Catalysis for Energy Conversion and Emission Control

My main research fields are catalysis for energy conversion and emission control. By developing new catalytic materials and catalyst-based techniques to convert greenhouse gases and emissions, I want to reduce the impact of such compounds on the climate and the environment. My research is performed within the Competence Centre for Catalysis, KCK, which is an interdisciplinary research centre at Chalmers. Particularly the study of kinetics and reaction mechanisms for the catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides, catalytic oxidation of hydrocarbons at low temperatures, and surface processes during conversion of CO2 and methane to valuable platform chemicals is of major interest. The research combines modern techniques, particularly in situ techniques, and methods within catalysis and nanoscience to relate catalytic properties as activity, selectivity and stability with physiochemical properties of the catalytic material studied.

An especially important issue in the research is the use of well-controlled perturbations of the reactant composition, to improve the performance of the catalyst, and to identify the surface processes that control the reaction considered. My vision is to contribute to a sustainable transport, energy and environmental system with new catalyst-based techniques.

Selected Publications

Multiscale reactor modelling of total pressure effects on complete methane oxidation over Pd/Al2O3; C.-R. Florén, P.-A. Carlsson, D. Creaser, H. Grönbeck and M. Skoglundh; Catalysis Science & Technology 9, 3055-3065 (2019).

Methane oxidation over Pd/Al2O3 under rich/lean cycling followed by operando XAFS and modulation excitation spectroscopy; J. Nilsson, P.-A. Carlsson, N. Martin, E. Adams, G. Agostini, H. Grönbeck and M. Skoglundh; Journal of Catalysis, 356, 237-245 (2017).

High-energy surface X-ray diffraction for fast surface structure determination; J. Gustafson, M. Shipilin, C. Zhang, A. Stierle, U. Hejral, U. Ruett, O. Gutowski, P.-A. Carlsson, M. Skoglundh and E. Lundgren; Science, 343, 758-761 (2014).

Computational catalysis and surface science

Henrik Grönbäck is working within Computational catalysis and surface science. The work includes studies of materials and surface properties together with reactions on surfaces of nanometer sized clusters and extended surfaces. The major part of the work is done at atomistic level using the Density Functional Theory to describe quantum mechanical effects. Connections to experimental observations are done through theoretical spectroscopy were we calculate spectroscopic signatures and micro-kinetic modeling for reaction kinetics. By use of micro-kinetic modeling we can translate atomistic phenomena such as reaction barriers to catalytic activity which can be compared to measured conversion rates.

Competence Centre for Catalysis
Chalmers University of Technology
412 96 Göteborg

Contact person:
Henrik Grönbeck
Professor, Chemical Physics, Department of Physics
Tel: 46 31 772 29 63
E-mail: henrik.gronbeck@chalmers.se

Surface science, heterogeneous catalysis and materials for energy applications

Anders Hellman is a theoretical physicist that works within the field of surface science, heterogeneous catalysis and materials for energy applications. Research interests include charge-transfer processes, hot-electron chemistry, surface reactions, phase transformations and time evolution of catalytic reactions. He received his PhD in theoretical physics in 2003 from University of Gothenburg, Sweden. He has done postdoctorial studies at Haldor Topsoe A/S, Denmark’s Technical University, and at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. He now works as a professor at the department of Physics, and is also associated with the Competence Centre for Catalysis, Chalmers, Sweden. He is a senior strategic advisor to the Area of Advance (AoA) Energy, Chalmers. He is also the coordinator of the Master programme of Physics (MPPHS).

Competence Centre for Catalysis
Chalmers University of Technology
412 96 Göteborg

Contact person:
Anders Hellman
Professor, Chemical Physics, Department of Physics
Senior strategic advisor for Chalmers Energy Area of Advance
Tel: +46 31 772 56 11
E-mail: anders.hellman@chalmers.se