First prize in DSM Science & Technology Awards (North) 2008 presented to Belgian researcher Maarten Roeffaers

Belgian researcher Maarten Roeffaers of the Catholic University of Leuven has won the first prize in the DSM Science & Technology Awards (North) 2008. An international judging committee, chaired by DSM Chief Technology Officer Dr Jos Put, selected Dr Maarten Roeffaers, who received his doctorate from the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium), for his PhD thesis entitled ‘Heterogeneous Catalysis: a fluorescence microscopic study’. Maarten Roeffaers has pioneered the use of fluorescence microscopy in catalysis research. With his innovative approach he could unravel various steps of the complex catalytic cycle that were previously hidden for other techniques, thus enabling more efficient and ‘green’ catalyst systems. His work will contribute to the development of efficient chemical processes and thus to a more sustainable economy. Maarten Roeffaers was presented with the award by Mr Jan Zuidam, deputy chairman of DSM’s Managing Board. As the winner of the first prize he will also receive a cash prize of EUR 7,500.

The winner of the second prize, Rolf Koole of Utrecht University (Netherlands), will receive a cash prize of EUR 5,000, and the winner of the third prize, Dorota Rozkiewicz of the University of Twente (Netherlands), will receive a cash prize of EUR 2,500. The other six finalists will each receive a cash prize of EUR 1,250.

In its report about the winner of the first prize, the judging committee said Dr Maarten Roeffaers has revolutionized the in-situ characterization of working catalysts at the nanometer level using single molecule fluorescence microscopy, thus opening up the possibility to study in great detail structure-reactivity relationships in catalysis at the level of a few catalytic sites: ‘The judging committee expects that the outcome of the research will prove useful not only in fundamental catalysis science, but also lead to new insights for improvement and development of next generation catalysts.’ The judging committee commended the high quality of the work of all the other finalists.