Short CV
1979 PhD, University of Arhus (Danmark)
1979 – 1981 Postdoc, IBM T. J. Watson Research Center (USA) & Nordita Institute, Copenhagen
1987 – 1992 Research professor, Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
1992 – 2010 Professor for Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics, DTU
1993 – 2003 Director at the Center for Atomic-scale Materials Physics (CAMP), DTU
2010 – 2018 Leland T. Edwards Professur, School of Engineering, Stanford University
2010 – 2018 Director, SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, Stanford University & SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
2018 – today Villum Kann Rasmussen Professor at the DTU
2009 Alwin-Mittasch-Preis of the DECHEMA
His research interests include theoretical investigations of surfaces, catalysis, electronic structure of materials and nanostructures.
Abstract
„Catalysis for sustainable production of fuels and chemicals”
The development of sustainable energy systems puts renewed focus on catalytic processes for energy conversion. We will need to find new catalysts for a number of processes if we are to successfully synthesize fuels and chemicals from solar or wind electricity. Insight into the way the catalysts work at the molecular level may prove essential to speed up the discovery process. The lecture will outline a theory of heterogeneous catalysis that allows a detailed understanding of elementary chemical processes at transition metal surfaces and singles out the most important parameters determining catalytic activity and selectivity. The insight can be used to define catalyst design rules and examples of their use will be given.