Anja Palmans

Anja Palmans is a Full Professor at the Eindhoven University of Technology within the College of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry. As part of the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems and the Supramolecular Chemistry & Catalysis group, her research focuses on biomimetic catalytic systems and supramolecular polymer dynamics. She holds a doctorate from TU/e (1997) and has held academic positions at ETH Zürich, DSM Research, and KIT.

Her research explores two primary areas: (1) compartmentalized catalysis in water via polymer folding, reducing purification costs in organic synthesis, and (2) controlling supramolecular copolymerization exchange dynamics. Key work involves benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamides (BTAs) as multifunctional building blocks for self-assembled nanostructures.

Recent publications highlight her team's innovations in creating enzyme-like catalytic systems in water, tuning cooperativity in supramolecular polymers, and leveraging hydrogen bonding for hierarchical assembly. Collaborators include E.W. Meijer and C. Kulkarni, with applications in biomedical and nanotechnological fields.

She teaches courses in molecular chemistry and contributes to annual RPK A lectures. Her group, ICMS Core, operates at the intersection of synthetic polymers and functional materials, with a focus on sustainability and bio-inspired design.