Projects
Strategic Research Programme: Tracing and Modelling of Past & Present Global Changes Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Non-noble metal catalysis for Cross-coupling reactions: Computational insights KU Leuven
Catalysis plays a pivotal role in our society since we are critically dependent on plastic materials and pharmaceutical products of which many steps of their industrial production are led by catalyzed processes.
Accordingly, the development of a new catalytic systems based on transition metals is very active.
However, catalysts are, nowadays, mainly made by organometallic complexes based on rare and precious noble metals such as Pd, ...
Strategic Research Programme: Conceptual Density Functional Theory: Towards a general treatment of chemical reactivity and design of molecules with optimal reactivity properties Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Study of electron transfer processes in plasmonic photocatalysis KU Leuven
Over the past few years, the use of plasmonics to improve the photocatalytic efficiency of titanium dioxide (TiO2) has gained a lot of interest in the scientific community. By modifying the TiO2 photocatalyst with noble metal nanoparticles displaying surface plasmon resonance, its activity under both UV and a broad range of visible light can be substantially enhanced. Surface plasmon resonance is an optical phenomenon that gives the noble ...
Synthesis and characterization of polyoligosiloxysilicones KU Leuven
Silicon-based materials are of vital importance in today’s society. From the sand and clay dug up from the Earth to be used in construction, to the highly purified forms used in the production of electronics, computers and medical implants, the chemical element Si has found its way into nearly every aspect of our lives. Nevertheless, our highly technological world is fueled by an ever-lasting quest for progress. This search continuously ...
Model Platinum Catalysts KU Leuven
Platinum is used by many industries because of its exceptional catalytic activity, electrochemical properties and corrosion resistance. It is widely used as a catalyst in the chemical production, in fuel cell and electrolyser electrodes and in sensors for analytical and medical applications. Catalysts are key to face grand technological challenges in the fields of energy and environmental protection and to ensure a sustainable supply of ...
ULB-VUB Joint Research Group: Brussels Institute for Geochemical Techniques in Earth Sciences - BIGE Vrije Universiteit Brussel
TiO2 Gas Phase Photocatalysis from Morphological Design to Plasmonic Enhancement KU Leuven
The past decades, photocatalysis has emerged as a powerful technology for pollution abatement and energy applications, but its use in gaseous environment is less obvious than in water borne applications. Therefore this thesis specifically aims at understanding and improving TiO2-based photocatalysis in all its facets towards gas phase processes.
In first instance a suitable photoreactor is developed and validated. A simple ...
Drug design strategies against newly emerging viral diseases KU Leuven
The proposed project aims at the structure-based design of novel selective inhibitors for the treatment of specific vector-borne diseases mainly parasitic (schistosomiasis, human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease) and viral hemorrhagic fevers. It will be a challenging task to find those compounds that have maximal efficacy against the intruder, but minimal toxicity for the host as the differences between few parasitic ...