Jan den Hollander

Research

Hydrogen is an important future energy carrier and heavily needed in hydrogenation processes in the chemical industry. Traditionally, it is produced by steam methane reforming (SMR) over a Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst using differently shaped mm-sized particles. However, these catalysts often deactivate due to unwanted coke formation and metal sintering, and also lack flexibility for deployment in smaller reactors, which is desirable when using e.g. biomethane streams.

In my research, honeycomb-type catalyst materials (often used in automotive industry) loaded with platinum group metals (PGM) are explored to improve compatibility with smaller reactors. The goal is to develop in situ and operando techniques to monitor coke formation and metal sintering during SMR to gain a better understanding of deactivation processes. This ultimately leads to improved catalyst compositions and reaction conditions, and reveals reactor influences for hydrogen production via steam methane reforming.

C.V.

2023 – present
PhD candidate at Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis, Utrecht University
Project: 3-D chemical imaging of coke deposits and metal sintering within honeycomb catalyst materials for hydrogen production
Promotor: prof. dr. ir. Bert M. Weckhuysen
Sponsors: ARC CBBC & BASF

2023
Research assistant at Utrecht University (ICC)
Topic: In-house in situ Transmission XRD for Gas Diffusion Electrodes for CO₂ Electroreduction

2022 – 2023
Laboratory assistant at Utrecht University
Guiding first- and second-year chemistry students with organic chemistry practicals.

2020 – 2022
Master’s degree in Nanomaterials Science at Utrecht University
Thesis: ‘Probing the Surface pH during CO₂ Electroreduction using in situ Raman Spectroscopy’ at ICC

Internship at Avantium
Topic: Stability of gas diffusion electrodes for CO₂ reduction to formate

2017 – 2020
Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at Utrecht University
Thesis: ‘Insight into the thermal quenching mechanism of Mn²⁺-doped compounds’ at CMI