Jan Willem de Rijk

Jan Willem de Rijk is a Researcher at Utrecht University's Faculty of Science, specifically within the Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science and the Materials Chemistry and Catalysis research group. His work focuses on advanced catalytic materials and their applications in energy conversion and chemical synthesis.

Dr. de Rijk's primary research interests include nanoparticle catalysis, particle size effects in catalytic reactions, CO₂ electroreduction, hydrogenation reactions, catalyst design, and materials chemistry. His systematic approach to understanding how nanoscale properties influence catalytic behavior has resulted in publications in high-impact journals such as Nature Catalysis, ACS Catalysis, and ChemCatChem. His research often involves the synthesis and characterization of novel catalytic materials with controlled structures to optimize their performance for specific chemical transformations.

Analysis of Dr. de Rijk's recent publications reveals a strong focus on particle size effects across various catalytic systems, particularly involving copper, silver, and nickel nanoparticles. His work explores how nanoscale properties influence catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability across diverse reactions including CO₂ conversion, hydrogenation processes, and epoxidation reactions. His 2022 Nature Catalysis paper on potassium hydride-intercalated graphite for ammonia synthesis has garnered significant attention with 77 citations.

As a Researcher at Utrecht University, Dr. de Rijk contributes to both the research mission of the university and collaborates extensively with colleagues across the global catalysis research community. His work addresses fundamental questions in catalysis while maintaining relevance to important energy and sustainability challenges.