanović developed a method to study Zeolite Chemistry […]

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16 March 2016

Thesis defense Korneel Cats on March 23, 2016

Korneel Cats will defend his dissertation, entitled: ‘On the deactivation of Cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch catalysts’. Date and Time: Wednesday, March 23, 2016 at 10:30 AM Location: Academic Building, Domplein 29, Utrecht […]

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11 March 2016

Marjolein Velthoen and Sam Kalirai win Awards at NCCC XVII

(Sam Kalirai (second from left) with the award for his lecture.) Sam Kalirai won one of three NIOK lecture awards for best PhD presentation at the 17th Netherlands Catalysis and […]

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10 March 2016

Bert Weckhuysen at Universiteit van Nederland

Bert Weckhuysen will appear in a series of five lectures in the ‘Universiteit van Nederland’ (University of the Netherlands) in April 2016. Do not miss it! The recording of the […]

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07 March 2016

Thesis defense Mustafa al Samarai on March 14, 2016

Mustafa al Samarai will defend his dissertation, entitled: ‘X-ray spectroscopy and microscopy of cobalt and nickel in CoMoS and CoNiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalysts’. Date and Time: Monday, March 14, 2016 at […]

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23 February 2016

Thesis defense Dimitrije Cicmil on March 2, 2016

Dimitrije Cicmil will defend his dissertation, entitled: ‘Advances in Phillips Polymerisation Catalysis: In-situ Synthesis of Light Linear Alpha Olefins’. In his dissertation, Cicmil presents a method to simplify and improve […]

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11 December 2015

Bert Weckhuysen appointed as foreign member of KVAB

Bert Weckhuysen has been invited to join the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts (KVAB). On 12 December, Weckhuysen will formally be welcomed at the Public […]

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09 December 2015

ARC CBBC: National research center for chemical building blocks

On 7 December 2015, Minister Henk Kamp announced the kick off of ARC CBBC; a Joint investment by government, businesses and universities. AkzoNobel, BASF, Shell, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, […]

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26 November 2015

Thesis defense Joe Stewart on December 16, 2015

Joe Stewart will defend his dissertation, entitled: ‘Towards Green Cyclic Carbonate Synthesis – Heterogeneous and Homogeneous Catalyst Development’. Date and Time: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at 10:30 AM. Location: Academic […]

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25 November 2015

Thesis defense Sophie Wiedemann on December 9, 2015

Sophie Wiedemann will defend her dissertation, entitled: ‘Ferrierite-Catalysed Branching of Unsaturated Fatty Acids’. Date and Time: Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 10:30 AM. Location: Academic Building, Domplein 29, Utrecht. Promotor: […]

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01 September 2015

Minister Bussemaker visits our group

Prior to her lecture during the opening of the new academic year, minister Bussemaker visited the Utrecht Science Park. The politica talked with the young researchers that are involved in […]

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20 July 2015

Nature Communications article on 3-D mapping of single aluminum atoms in zeolites

An international team of researchers, among which Zoran Ristanović and Bert Weckhuysen, was the first to make a detailed 3-D scan of individual aluminium atoms in a zeolite crystal. Their results […]

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01 June 2015

Thesis defense Carlo Angelici on June 24, 2015

Carlo Angelici will defend his dissertation, entitled: ‘Ethanol-to-Butadiene Conversion over SiO2-MgO Catalysts: Synthesis-Structure-Performance Relationships’. Date and Time: Wednesday, Juni 24, 2015 at 04:15 PM. Location: Academic Building, Domplein 29, Utrecht. […]

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22 May 2015

Two PhD students of the group featured in ‘De Werkplek’ on DUB

PhD students Antonio Martinez Pascual and Özgün Attila show their workplace in the David de Wied building. Antonio Martinez Pascual working in the laboratory of the David de Wied building. […]

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26 April 2015

Bert Weckhuysen Knighted in the Order of the Dutch Lion

Bert Weckhuysen has received the Royal honour of Knight of the Order of the Dutch Lion. He is one of the international leaders in his field and has earned a […]

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17 March 2015

Nature Communication article on Catalytic Biomass Conversion

The group of Bert Weckhuysen and Pieter Bruijnincx has managed, together with colleagues in UK and in the US, to speed up the processing of biomass into a variety of […]

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10 March 2015

Dimitrije Cicmil – VIRAN Poster Award at NCCC

PhD student Dimitrije Cicmil of the Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group won the VIRAN award for the best poster presented during the 16th Netherlands Catalysis and Chemistry Conference (NCCC) in […]

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10 March 2015

Two publications in ESRF Scientific Highlights 2014

In the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) Highlights 2014, two publications appeared, including results of the research performed at ESRF. The article of Zoran Ristanovic and Bert Weckhuysen, entitled ‘Crystallographic […]

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07 March 2015

Thesis defense Ilona van Zandvoort on 16 March 2015

Ilona van Zandvoort will defend her dissertation, entitled ‘Towards the Valorization of Humin By-products: Characterization, Solubilization and Catalysis’. Date and Time: Monday, 16 March 2015 at 10:30 AM. Location: Academic […]

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16 October 2014

Weckhuysen appointed as Visiting Professor at University College London

University College London has appointed Professor Bert Weckhuysen as Visiting Professor in the Department of Chemistry of University College London (UCL). UCL is regarded as one of the world’s most […]

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22 April 2014

Rubicon for Annelie Jongerius

In April, Annelie Jongerius, who obtained her PhD in the group of Bert Weckhuysen last year, received a Rubicon grant by NWO. With this grant, Jongerius will go to Stanford University […]

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02 April 2014

Weckhuysen speaker at TEDxBinnenhof

Bert Weckhuysen was one of the speakers at TEDxBinnenhof, which took place on March 31. For this inspiration conference in the Ridderzaal (Hall of Knights) within The Binnenhof (The political […]

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15 March 2014

VIP article in ChemCatChem

In ChemCatChem, a VIP article appeared from Qingyun Qian, Javier Ruiz-Martinez and Bert Weckhuysen together with researchers from the King Agdulaziz University in Jeddah. The VIP article, entitled ‘Single-Particle Spectroscopy […]

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11 February 2014

De Groot and Weckhuysen in CLS Research Report

The research of Frank de Groot and Bert Weckhuysen and co-workers, appeared in the 2012 Research Report of the Canadian Light Source Inc. The report, appearing online in January this year, […]

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29 January 2014

Pieter Bruijnincx interviewed in DUB

An interview with Pieter Bruijnincx appeared in DUB, the digital magazine of Utrecht University. In the article, entitled ‘Bellenblaasontdekking Utrechtse onderzoekers maakt petrochemische industrie groener’, Pieter Bruijnincx explains the research […]

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15 January 2014

Proposal Weckhuysen granted in first CAPITA call

In the First CAPITA Call, the project proposal of Weckhuysen and researchers from Greece, Spain, Flanders and Italy is granted. The granted project in which Weckhuysen is involved is called […]

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15 January 2014

TA fund granted

In December, NWO CW granted a Technology Area (TA) to the project lead by Prof. Detlef Lohse (University of Twente). With Bert Weckhuysen as co-applicant, Utrecht University is involved in […]

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07 January 2014

First CHIPP grant awarded

The first CHIPP grant of the NWO-NCI Fund is awarded to Krijn de Jong, as main applicant of the research proposal ‘Structure-Stability Relationships for Supported Catalysts’. Co-applicants are Bert Weckhuysen, […]

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Publications

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Other publications

See earlier publications on Scopus.

Cover Gallery


ChemSusChem
2019, Vol. 12, Issue 15

Chem. Sci
2018, Vol. 9, Issue 30

Nature Chem.
2018, Vol. 10, Issue 8

Chem. Eur. J.
2018, Vol. 2018, Issue 24

ChemPhysChem
2018, Vol. 19, Issue 4

Angewandte Chemie, Int. Ed.
2018, Vol. 57, Issue 1

Chem. Commun.
2017, Vol. 53, Issue 97

Angewandte Chemie, Int. Ed.
2017, Vol. 56, Issue 37

Chemical Communications
2017, Vol 53, Issue 28

Chemistry A European Journal
2017, Vol. 23, Issue 26

Angewandte Chemie, Int. Ed.
2016, Vol. 55, Issue 51

ChemCatChem
2016, Vol. 8, Issue 19

Green Chemistry
2016, Vol. 18, Issue 9

Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters

Catalysis Science & Technology
2016, Vol. 6, Issue 8

Angewandte Chemie, Int. Ed.
2016, Vol. 55, Issue 17

Catalysis Science & Technology
2016, Vol. 6, Issue 3

Journal of the American Chemical Society
2015, Vol. 137, Issue 20

ChemPhysChem
2015, Vol. 16, Issue 3

Chemistry - A European Journal
2014, Vol. 20, Issue 51

ChemCatChem
2014, Vol. 6, Issue 3

Catalysis Science & Technology
2013, Vol. 3, Issue 10

ChemSusChem
2013, Vol. 9, Issue 6

Catalysis Science & Technology
2013, Vol. 3, Issue 5

ChemPhysChem
2013, Vol. 14, Issue 3

European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry
2012, Issue 10

Chemistry - A European Journal
2012, Vol. 18, Issue 4

Angewandte Chemie, Int. Ed.
2012, Vol. 51, Issue 43

Chemistry - A European Journal
2011, Vol. 17, Issue 7

ChemCatChem
2011, Vol. 3, Issue 5

Angewandte Chemie, Int. Ed.
2011, Vol. 50, Issue 43

ChemCatChem
2010, Vol. 2, Issue 5

Angewandte Chemie, Int. Ed.
2009, Vol. 48, Issue 47

Angewandte Chemie, Int. Ed.
2009, Vol. 48, Issue 20

ChemSusChem
2008, Vol. 1, Issue 3

Angewandte Chemie, Int. Ed.
2008, Vol. 47, Issue 19

Angewandte Chemie, Int. Ed.
2007, Vol. 46, Issue 46

Chemistry A European Journal (2007/13)
2007, Vol. 13, Issue 25

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
2005, Vol. 8, Issue 19

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
2005, Vol. 7, Issue 4

European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry
2005, Issue 13

Chemical Communications
2005, Issue 24

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
2003, Vol. 5, Issue 20

Chemical Communications
2002, Issue 2