Emiel Hensen

The research of Emiel Hensen focuses on the fundamental aspects of catalyzed reactions relevant to clean and sustainable processes for the production of fuels and chemicals. The aim hereby is to identify active sites and understand reaction mechanisms. The working approach is to combine

• advanced operando characterization methods - X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, vibrational spectroscopy applied to well-defined catalyst model systems;
• theoretical modeling (density functional theory, microkinetics); and
• performance testing (kinetics, high-throughput methods, transient techniques),

to guide the design and synthesis of nanoscopically organized and well-defined chemically functionalized catalytic solid materials. The materials explored include primarily highly structured porous materials containing reactive centers such as protons, metal ions and metal, metal oxide and metal sulfides clusters.

Applications are directed towards the improvement of current industrial chemical processes and novel processes based on renewable feedstock such as biomass. Catalytic target reactions are methane activation, the Fischer-Tropsch reaction, conversion of biogenic molecules such as sugars and lignin, and metal-support cooperativity in selective oxidation. In these areas of research Hensen has made many innovative, internationally recognized scientific contributions. Hensen has pioneered the fields of Lewis-acid catalysed conversion of sugars, catalytic upgrading of lignin, synthesis of hierarchical zeolites, and microkinetics simulations of heterogeneous reactions.

Realizing the clean energy transition requires the development of advanced and competitive catalytic technology, to increase the share of renewable energy in the production of fuels and chemicals.