Jessi van der Hoeven

Dr. Jessi van der Hoeven is an Assistant Professor in the Materials Chemistry and Catalysis group at Utrecht University's Faculty of Science. Her research integrates colloid synthesis, advanced electron microscopy, and heterogeneous catalysis to engineer atomically precise catalysts for thermal and photo-driven chemical conversions. Key areas include lattice strain effects, core-shell nanostructures, and inverse opal catalysts.

• Education: PhD in Materials Chemistry (Utrecht University, 2019)
• Postdoc: Harvard University (2019-2021) under Prof. Cynthia Friend and Prof. Joanna Aizenberg
• Visiting Scholar: Technical University of Vienna (2017) with Prof. Gareth Parkinson and Prof. Ulrike Diebold

Her work leverages in situ electron microscopy to study catalysts under operating conditions, correlating structural changes to reactivity in selective hydrogenation and oxidation. Articles published between 2020 and 2024 highlight her innovations in 3D nanoparticle imaging, inverse opal fabrication, and strain engineering. Grants include NWO Veni (2021) and NWO XS (2024), with recognition as a Journal of Materials Chemistry A Emerging Investigator (2024) and recipient of the KNCV Van Arkel Prize (2021).

Current projects focus on:

• Trimetallic core-shell systems
• Colloidal TiO2 assemblies for photocatalysis
• Induction-heated catalytic materials
• Quantitative strain analysis in bimetallic catalysts

• Scientific Awards:
• NWO Veni Grant (2021)
• NWO XS Grant (2024)
• KNCV Van Arkel Thesis Prize (2021)
• Journal of Materials Chemistry A Emerging Investigator (2024)

She supervises a team including PhD candidates Marta Perxés i Perich (bimetallic catalysts), Just Pé Jonasse (trimetallic systems), Marianne Bijl (photocatalysts), and master students Jan-Willem Lankman (hydrogenation testing), Maryam Sadeqi (shape-controlled catalysts), and Madhu Ganpat (inverse opal photocatalysis). Collaborations with Harvard's Aizenberg group and UCLA's Sautet group have produced impactful publications in Nature Catalysis and Nature Materials.