Materials Chemistry and Catalysis

Conversion of CO₂ to aromatics for sustainable aviation fuels

In 2022 transport was responsible for ≈23% of global greenhouse-gas emissions.^[1] Electrification can decarbonize light vehicles and urban transit, but heavy freight, shipping and aviation remain difficult; meeting Europe’s 2030-2025 sustainable aviation-fuel targets therefore requires sustainable production of all fuel components.^[2]

Aromatics can be produced from CO₂ and H₂ via a methanol intermediate, but single-reactor conversion demands a bifunctional catalyst: a metal(oxide) phase for CO₂ à MeOH and an acidic phase for chain growth and aromatization. This project focuses on the methanol-forming component, which must produce MeOH without impairing downstream aromatization and remain stable. This means that new classes of MeOH synthesis catalysts have to be developed and tested as at these elevated temperatures the standard Cu-based MeOH catalysts are not suitable. We will explore mixed metal oxides as alternative catalysts.^[3-5]

Key questions are which mixed-metal compositions and nanoscale arrangements sustain selective CO₂ à MeOH at aromatization temperatures; what the active sites and defect chemistry are; how the oxide-acid interface influences selectivity and side reactions; and which deactivation pathways (sintering, phase segregation, CO formation, water effects) prevail and how synthesis strategies plus operando/quasi-in-situ methods can reveal and mitigate them.

Students working with me on this research topic will have hands-on training in catalyst synthesis, use advanced structural/surface characterization, reactor testing and (operando) spectroscopy – making it an excellent opportunity for students who want to become familiar with modern tools in heterogeneous catalysis, linking fundamental science to a practical application (sustainable aviation fuels). If you are interested in catalysis, materials chemistry, reaction engineering and the energy transition, this project is something for you!

References

[1] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2022.

[2] EU regulation 2023/4205 (“ReFuelEU”)

[3] B. Ali et al. (2024). Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 12(6). doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2024.114548

[4] O. Martin et al. (2016). Angewandte Chemie International Edition English, 55(21). doi.org/10.1002/anie.201600943

[5] M. S. Frei et al. (2020). ACS Catalysis, 10(2). doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.9b03305

Publications & Activities

2025

Participation in the IUCK Summer School in Ghent, Belgium

2024

Barberis, L., Versteeg, C. I., Meeldijk, J. D., Stewart, J. A., Vandegehuchte, B. D., & de Jongh, P. E. (2024). K and Na Promotion Enables High-Pressure Low-Temperature Reverse Water Gas Shift over Copper-Based Catalysts. ACS Catalysis, 14(12), 9188-9197. https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.4c02293

C.V.

2025-Present

PhD candidate at the Materials Chemistry and Catalysis group, Utrecht University, the Netherlands, under supervision of prof. dr. Petra de Jongh.

2021 – 2024

Master’s degree in Nanomaterials Science at Utrecht University, the Netherlands.

2024     Literature review project at the Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group, Utrecht University under supervision of Joëlle Siewe MSc and prof. dr. Eelco Vogt. Topic: The role of bismuth as an additive in heterogeneous catalysis.

2024     Research Internship at the Adelhelm group, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin under supervision of prof. dr. Philipp Adelhelm, dr. Yanan Sun and dr. Peter Ngene. Topic: Investigation of O3-type layered sulfide cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries.

2024     Participation in Helmholz-Zentrum Berlin International Summer Student Programme 2023. Focus: Electrochemical Energy Storage.

2023     Master’s thesis at the Materials Chemistry and Catalysis group, Utrecht University, under supervision of dr. Henrik Rodenburg, dr. Peter Ngene, prof. dr. Petra de Jongh. Topic: Hybrid polymer/inorganic solid chloride ion conductors. doi.org/20.500.12932/43491

2018 – 2021

Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at Utrecht University, the Netherlands.

2021     Bachelor’s thesis at the Materials Chemistry and Catalysis group, Utrecht University, under supervision of dr. Laura Barberis and prof. dr. Petra de Jongh. Topic: Effect of promoters in Cu/C catalysts for the hydrogenation of CO₂ to methanol.

2018 – 2021

Secondary education (International Baccalaureate) at Raffles World Academy, Dubai, United Arab Emirates and International School Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

1999

Born in The Hague, the Netherlands to Dutch and Hungarian parents.