The crucial role of catalysis

3 questions for Tanja Franken

Tanja Franken has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant. With the funding amount of 1.8 million euros, chemist Franke hopes to drive forward her research into novel catalysts.

Prof. Franken, what are you currently researching?

My research focuses on novel catalysts that make processes more energy efficient and that facilitate reaction pathways that will contribute to a more sustainable future. These include recycling CO2 to valuable energy carriers such as methane or manufacturing hydrogen using water splitting with electrolysis.

Why are you interested in this topic?

I was fascinated by catalysis even during my chemistry degree. Without it, we would not have photosynthesis in plants and no means of purifying exhaust gases in cars. It is everywhere. By designing catalytic reactions in a certain way, we can counteract the effects of climate change on the one hand, and maintain our standard of living on the other.

Which opportunities does your ERC Starting Grant offer?

The funding enables us to fund young researchers and to purchase important reactors and analysis equipment, something I am very grateful for. Our research focuses on two central areas: the processes on the surfaces of catalysts and the properties under very dynamic reaction conditions. We hope to find new approaches beyond those of conventional steady state operation.

Prof. Dr. Tanja Franken studied chemistry at RWTH Aachen, where she also received her doctoral degree in 2016. Since then, she has been concentrating on the development of heterogeneous catalysts for environmental and energy-related applications. In 2016 she went to Switzerland, initially to the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Winterthur, and later she joined the working group for “Applied catalysis and spectroscopy” at the Paul Scherrer Institut in Villigen. Tanja Franken has been assistant professor of Catalytic and Electrocatalytic Systems and Processes at the Faculty of Sciences at FAU since 2020.

 

This article is part of the FAU Magazin

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