From the editors
This is the last edition of the Netherlands Catalysis News Letter in 2006. Plan your conference visits for 2007 and 2008, see who received the grant you applied for, and stay on top of the academic and industrial R&D in the Netherlands by checking out recent PhD theses and our Patent Review. All of that (and more) in this Newsletter. On behalf of the NIOK-Society, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Enjoy!
The editors
KNCV Catalysis Prize and DOW Energy prize
At NCCC-VIII, KNCV Catalysis will award the KNCV Katalyseprijs for the best catalysis-related PhD thesis in 2005-2006. Deadline for submission of candidates is January 15, 2007. For more information, please visit the website of KNCV Catalysis.
In May 2007, the DOW energy prize and DOW Energy dissertation prize will be awarded. Candidates can now be suggested to the jury. More information.
Call for Proposals Sustainable Hydrogen
The second call for proposals for the ACTS-program Sustainable Hydrogen was launched October 2006. The deadline for the submission of pre-proposals (compulsory) is 14 December 2006. The deadline for submission of the full proposals is 26 April 2007. More information.
TOP and ECHO subsidies
Various catalysts researchers have been granted with a NWO subsidie. Jaap Schouten (TU/e) obtained a TOP grant to develop new reactors and Bert Weckhuysen (UU) obtained a TOP grant to study nano-sized catalyst particles. ECHO subsidies were granted a.o. to Fred Hagen (TU Delft), Geert-Jan Kroes (UL), Bart Hessen (RUG), Koop Lammertsma (VU) and Leon Lefferts (U Twente). More information.
Zeolite books available at reduced rates via DZA
The DZA still has available a limited number of the student edition of the book (Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis 157) "Zeolites and ordered mesoporous materials: progress and prospects". Editors J. Cejka and H. van Bekkum. This book has been used at the pre-FEZA-conference summer school in Prague last September. We can offer this book for 45 Euro for DZA-members and 55 Euro for non-DZA-members.
In addition, the Structure Commission of the IZA will be producing new editions of the two books, i.e. Atlas of Zeolite Framework Types and Collection of Simulated XRD Powder Patterns for Zeolites in time for IZC-15 in Beijing next August. The books will be part of the registration package. If you will not be able to attend the IZC in Beijing, or if you would like to have additional copies, you can pre-order copies of these new editions through the DZA! Costs will be 30 Euro for DZA members and 35 Euro for non-members. Delivery will be somewhere around the IZC (August 2007). Deadline for pre-ordering is Jan 2, 2007; deadline for payment is Jan 15, 2007.
Please contact Patricia Kooyman, DZA president, for more information.
NIOK Smartmix proposal to 2nd round
The NIOK smartmix proposal on sustainable chemicals from biomass (SMVA06 040) has passed the first round and a full proposal has been submitted. More information.
Awards
On September 28, NIOK scientific director Bert Weckhuysen (UU) has received the KNCV Gouden Medaille. The Royal Netherlands Chemical Society (KNCV) annually awards its Gold Medal to the most promising young chemist in the Netherlands. More information.
The chemical reactor engineering research group of Jaap Schouten (TU/e) has won one of the IChemE Awards 2006 for its work on the PrOx microreactor for selective CO oxidation. More information.
During the last Sustainable Hydrogen Conference Rudy Wagemans (UU) received a Patent Award for his work on the use of a carbon and magnesium comprising composite for the storage of hydrogen. Connected to this award is a Science ticket of €1000. More information.
Bas Hendriksen (UL) has won the Christiaan Huygensprijs 2006 for his dissertation 'Model catalysts in action – high-pressure scanning tunneling microscopy'. More information.
Recent Dutch Catalysis Patents
On a regular base, we provide you with the latest Dutch patent applications in the field of catalysis. The overviews are published on our website: www.niok-society.nl.
Business news
Albemarle in partnership with hte AG
In October 2005, Albemarle and hte, the high throughput experimentation company (www.hte-company.de), announced a multi-year collaboration agreement. In recent months, scientists from both companies have been installing and integrating innovative technologies for parallel synthesis and catalyst testing. Fully operational by the end of 2006, the new facilities have already begun to produce some useful results. More information.
BASF integrates Engelhard
BASF announced the integration of Engelhard into its global operations, having acquired the US-based catalyst producer on June 6, 2006. BASF said the integration will result to a broader global reach, a stronger business presence in certain regions such as North America, and further extensions into key markets. The catalysts division and major related research activities will be located in Iselin, New Jersey, while BASF's headquarters in North America will remain in Florham Park, New Jersey." More information.
Shell OMEGA process for MEG manufacturing
Shell’s new integrated refinery, ethylene and monoethylene glycol (MEG) project in Singapore will incorporate a number of significant technology advances that will achieve the highest yield from ethylene to glycol commercially available, use much less water and produce nearly no by-products. “The new catalytic process is so selective that the step from ethylene oxide (EO) to MEG is around 99.5% selective, whereas in the conventional process you produce roughly 10% by-products of DEG and TEG. So with the same amount of ethylene, you produce roughly 10% more glycol, or with the same amount of glycol required you need approximately 10% less ethylene. The OMEGA process for EO/MEG conversion is Shell’s newest technology and combines a CRI high selectivity catalyst for the conversion of ethylene to EO with a catalytic process to convert EO to glycol."
People on the move
Albemarle
As per January 2007 John Nicols will be named Vice President Catalysts at Albemarle Catalysts. He will be the successor or Ray Hurley who will move to a new division called “Alternative Fuel Technologies” as per the same date. Frans Plantenga, the worldwide development manager hydroprocessing catalysts, will be the Technical Director of the Alternative Fuels Technologies division. Stephane Leclef will be the new Vice President for hydroprocessing catalysts, he will be succeeding Huub Cuijpers who is named Managing Director Europe as per January 2007.
New 'catalysis' professor in Utrecht
Utrecht University has appointed Bert Klein Gebbink as adjunct professor of "synthetic and biological chemistry of transition-metal complexes".
Thesis defences
13 December: F.T. de Bruijn; Pervaporation and vapour permeation of methanol and MTBE through a microporous methylated silica mebrane. Promotores: prof. dr. ir. P.J. Jansens (TU Delft)and prof. dr. F. Kapteijn (TU Delft)
14 December: Jeroen van Buijtenen; Tandem catalysis in Organic and Polymer Synthesis. Promotor: prof. dr. L.A. Hulshof (TU/e)
14 December: R.G.E. Coumans; Synthesis and physical aspects of threaded prphyrin assemblies. Promotores: prof. dr. R. Nolte (RUN) and prof. dr. A Rowan (RUN)
31 January: Pieter Bruijnincx; Strucural and functional models of non-heme iron enzymes. A study of the 2-his-1-carboxylate facial triad structural motif. Promotores: Gerard van Koten, Bert Klein Gebbink and Bert Weckhuysen (UU)
An overview of catalysis-related conferences and symposia can be found in the agenda of KNCV Catalysis.
The next edition of this Netherlands Catalysis News Letter will be distributed in February/March 2007. Content can be supplied to and by our correspondents.
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