Karoliina Honkala

Karoliina Honkala is a Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Jyväskylä's Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. She leads research in the Physical Chemistry unit focusing on catalytic reaction mechanisms and materials design for sustainable energy applications.

Her research investigates catalytic reaction selectivity, computational modeling of electrochemical systems, and sustainable material development. Key interests include:

• Design of efficient catalysts for biomass conversion and hydrogen production
• Computational methods for reaction mechanism analysis
• Nanoporous materials for environmental applications
• Sustainable resource recovery and urban mining

Honkala's recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate strong emphasis on DFT computational methods applied to catalytic systems, with recurring themes in sustainable chemistry, reaction optimization, and nanomaterial design. Her work frequently combines experimental validation with theoretical modeling.

She leads several major research initiatives:

• HPC² project developing nanoporous materials for water splitting
• HyPER project mapping hydrogen storage materials
• MLNovCat consortium using machine learning for catalyst design