Research topic: solar fuels
Research group: Faculty of Science and Technology/photocatalytic synthesis (PCS) group
People involved: professor Guido Mul
Contact: G.mul@utwente.nl
Research activities are aimed at the development of innovative materials and concepts to run photocatalytic reactions with high efficiency. The focus of the research program is on the conversion of solar energy into chemical energy, i.e. to drive thermodynamically uphill reactions such as the synthesis of fuel by CO2 activation.
Furthermore, the high selectivities that can be obtained in alkane activation over photon excited catalysts, as well as photocatalytic purification of waste streams, are of interest. The PCS group is a member of the national research school on catalysis, NIOK.
Design of catalytic materials and devices, e.g. microreactors, is realized via cooperation with groups in the MESA+ institute.
The PCS group is one of the four research groups in the domain Catalytic Systems & Micro-devices, within the Faculty Science and Technology. This is highlighted in the collaborations with catalysis colleagues in the group Catalytic Processes and Materials (CPM) headed by Prof. Lefferts, as well as with our partners on micro-devices in the Mesoscale Chemical Systems (MCS) group headed by Prof. Gardeniers and the group Soft Matter, Fluidics and Interfaces (SFI) lead by Prof. Lammertink.