Florian Zand

PhD candidate
Utrecht University

Department

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis

Contact information

Room
David de Wied building, 4th floor

Email address
f.zand@uu.nl

Key expertises

Pd-Ni bimetallics, heterogeneous catalysis, operando spectroscopy, catalyst preparation, atom probe tomography

About me

I grew up in Kapfenberg, a small town in the middle of Austria. After finishing my education and civilian service, I went on studying chemistry in Graz, Austria. For my MSc, I moved to Munich, Germany where I focused my studies on chemical technology and analytical chemistry. To deepen my knowledge in the field of catalysis and working with advanced characterization techniques, I joined the group of Prof. Bert Weckhuysen as a PhD candidate in 2019. In my spare time, I enjoy being in nature and doing all kinds of sports.

About my research

At the center of attention in my research are bimetallic Pd-Ni-based hydrogenation catalysts. Our focus is on the characterization of the nanoparticles, to study both their preparation as well as their dynamic behavior under operating conditions. For this, we employ and develop a variety of state-of-the-art techniques such as quick-X-ray absorption spectroscopy and atom probe tomography. With the help of those techniques, we can investigate metal segregation phenomena during catalyst preparation but also under real working conditions. With our research, we aim to contribute to the fundamental understanding of bimetallic catalysts derived from industrial preparation procedures.

Academic career

PhD Candidate 2019- present: PhD candidate in the group of Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. Under the supervision of Prof. B.M. Weckhuysen and Dr. Matteo Monai. Master’s Degree 2016-2019: MSc in Chemistry from the Technical University of Munich, Germany. Master thesis in the field of chemical technology under the supervision of Prof. Johannes A. Lercher and Dr. Martin Baumgärtl. Bachelor’s Degree 2013-2016: BSc in Chemistry from the Technical University of Graz, Austria. Bachelor thesis in the field of analytical chemistry under the supervision of Dr. Helmar Wiltsche.

ARC CBBC publications

Elucidating the Structure and Composition of Individual Bimetallic Nanoparticles in Supported Catalysts by Atom Probe Tomography

F. Zand, S.J.T. Hangx, C.J. Spiers, P.J. van den Brink, J. Burns, M.G. Boebinger, J.D. Poplawsky, M. Monai, and B.M. Weckhuysen