Catalysis Research Group

Focus areas:
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Sustainable catalytic processes from renewable resources
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Preparation of solid heterogeneous catalysts e.g. by atomic layer deposition
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Characterization of solid heterogeneous catalysts
Catalysts are at the core of chemical industry and are expected to enable a sustainable biobased economy of the future. Catalysts are made self by conventional methods such as impregnation and also by advanced methods such as atomic layer deposition (ALD). Catalysts are characterized for example by adsorption methods (chemisorption, physisorption, temperature-programmed methods), in situ spectroscopy with probe molecules (IR) and activity measurements, also in high-pressure reactors.
The Catalysis group, lead by Prof. Puurunen and founded in 2017, develops new types of solid heterogeneous catalysts and evaluates their performance, aiming for fundamental understanding and structure-activity relationships.
As of October 2020, the group’s project base is formed by the HDN cat project (Neste) for catalytic hydrodenitrogenation, the COOLCAT project for carbon dioxide activation to valuable chemicals (Academy of Finland, introduction in Youtube) and the ALDI project related to atomic layer deposition development (Academy of Finland).

Notes on our research group:
The CHEM-E1130 Catalysis course is among our core teaching responsibilities.
The group aims for a healthy, constructively critical research environment that supports the personal development & well-being of all members. The group strives towards more openness in science and teaching.
To learn more of the activities of the group and life at Aalto University, please have a look at our Twitter and Instagram accounts, the recent publications, and the group leader’s blog Catalysis Professor’s Open. Evolving group presentation can be found in this link.
Research group members
Joakim Kristian Kattelus
For questions, please contact Riikka Puurunen ([email protected]).
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Related content:
Teaching Achievement of the Year awarded to lecture recordings
On 12 December, the staff of the School of Chemical Engineering gathered at the Dean's mulled wine event, which has already become a tradition, to enjoy good company and hear the announcements for this year's Achievements in Teaching, Research and Service.

Berzelius Prize for Professor Riikka Puurunen
The Swedish Catalysis Society presented the prize to Professor Puurunen in Copenhagen on 27 August 2018.

Latest publications:
Effect of atomic layer deposited zinc promoter on the activity of copper-on-zirconia catalysts in the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to methanol
Computational fluid dynamics study of the atomic layer deposition process around cylindrical and planar configurations
Competitive Hydrodeoxygenation and Hydrodenitrogenation Reactions in the Hydrotreatment of Fatty Acid and Amine Mixtures
Modelling atomic layer deposition overcoating formation on a porous heterogeneous catalyst
A perspective on development of fuel cell materials: Electrodes and electrolyte
Optical metrology of 3D thin film conformality by LHAR chip assisted method
Simulation of Conformality of ALD Growth Inside Lateral Channels: Comparison Between a Diffusion-Reaction Model and a Ballistic Model
Feature-scale conformality of atomic layer deposition from continuum to free molecular flow: how Knudsen number influences thickness profile characteristics
Conformality of atomic layer deposition in microchannels: impact of process parameters on the simulated thickness profile
Thermomechanical properties of aluminum oxide thin films made by atomic layer deposition
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