Sofie Ferwerda

PhD candidate
Utrecht University

Department

Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis

Contact information

Room
Vening Meinesz C building

Email address
s.ferwerda@uu.nl

Key expertises

CO2 valorization, heterogeneous catalysis, operando spectroscopy, catalyst deactivation.

About me

I was born and raised on the island Curaçao, and when I was 17 after I moved to the Netherlands. I completed both my Bachelor in Chemistry and my Master in Nanomaterials science at Utrecht University. Although I’ll never get used to the Dutch weather, I decided to stay another 4 years here for my PhD!

About my research

Dry methane reforming (DMR, CH4 + CO2  2 CO + 2 H¬2) provides a way to convert two major greenhouse gases for the production of synthesis gas. The Ni-based catalysts typically used often suffer from rapid catalyst deactivation due to carbon formation. By gaining new insights into the coking mechanism and structure-performance relationships, with operando spectroscopy and microscopy, we hope to improve catalyst synthesis via rational catalyst design.

Academic career

PhD Candidate 2021-present: PhD Candidate in the Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group, under the supervision of dr. M. Monai and prof. dr. ir. B.M. Weckhuysen Master Degree in Nanomaterials Science 2019-2020: Master thesis research in de group of Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis at Utrecht University, under the supervision of prof. dr. ir. B.M Weckhuysen 2020-2021: Internship at BASF de Meern, under supervision of ir. A. Goulas and dr. E. Groeneveld Bachelor Degree in Chemistry 2018: Bachelor thesis research in de Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group (now Materials Chemistry and Catalysis), under the supervision of prof. dr. P.E. de Jongh

ARC CBBC publications

Operando UV–Vis Spectroscopy on the Role of Metals in the Methanol-to-Hydrocarbons Reaction Zeolite-Based Catalysts

Dr. Sophie H. van Vreeswijk, Sofie Ferwerda, Alexander P. Flick, Dr. Irina Yarulina, Dr. Florian Meirer, Dr. Eline M. Hutter, Prof. Dr. Bert M. Weckhuysen