Daan van Eck

PhD candidate
Utrecht University

Department

Materials Chemistry and Catalysis

Contact information

Room
David de Wied building - 4th floor open office

Key expertises

Heterogeneous catalysis, Catalyst preparation, (in situ) Transmission Electron Microscopy.

About me

I grew up in the small village of Asperen in the beautiful Betuwe region and finished the gymnasium in Gorinchem. Then I moved to Utrecht to study Chemistry there, followed by a master in Nanomaterials Science. I finished my master degree in Bologna, Italy with a grant from the Collegio dei Fiamminghi. There I worked in the group of Luca Pasquini on photoelectrochemical cells, then spent another half year learning Italian and volunteering for a student organization there. In my free time I like to play bass guitar.

About my research

My PhD research is about the thermocatalytic decomposition of methane into hydrogen and carbon nanostructures. I aim to better understand the influence of different catalyst and reaction parameters on the performance and type of carbon nanostructures formed. This includes the synthesis of new catalysts, followed by their characterization and testing.

A key characterization method in my project is electron microscopy, in particular in situ experiments where the reaction takes place under the microscope and we can image the growth of carbon nanostructures. I love this technique because it allows us to literally look at what is happening live during the reaction at a very small scale.

Academic career

PhD candidate

2023 - current: PhD candidate in the group of Materials Chemistry and Catalysis at Utrecht University, the Netherlands, under the supervision of prof. dr. Petra de Jongh.

Research internship

2022-2023: Research internship at the Department of Physics and Astronomy “Augusto Righi” at Bologna University, Italy, under the supervision of prof. dr. Luca Pasquini.

MSc

2020-2023: Master’s degree in Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University

Master thesis in the Materials Chemistry and Catalysis group under the supervision of Suzan Schoemaker, on thermocatalytic methane decomposition with Fe-based catalysts.

BSc

2016-2019: Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Utrecht University

Bachelor thesis in the Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group under the supervision of dr. Justine Harmel, on bifunctional catalysts for hydroisomerization of n-heptane.

Awards and scientific honors

Research and study grant from the Collegio dei Fiamminghi, Bologna, Italy.