Regina Palkovits

Professor Regina Palkovits is a distinguished academic at RWTH Aachen University, where she holds the Chair of Heterogeneous Catalysis and Technical Chemistry (W3 position). She serves as the head of the Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry (ITMC) and is a key member of the Energy, Chemical & Process Engineering (ECPE) profile area and the Competence Center Power to Fuel. Her research is also closely associated with the Center for Molecular Transformation and she holds a Max Planck Fellowship at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion in Mülheim.

Professor Palkovits earned her Diplom in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University of Dortmund (1998-2003), completed her PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research under Prof. F. Schüth (2003-2006), and conducted postdoctoral research at Utrecht University with Prof. B. M. Weckhuysen (2007). She served as a group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research (2008-2010) before joining RWTH Aachen.

Her research focuses on sustainable chemical processes, with particular emphasis on heterogeneous catalysis for CO₂ utilization, bio-based chemicals production, and electrocatalytic processes for renewable energy applications. Professor Palkovits' group develops innovative catalysts and processes for converting biomass and CO₂ into valuable chemicals and fuels, with strong integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches to accelerate catalyst discovery and optimization. Her work bridges fundamental catalysis research with industrial application, addressing key challenges in sustainable chemistry and energy transition.

Professor Palkovits' publication record demonstrates a clear trend toward integrating electrochemical methods with sustainable feedstocks, particularly focusing on the conversion of biogenic compounds through non-Kolbe electrolysis and the development of advanced electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reactions. Her research increasingly incorporates machine learning techniques for catalyst optimization and process design, reflecting a multidisciplinary approach that combines traditional chemical engineering with cutting-edge computational methods.

Professor Palkovits has received numerous prestigious awards for her research contributions:

• 2019 EFCATS Young Researcher Award
• 2019 Exxon Mobil Science & Engineering Award
• 2017 DECHEMA Prize for outstanding research work
• 2010 Innovation Prize of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
• 2010 Junior Professorship of the Robert Bosch Foundation
• 2010 Jochen-Block-Price of the German Society for Catalysis GeCatS

Professor Palkovits actively mentors numerous PhD students, Master's students, and postdoctoral researchers, with her group currently comprising over 30 members including several group leaders (Dr. Chalachew Asmelash, Dr. Peter Hausoul, Dr. Sonja Mürtz, Dr. Stefan Palkovits, and Dr. Joby Sebastian). Her research is supported by multiple grants from German and international funding agencies, including the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the German Research Foundation (DFG), and industry partnerships. She has secured significant funding for projects related to CO₂ utilization, hydrogen technologies, and sustainable chemical processes.

The Palkovits Group operates state-of-the-art laboratories at the Sammelbau Chemie building at RWTH Aachen, with specialized facilities for catalysis research, electrochemistry, and materials characterization. The group is also involved in the 'catalaix' project, described as a 'project of the century' supported by the WSS. Professor Palkovits maintains a strong collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion in Mülheim, where she leads the 'Solid Molecular Catalysts' group.