Department of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering

Catalysis Research Group

The Catalysis group, lead by Prof. Puurunen, develops new types of solid heterogeneous catalysts and evaluates their performance, aiming for fundamental understanding and structure-activity relationships.
Catalysis Group picture

Focus areas:

  1. Sustainable catalytic processes from renewable resources

  2. Preparation of solid heterogeneous catalysts e.g. by atomic layer deposition

  3. 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).

Catalysis group, lab work

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

Doctoral Researcher

Riikka Puurunen

Associate Professor
T106 Chemical and Metallurgical Eng

For questions, please contact Riikka Puurunen ([email protected]).

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.

Lauri Partanen ja Riikka Puurunen

Berzelius Prize for Professor Riikka Puurunen

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

Riikka Puurunen. Kuva: Erkki Pöytäniemi.

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

Aitor Arandia, Jihong Yim, Hassaan Warraich, Emilia Leppäkangas, René Bes, Aku Lempelto, Lars Gell, Hua Jiang, Kristoffer Meinander, Tiia Viinikainen, Simo Huotari, Karoliina Honkala, Riikka L. Puurunen 2023 Applied Catalysis B: Environmental

Computational fluid dynamics study of the atomic layer deposition process around cylindrical and planar configurations

Gizem Ersavas Isitman, Daulet Izbassarov, Riikka L. Puurunen, Ville Vuorinen 2023 Chemical Engineering Science

Competitive Hydrodeoxygenation and Hydrodenitrogenation Reactions in the Hydrotreatment of Fatty Acid and Amine Mixtures

Emma Verkama, Paavo Auvinen, Sylvia Albersberger, Marja Tiitta, Reetta Karinen, Riikka L. Puurunen 2023 Topics in Catalysis

Modelling atomic layer deposition overcoating formation on a porous heterogeneous catalyst

Niko Heikkinen, Juha Lehtonen, Laura Keskiväli, Jihong Yim, Shwetha Shetty, Yanling Ge, Matti Reinikainen, Matti Putkonen 2022 Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics

A perspective on development of fuel cell materials: Electrodes and electrolyte

Ahmed Sajid, Erum Pervaiz, Hatim Ali, Tayyaba Noor, Mutawara Mahmood Baig 2022 International Journal of Energy Research

Optical metrology of 3D thin film conformality by LHAR chip assisted method

Mikko Utriainen, Kimmo Saastamoinen, Heikki Rekola, Oili M.E. Ylivaara, Riikka L. Puurunen, Pasi Hyttinen 2022 Photonic Instrumentation Engineering IX

Simulation of Conformality of ALD Growth Inside Lateral Channels: Comparison Between a Diffusion-Reaction Model and a Ballistic Model

Jorge A. Velasco, Jänis Järvilehto, Jihong Yim, Christine Gonsalves, Emma Verkama, Riikka L. Puurunen 2022

Feature-scale conformality of atomic layer deposition from continuum to free molecular flow: how Knudsen number influences thickness profile characteristics

Jorge Velasco Calsina, Christine Gonsalves, Gizem Ersavas Isitman, Jihong Yim, Emma Verkama, Daulet Izbassarov, Ville Vuorinen, Riikka Puurunen 2022

Conformality of atomic layer deposition in microchannels: impact of process parameters on the simulated thickness profile

Jihong Yim, Emma Verkama, Jorge A. Velasco, Karsten Arts, Riikka L. Puurunen 2022 Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics

Thermomechanical properties of aluminum oxide thin films made by atomic layer deposition

Oili M.E. Ylivaara, Andreas Langner, Satu Ek, Jari Malm, Jaakko Julin, Mikko Laitinen, Saima Ali, Sakari Sintonen, Harri Lipsanen, Timo Sajavaara, Riikka L. Puurunen 2022 Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces and Films
More information on our research in the Research database.
Research database
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