Urs von Gunten

Urs von Gunten is an Honorary Professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), affiliated with the Department of Civil Engineering (ENAC-DEC) under the ENAC School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering.

He teaches a course on Water and wastewater treatment, focusing on methods for organic pollutant removal and drinking water production. His research interests include environmental engineering, catalytic processes for CO₂ conversion, and sustainable resource management.

Key contributions include supervision of 11 doctoral theses at EPFL, with notable advisees listed in his profile. His work on CO₂ hydrogenation catalysis explores reaction kinetics, diffusion limitations, and catalyst design for carbon-neutral technologies.

He has developed advanced analytical systems for gas-phase reactions, including mass spectrometry and infrared thermography to study reaction dynamics on pristine metal catalysts (e.g., Fe, Co, Ni, Ru). His research emphasizes understanding surface chemistry effects on reaction startup and thermal runaway phenomena.