Dr. Thomas Hartman - Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis

Research

Development of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy techniques for the study of surface reactions over heterogeneous catalysts

Supervisor: Prof. dr. ir. Bert M. Weckhuysen

In this work, plasmonic nanostructures are implemented to make Raman spectroscopy into a surface-sensitive technique for the study of adsorbates on a catalyst surface. In particular, Au and Ag nanoparticles are isolated with SiO₂ and TiO₂ coatings to obtain thermally Raman signal enhancers.^[1] This technique is referred to as shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS).^[2] Solid metals are assembled over the shell-isolated nanoparticles by wet-impregnation and spark-ablation for the study of hydrogenation catalysis.^[3]

Figure 1: (Top) Synthesis of SHINERS as a support material for catalysts, starting from bare gold nanoparticles, coated with an oxide layer and subsequently fixing catalyst particles on the surface. (Bottom) SHINERS used to study the Fischer-Tropsch process in realistic reaction conditions [3]

[1] T. Hartman, C. S. Wondergem, N. Kumar, A. Van Den Berg, B. M. Weckhuysen, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2016, 7, 1570–1584.

[2] J. F. Li, Y. F. Huang, Y. Ding, Z. L. Yang, S. B. Li, X. S. Zhou, F. R. Fan, W. Zhang, Z. Y. Zhou, D. Y. Wu, B. Ren, Z. L. Wang, Z. Q. Tian, Nature 2010, 464, 392–395.

[3] T. Hartman, B. M. Weckhuysen, Chem. Eur. J. 2018, 24, 3733–3741

C.V.

2023-Present
Education Development Officer in the group of Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis

2019-2023
Postdoctoral Fellow in the group of Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis at Utrecht University under supervision of Prof.dr.ir. Bert Weckhuysen.

Project title: Development of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy techniques for the study of surface reactions over heterogeneous catalysts

2014-2018
PhD student in the group of Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis at Utrecht University under supervision of Prof.dr.ir. Bert Weckhuysen. SHINERS for studying Co Fischer-Tropsch catalysts.

2014
Half year internship at Warwick University in the group of Prof. Rachel O’Reilly, Coventry, Great Britain
Project title: Expanding the understanding of the polymerisation and thermoresponsive behaviour of poly(DMAPS)

2012-2014
Master’s degree in Nanomaterials: Chemistry and Physics, at Utrecht University
Thesis title: zeolitic imidazolate frameworks: thin film syntheses, post-synthetic cation exchange in bulk materials and its catalytic applications
Literature thesis: Recent advances in controlling the morphology of the photoactive layer in polymer solar cells

2009-2012
Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Sciences at Utrecht University, the Netherlands
Thesis title: Syntheses of cubic magnetite nanoparticles by thermal decomposition of iron(III) acetylacetonate in benzyl ether

2000-2006
Secondary school: Minkema College, Woerden, the Netherlands

1991
Born on the 11th of May, Woerden, the Netherlands