Research

Research in aid of societal challenges

The Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry performs cutting-edge research ranging from atomic scale molecular design and nanoscale organization of new functional materials to the design of large scale production, process, and equipment concepts. Our researchers collaborate with other departments within the university like Biomedical Technology, Mechanical Engineering and Apllied Physics. And also outside the university with academic and commercial parties world wide like R&D representatives from the chemical industry, engineering firms, equipment manufacturers and spin-off companies founded by TU/e staff. 

There are three focus areas in which we excel: molecules, materials and processes. Our nine research groups work mostly in one of those areas but some connect two of the areas.  

Chemical and Process Technology

The research within this thematic cluster covers a broad spectrum in the field of the chemical engineering sciences, ranging from fundamental scientific understanding to targeted engineering applications. This approach positions the cluster at the cutting edge of academic research while retaining a high standard of industrial innovation. The major research areas in this cluster are reactor and separation technology, process intensification, and molecular heterogeneous catalysis. Combining these research areas across the relevant length scales often leads to novel or improved reactor, separation, and process technologies and concepts.

The primary topics of investigation include:

  • multi-scale multi-phase flow,
  • transport phenomena,
  • integrated and intensified reactors,
  • catalysis,
  • new (reactive) separations and affinity solvents, and
  • renewable feedstock conversion.

The research groups collaborate intensively with the chemical industry to ensure the sustainability of chemical processes by increasing their energy and feedstock efficiency, as well as cooperating in the development of novel chemical and physical operating windows.

Molecular Systems and Materials Chemistry

At TU/e we are internationally renowned for our activities in supramolecular organic chemistry and polymer science. Combined with our in-depth theoretical understanding of molecular interactions and supported by state of the art characterization methods, we are able to design and create molecular systems from the nano to the mesoscale with high control over their physicochemical and mechanical properties. This allows us to engineer the next generation of functional systems with application potential in the fields of:

  • catalysis,
  • nano- and regenerative medicine,
  • actuating films,
  • adaptive coatings,
  • colloids.

With this we provide innovative solutions to important societal issues related to sustainability and health.

Our research groups

Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry / Biomedical Engineering

Bio-Organic Chemistry

In our research we combine techniques from protein engineering, polymer chemistry and bioconjugation approaches to create particles with…

Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry

Chemical Process Intensification

Promoting a safe, efficient and clean chemical industry by developing advanced intensified reactor concepts, through state-of-the-art…

Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry

Inorganic Materials & Catalysis

Establishing fundamental insight into structure-performance relations for heterogeneous catalysts relevant to a sustainable economy.

Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry

Macro-Organic Chemistry

How far can we push chemical self-assembly? Bridging the gap between life sciences and materials science, using organic chemistry and…

Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry

Membrane Materials and Processes

The chair Membrane Materials and Processes of Eindhoven University of Technology focuses on the multidisciplinary topic of the design and…

Departments of Applied Physics / Chemical Engineering and Chemistry

Molecular Materials and Nanosystems

The Molecular Materials and Nanosystems (M2N) group is active in both the department of Applied Physics and the department of Chemical…

Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry

Multi-scale Modelling of Multi-phase Flows

Over the years the research group Multi-scale Modeling of Multiphase Flows has made seminal contributions to the fundamentals of chemical…

Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry

Physical Chemistry

Research at the Laboratory of Physical Chemistry focuses on relating macroscopic phenomena - such as phase behaviour, morphology formation…

Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry

Polymer Performance Materials

Our research revolves around macromolecular chemistry and polymer materials, including the development of new polymerization strategies and…

Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry

Self-Organizing Soft Matter

We study self-assembly processes in (biological) soft matter and translate fundamental insights into rational design strategies for novel…

Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry

Stimuli-responsive Functional Materials & Devices

We  develop polymers with new responsive functionalities and integrate them into devices, to meet industrial and societal challenges in the…

Supramolecular Chemistry & Catalysis

We work towards the integration of biological and chemical processes to generate non-natural conversions in complex media.

Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry

Supramolecular Polymer Chemistry

Using molecular self-assembly we build supramolecular polymers that derive their functionality from responsivity to molecular or mechanical…

Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry

Sustainable Process Engineering

We develop new processes based on improved mass and heat transfer rates for a more efficient, environmentally friendly, circular, and…

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The department hosts an impressive range of state-of-the-art scientific equipment, instruments and facilities within the different expertise areas, which enables it to perform its educational and research activities. All research groups have dedicated equipment specialized for the specific fields of expertise of the respective groups. In addition, the Center for Multiscale Electron Microscopy (CMEM) houses an advanced electron microscope for high-resolution visualization and analysis of materials at the smallest scale. Moreover, it operates (cryo-)TEM and three (FIB-)SEM microscopes.

The department also hosts modern liquid and solid-state NMR spectrometers with in-situ/operando capabilities, a unique in-situ MRI facility for the characterization of hydrodynamic processes in chemical reactors and advanced X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy infrastructure, including a near-ambient pressure XPS apparatus. Researchers also have access to other extensive unique research infrastructure in other departments and in the research institutes, including the cleanroom facilities at NanoLab@TU/e, the manufacturing facilities at the MicroFab Lab and the advanced imaging and spectroscopy facilities of the ICMS. Specialized equipment is designed and constructed by the Equipment & Prototype Center at TU/e.

Spinoza prize for Jan van Hest

Jan van Hest combines biology and chemistry in such a way that the boundaries between the two disciplines become really blurred. He was awarded the Spinoza Prize 2020, the most important award in Dutch science. We put Jan van Hest in the spotlight by publishing a portrait, in both text and video, which appeared earlier on the website of the Dutch Research Council (NWO).