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Monique van der Veen

Prof. Monique van der Veen Associate Professor | Program Director of the master's program Chemical Engineering +31 (0)15 27 86458 M.A.vanderVeen@tudelft.nl Building 58, E2.180 Van der Maasweg 9 2629 HZ Delft The Netherlands Management Assistant Els Arkesteijn +31 (0)15 27 83516 E.M.P.Arkesteijn@tudelft.nl linkedin twitter Monique A. van der Veen is Associate Professor in the department of Chemical Engineering at Delft University of Technology. She received her Master in Engineering in Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Leuven, Belgium in 2006. In 2010, she obtained her PhD at the same university, under the guidance of Thierry Verbiest and Dirk De Vos. Research group Academic background With a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship from the Fund for Scientific Research - Flanders she continued to work at the University of Leuven, as well as in the group of Mischa Bonn at the Max-Planck Insitute of Polymer Research in Mainz. In 2013 she started as Assistant Professor at Delft University of Technology. She has presented numerous invited lectures at conferences and university seminars. In 2017 she was awarded an ERC Starting Grant, in 2018 the Athena Prize by the Dutch Science Foundation (NWO) and in 2020 a VIDI Grant, also by the Dutch Science Foundation (NWO). Monique is also involved in the section Catalysis Engineering and the Institutes e-Refinery and Pro2Tech . +31 (0)15 27 86458 M.A.vanderVeen@tudelft.nl Building 58, E2.180 Van der Maasweg 9 2629 HZ Delft The Netherlands Management Assistant Els Arkesteijn +31 (0)15 27 83516 E.M.P.Arkesteijn@tudelft.nl linkedin twitter Keywords Nanoporous Materials Separation, Sensing, Electronics, Catalysis Laser Spectroscopy Research Publications Educational Activities Chemisch Productontwerp - BSc MST (4052LEON3) Scheidingstechnologie - BSc MST (4052SCHTEY) Quantum Properties and Structure of Materials - MSc CE (CH3174A)

Monique van der Veen Group

Van der Veen group The van der Veen group is part of the Chemical Engineering department and the Catalysis Engineering section at TU Delft. We are driven by the development of nanoporous materials for photocatalysis and electronics. Most notably we work with metal-organic framework. These structures that consist of inorganic clusters linked by organic linkers into 3-D nanoporous crystalline solids offer a playground where via varying the constituents we can change the properties and topology at will. We focus on developping materials for converting solar energy into chemical fuels, to be used as memories in physically flexible electronics and to be used as harvesters of ambient mechanical vibration energy. An important component of our research is the use of advanced optical spectroscopy to gain detailed insight in the structure and function of nanoporous materials. Research Publications Education People Vacancies and student projects News 2nd of March 2019: Our review on rotational linker dynamics in metal-organic frameworks is published in Nanomaterials. Monique van der Veen Associate Professor +31 15 2786458 M.A.vanderVeen@tudelft.nl Building 58, room E2.180 Van der Maasweg 9 2629 HZ, Delft The Netherlands

Alina Rwei

Dr. Alina Rwei Assistant Professor +31 (0)15 27 86153 A.Y.Rwei@tudelft.nl Building 58, F2.470 Van der Maasweg 9 2629 HZ Delft The Netherlands Management Assistant Leslie van Leeuwen +31 (0)15 27 86678 L.vanLeeuwen@tudelft.nl linkedin twitter Dr. Alina Rwei engineers smart therapeutic and diagnostic platforms for next-generation precision therapies. Her long-term research goal is to bridge clinical translation with scientific discoveries by interfacing biology, materials science, and engineering in biomedical innovations that will make a long-lasting impact in patients’ lives. She aims to increase the effectiveness of drug delivery systems using chemical and materials engineering, electronic engineering and cell biology approaches. Current fields of focus include: light-, ultrasound- and magnetically-triggered therapeutics for alleviating pain and combatting cancer, wearable electronics for personalized real-time diagnostics, and study of nanoparticle and cellular interactions for designs of effective targeted delivery systems. Research group Academic background Dr. Rwei is an assistant professor in TU Delft. She received her undergraduate and Ph.D. degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with her undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering and Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering. Her Ph.D. training was conducted under the supervision of Professor Robert Langer at MIT and Professor Daniel Kohane at Harvard Medical School. She focused on the design and development of light- and ultrasound- triggerable drug delivery systems for repeatable and adjustable release of local anesthetics. She then proceeded to a postdoctoral position in Professor John Rogers’ lab at Northwestern University. She was the recipient of the Postdoctoral Fellowship Research Training Award (TL1) from the Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program by NIH/NCATS. Her experience has yielded publications in high-impact journals including Nature Medicine, Nature Biomedical Engineering, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nano Letters, and Journal of Controlled Release. As a principle investigator in TU Delft, she aims to work at the interdisciplinary fields of precision medicine and chemical engineering, developing novel biomedical technologies for next-generation medicine. +31 (0)15 27 86153 A.Y.Rwei@tudelft.nl Building 58, F2.470 Van der Maasweg 9 2629 HZ Delft The Netherlands Management Assistant Leslie van Leeuwen +31 (0)15 27 86678 L.vanLeeuwen@tudelft.nl linkedin twitter Keywords Drug Delivery Wearable Bioelectronics Optogenetics Research Google Scholar Educational Activities

Our Key Research Themes in Responsible Innovation

within our main theme Responsible Innovation We study responsible innovation with regard to a broad range of technologies and application areas, like digital technologies (including AI and robotics), energy, water, transport, the chemical industry, health technologies and biotechnologies. Our approach is to examine innovation (1) from the perspective of societal, public and ethical values and (2) within the context of socio-technical systems. Our key research themes are: Design for Values Management of Responsible Innovation Responsible Risk Management Our 3 key research themes intersect with all 3 sections in our department, but within each section the primary focus is on one of these themes: 1. Design for Values How can we integrate values into the design of technologies, institutions and sociotechnical systems? The Design for Values approach aims to integrate ethical values - such as safety, security, justice, autonomy, privacy, and sustainability - into the design of new technologies and innovations right from the start. Contributions by... Ethics / philosophy The Section Ethics & Philosophy of Technology is the main focal point for work on Design for Values. This important approach to realize responsible innovation raises various challenges, like: How to understand and operationalize values? How to understand and deal with value conflicts in design? How to understand and deal with responsibility gaps? How to understand and deal with tensions between collective and individual responsibility? The theoretical and applied work by the EPT section contributes to adressing such challenges. Economics Several members of the section Economics of Technology & Innovation (ETI) focus on institutional design aimed at achieving responsible innovations. Institutions are the result of formal and informal norms that exist in a society. However, institutions once developed have a strong path dependency and are therefore not easily changeable in the short term. The ETI section aims to investigate how existing institutions can be changed when dominant values change, thereby contributing to Design for Values. Safety & security science The Section Safety & Security Science (3S) contributes to Design for Values with a particular focus on the value of safety, which is called the 'Safe by Design' approach. Differences, commonalities, and possibilities for mutual learning found in various practices have been identified, and several ways of putting these disciplinary outlooks into perspective have been elaborated on. The potential benefits of succesful design for values: more inclusive decisionmaking about the design of technological innovations improvement of technologies/design by better embodying important ethical and societal values avoidance of technology rejection due to a mismatch with the values of users or society generation or stimulation of values in users and society through design. Key challenges addressed in our research include: Value conflicts in design. Value conflicts may arise because different stakeholders hold different values but also because a technology can usually not meet all values that are relevant for its design, so that decisions have to be made for example through value trade-offs. The role of institutions. Institutions can often not be designed from scratch because they usually already exist and evolve over time. Doing justice to values requires insights in how institutions develop, how institutions impact technological development and how they relate to values. The value of responsibility. Determining and enhancing responsibility in sociotechnical systems is often problematic. Innovation and design are collective efforts and the causal chains between the innovators and the eventual social effects are long. In addition, a range of new technologies raise new responsibility problems; think for example of drones, robots and self-driving cars that autonomously make decisions. This may result in tensions between collective and individual responsibility and in responsibility gaps. Approaches/methods of our department to studying this question include ethics of technology, design methodology, value-sensitive modelling, etc. Design for Values not only requires in-depth monodisciplinary research, but also multidisciplinary research, to do justice to the complexity of the challenges of responsible innovation. Members of the Department of Values, Technology & Innovation therefore collaborate with members of all engineering disciplines at TU Delft and elsewhere to further develop the Design for Values approach. 2. Management of Responsible Innovation How can we operationalise, manage and incentivise responsible innovation within innovation systems? Succesful responsible innovation does not only increase the societal desirability and ethical acceptability of products and systems, but also remains economically feasible. Contributions by... Economics The Section Economics of Technology & Innovation (ETI) is the main focal point for our work on the Management of Responsible Innovation. ETI reseachers incorporate responsible innovation in their analyses of innovation systems, thereby adding a value dimension to the well-established strand of innovation systems and ecosystems research as well as to innovation economics and management. Safety & security science The Section Safety & Security Science also contributes to the research theme of the management of responsible innovation. Human behaviour is at the core of creating and maintaining a safe environment. And vice versa, a safe environment is at the core of learning, growth and progress. Both elements are elemental to a safety culture that is also known to contribute to optimal team performance. Ethics / philosophy Members of the Section Ethics & Philosophy of Technology develop various philosophical and normative theories and approaches to study the responsible management of technology in its social and political context. These include frameworks for technology assessment the governance of sociotechnical innovation public deliberation on technology development. We make a novel contribution to innovation systems research by incorporating responsible innovation and a value dimension. We do this by building on insights that we have developed in the past with respect to innovation management. However, our more recent focus on managing responsible innovation gives rise to new challenges, including: Breaking through existing patterns of innovation . From innovation studies, it is known that new players, like start-ups, may play a crucial role in doing so. Studying the role of entrepreneurship for responsible innovation is therefore very important. Operationalizing and incentivizing responsible innovation. An intrinsic motivation to take responsibility by making innovations more sustainable might be “crowded out” by economic incentives. Moreover, in many sociotechnical systems, such as energy, transport and communication infrastructures, the incentive structure is embedded in the sector regulations and/or public oversight. This raises the question how we can stimulate responsibility in sociotechnical systems given that incentive structures are usually difficult to change and given that incentive structures that work on the short term might have detrimental effects (due to “crowding out”) in the long run. This requires empirical studies and indicator development in combination with a normative perspective. Approaches used in the department to studying this question include economic and management approaches, multidisciplinary approaches to RI, etc. 3. Responsible Risk Management How are we to assess, manage and evaluate the risks of technologies and sociotechnical systems in a responsible way? Risk is a key concern when it comes to responsible innovation. Effects of (responsible) innovation are frequently uncertain and may only surface once technologies have been introduced into society. Contributions by... Safety & security science The Section of Safety & Security Science (3S) is the focal point of the department's research on Responsible Risk Management. The aim is to develop approaches for proactive and reactive measures to improve safety and security levels while respecting other conflicting values and uncertainties. Ethics / philosophy The Section Ethics & Philosophy of Technology (EPT) is a key player internationally in the domain of risk ethics. Traditional ethical theories have a hard time dealing with probabilities and uncertainties. Alternative approaches developed by our researchers shed light on the importance of, for example, resilience, inter- and intragenerational justice concerning the risks of energy technologies and the role of emotions and intuitions in ethical reflection on risk. Furthermore, risks cannot be completely predicted or anticipated. Researchers in Safety & Security Science investigate this using safe-by-design principles, while our researchers have proposed considering the introduction of new technology into society as a social experiment in which risks and benefits only gradually become clear. Our researchers also explore how works of art can contribute to ethical reflection on future scenarios that are hard to imagine and predict but nevertheless may require early interventions. Finally, several people are working on the notion of normative uncertainties. Economics The contribution of the Section Economics of Technology & Innovation (ETI) to this research theme is the assessment of how the trade-off between, or the optimisation of, efficiency and safety is affected by changing institutional economic environments. For example, the economic liberalisation or deregulation of the gas distribution markets in the EU implies that the change between gas suppliers has become relatively easy. However, different gas suppliers deliver gas of different calorific values: a situation which can have safety consequences. The models developed to deal with these research questions do also take into account other values than efficiency alone, i.e. sustainability and ethical values. With scientific methods and techniques, we study how to identify, quantify, predict, prescribe, visualise and optimise risk and hazard levels to acceptable levels, explicitly incorporating normative aspects and values. Challenges that we address in our research include: Modelling and predicting risks , taking into account technological, organizational and human factors. In order to address this, an important approach we develop and apply is that of Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) for risk assessment. Integrating safety (unintentional harm) and security (intentional harm) in risk assessment and management, as safety and security increasingly interact and depend on each other. Here, among other things, we apply game theory to better understand and model such interactions. How safe is safe enough? We investigate how moral values can be integrated in risk assessment and risk management, while also paying attention to an economic point of view. This gives rise to the question as to how to take into account the role of moral values and of emotions in the already existing more formal frameworks for making decisions about acceptable risk. From a philosophical point of view, the topic of risk requires new theories because traditional ethical theories have a hard time dealing with probabilities and uncertainties. The Ethics and Philosophy of Technology Section is internationally a key player in this new domain of risk ethics. Risks cannot be completely predicted or anticipated . We investigate this for example by considering the introduction of new technology into society as a social experiment in which risks and benefits only gradually become clear. Approaches used in the department to studying this question include Bayesian Modelling, Safety Culture, Risk Ethics, etc.

Publication

Full publication list (Google Scholar) 2021 Origin of the synergistic effect between TiO2 crystalline phases in the Ni/TiO2-catalyzed CO2 methanation reaction D. Messou, V. Bernardin, F. Meunier, M. Borges Ordoño, A. Urakawa, B.F. Machado, V. Collière, R. Philippe, P. Serp, C. Le Berre, J. Catal., 398, 14-28 Enhancing Sustainability Through Heterogeneous Catalytic Conversions at High Pressure N. Phongprueksathat, A. Urakawa, Heterogeneous Catalysts: Advanced Design, Characterization and Applications (Wiley) Methodologies to Hunt Active Sites and Active Species A. Urakawa, Heterogeneous Catalysts: Advanced Design, Characterization and Applications (Wiley) Heterogeneously Catalyzed CO2 Hydrogenation to Alcohols N. Phongprueksathat, A. Urakawa, CO2 Hydrogenation Catalysis (Wiley) Greener and facile synthesis of Cu/ZnO catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol by urea hydrolysis of acetates N. Phongprueksathat, A. Bansode, T. Toyao, A. Urakawa, RSC Advances 11 (24), 14323-14333 Silica-Supported PdGa Nanoparticles: Metal Synergy for Highly Active and Selective CO2-to-CH3OH Hydrogenation S.R. Docherty, N. Phongprueksathat, E. Lam, G. Noh, O.V. Safonova, A. Urakawa, C. Copéret, JACS Au, 1 (4), 450-458 Enhanced Activity of Integrated CO2 Capture and Reduction to CH4 under Pressurized Conditions toward Atmospheric CO2 Utilization F. Kosaka, Y. Liu, S.-Y. Chen, T. Mochizuki, H. Takagi, A. Urakawa, K. Kuramoto, ACS Sust. Chem. Eng., 9 (9), 3452-3463 PEM electrolysis‐assisted catalysis combined with photocatalytic oxidation towards complete abatement of nitrogen‐containing contaminants in water J. Ampurdanés, S. Bunea, A. Urakawa, ChemSusChem, 14 (6), 1534 Selective dehydration of glycerol on copper based catalysts R.J. Chimentão, P. Hirunsit, C.S. Torres, M. Borges Ordoño, A. Urakawa, J.L.G. Fierro, D. Ruiz, Catalysis Today, 367, 58-70 2020 In Situ Spectroscopic Methods to Study Electrochemical CO2 Reduction S. Bunea, A. Urakawa, Carbon Dioxide Electrochemistry: Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysis (RSC) From CO or CO2?: space-resolved insights into high-pressure CO2 hydrogenation to methanol over Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 R. Gaikwad, H. Reymond, N. Phongprueksathat, P. Rudolf von Rohr, A. Urakawa, Catal. Sci. Technol., 10, 2763-2768 Active reactions and spatial gradients in oxidative coupling of methane L. Hu, D. Pinto, A. Urakawa, Catalysis: Vol. 32 (RSC) Flame-made amorphous solid acids with tunable acidity for the aqueous conversion of glucose to levulinic acid G. K. Beh, C. T. Wang, K.-D. Kim, J. Qu, J. Cairney, Y. H. Ng, A. K. An, R. Ryoo, A. Urakawa, W. Y. Teoh, Green Chemistry, 22, 688-698 2019 Lewis Acidic Supports Promote the Selective Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide to Methyl Formate in the presence of Methanol over Ag Catalysts J. Corral-Pérez, C. Copéret, A. Urakawa, J. Catal., 380, 153-160 Continuous hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to formic acid and methyl formate by a molecular iridium complex stably heterogenized on a covalent triazine framework J.J. Corral-Pérez, A. Billings, D. Stoian, A. Urakawa, ChemCatChem, 11, 19, 4725-4730 CO2 Hydrogenation on Cu/Al2O3: Role of Metal/Support Interface in Driving Activity and Selectivity of a Bifunctional Catalyst E. Lam, J.J. Corral-Pérez, K. Larmier, G. Noh, P. Wolf, A. Comas-Vives, A. Urakawa, C. Copéret, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 131, 39, 14127-14134 Cobalt oxide-based materials as non-PGM catalyst for HER in PEM electrolysis and in situ XAS characterization of its functional state J. Ampurdanés, M. Chourashiya, A. Urakawa, Catal. Today, 336, 161-168 Active Surface Species Ruling Product Selectivity in Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction Over Pt- or Co-Promoted TiO2 M Borges Ordoño, A. Urakawa, J. Phys. Chem. C, 123, 4140-4147 Deciphering key intermediates in the transformation of carbon dioxide into heterocyclic products R. Huang, J. Rintjema, J. González-Fabra, E. Martín, E.C. Escudero-Adán, C. Bo, A. Urakawa, A.W. Kleij, Nature Catalysis, 2, 62–70

Publication

2019 Lewis Acidic Supports Promote the Selective Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide to Methyl Formate in the presence of Methanol over Ag Catalysts J. Corral-Pérez, C. Copéret, A. Urakawa, J. Catal., 380, 153-160 Continuous hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to formic acid and methyl formate by a molecular iridium complex stably heterogenized on a covalent triazine framework J.J. Corral-Pérez, A. Billings, D. Stoian, A. Urakawa, ChemCatChem, 11, 19, 4725-4730 CO2 Hydrogenation on Cu/Al2O3: Role of Metal/Support Interface in Driving Activity and Selectivity of a Bifunctional Catalyst E. Lam, J.J. Corral-Pérez, K. Larmier, G. Noh, P. Wolf, A. Comas-Vives, A. Urakawa, C. Copéret, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 131, 39, 14127-14134 Cobalt oxide-based materials as non-PGM catalyst for HER in PEM electrolysis and in situ XAS characterization of its functional state J. Ampurdanés, M. Chourashiya, A. Urakawa, Catal. Today, 336, 161-168 Active Surface Species Ruling Product Selectivity in Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction Over Pt- or Co-Promoted TiO2 M Borges Ordoño, A. Urakawa, J. Phys. Chem. C, 123, 4140-4147 Deciphering key intermediates in the transformation of carbon dioxide into heterocyclic products R. Huang, J. Rintjema, J. González-Fabra, E. Martín, E.C. Escudero-Adán, C. Bo, A. Urakawa, A.W. Kleij, Nature Catalysis, 2, 62–70

Publication

2020 In Situ Spectroscopic Methods to Study Electrochemical CO2 Reduction S. Bunea, A. Urakawa, Carbon Dioxide Electrochemistry: Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysis (RSC) From CO or CO2?: space-resolved insights into high-pressure CO2 hydrogenation to methanol over Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 R. Gaikwad, H. Reymond, N. Phongprueksathat, P. Rudolf von Rohr, A. Urakawa, Catal. Sci. Technol., 10, 2763-2768 Active reactions and spatial gradients in oxidative coupling of methane L. Hu, D. Pinto, A. Urakawa, Catalysis: Vol. 32 (RSC) Flame-made amorphous solid acids with tunable acidity for the aqueous conversion of glucose to levulinic acid G. K. Beh, C. T. Wang, K.-D. Kim, J. Qu, J. Cairney, Y. H. Ng, A. K. An, R. Ryoo, A. Urakawa, W. Y. Teoh, Green Chemistry, 22, 688-698

Shota Matsuo

Shota Matsuo Shota Matsuo obtained his bachelor degree in 2014 and his master degree in 2016 from the University of Tokyo in Japan. After completing his master degree, he joined Kao Corporation in Japan as a research scientist. He joined our group as a visiting scientist in January 2024. His research is focused on the development of operando spectroscopic methods.

Manoj Coppens

Manoj Coppens Manoj Coppens obtained his MSc in Chemical Engineering at TU Delft in 2023. He previously worked in prof. Urakawa’s group on the NGK ceramic membrane reactor project and the electrochemical reduction to NO project. After having finished his masters, he joined prof. Urakawa’s group as a PhD student. His industry PhD project, titled ‘Catalysis Engineering of Integrated Carbon Dioxide Capture and Conversion Processes’, is in collaboration with PTTGC .

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What trees teach us about sustainable production of materials

Trees are excellent teachers when it comes to making materials for load-bearing structures with as little resources and energy as possible. One of their secrets? When a tree grows, the direction of the wood grain adapts itself to fit the load that part of the tree is going to bear.

Exhale Sluitingsweek: A week of free events to say goodbye to Exhale and cosy up for Winter

De allerlaatste Exhale Week vindt plaats van 25 november tot 1 december en staat volledig in het teken van afscheid nemen van Exhale en het omarmen van de winter.

TIL student Laura Drechsel wins Q-Park thesis award

TIL student Laura Drechsel wins the 2024 Q-Park Student Award with her thesis called: Stories of Aging and Access - Exploring capabilities and challenges of accessibility for urban elderly through microstories. Her award-winning thesis can be found here .

TU Delft jointly wins XPRIZE Rainforest drone competition in Brazil

TU Delft jointly wins in the XPRIZE Rainforest competition in the Amazon, Brazil Imagine using rapid and autonomous robot technology for research into the green and humid lungs of our planet; our global rainforests. Drones that autonomously deploy eDNA samplers and canopy rafts uncover the rich biodiversity of these complex ecosystems while revealing the effects of human activity on nature and climate change. On November 15, 2024, after five years of intensive research and competition, the ETHBiodivX team, which included TU Delft Aerospace researchers Salua Hamaza and Georg Strunck, achieved an outstanding milestone: winning the XPRIZE Rainforest Bonus Prize for outstanding effort in co-developing inclusive technology for nature conservation. The goal: create automated technology and methods to gain near real-time insights about biodiversity – providing necessary data that can inform conservation action and policy, support sustainable bioeconomies, and empower Indigenous Peoples and local communities who are the primary protectors and knowledge holders of the planet’s tropical rainforests. The ETHBiodivX team, made of experts in Robotics, eDNA, and Data Insights, is tackling the massive challenge of automating and streamlining the way we monitor ecosystems. Leading the Robotics division, a collaboration between TU Delft’s Prof. Salua Hamaza, ETH Zurich’s Prof. Stefano Mintchev and Aarhus University’s Profs. Claus Melvad and Toke Thomas Høye, is developing cutting-edge robotic solutions to gather ecology and biology data autonomously. “We faced the immense challenge of deploying robots in the wild -- and not just any outdoor environment but one of the most demanding and uncharted: the wet rainforests. This required extraordinary efforts to ensure robustness and reliability, pushing the boundaries of what the hardware could achieve for autonomous data collection of images, sounds, and eDNA, in the Amazon” says prof. Hamaza. “Ultimately, this technology will be available to Indigenous communities as a tool to better understand the forest's ongoing changes in biodiversity, which provide essential resources as food and shelter to the locals.” . . . .

Moving the Closet

You simply cannot miss it, it is big and magenta: the Pink Closet . On 12 November 2024 the Pink Closet will head to the Main Hall of the TU Delft Library for the first time! The Pink Closet will take its place at the Nook, where it will feature as part of the Studium Generale programme on loneliness. More information on events that coincide with and incorporate the Pink Closet at TU Delft Library will soon be available on the website of Studium Generale .

Green ammonia remains a challenge, but researchers make significant progress

The production of ammonia, essential for fertiliser production, is responsible for almost 1.5% of global carbon emissions. This needs to be greener, which is why researchers have been looking for sustainable alternatives for years.

"Measuring brain activity through the skull with ultrasound opens new doors"

PhD Candidate Rick Waasdorp is looking for ways to correct the distortion caused by the skull when using Ultrasound technology. ‘’My goal is to develop an adaptive method for skull corrections that automatically measures the skull of new patients.’’

NWO funding for flexible power demand in electrically driven industry

NWO is funding two projects to explore ways to make the power demand of industry more flexible, allowing it to better align with future energy supplies. One of these projects, “DEFLAME,” is led by Machteld van den Broek from TU Delft.

Students Amos Yusuf, Mick Dam & Bas Brouwer winners of Mekel Prize 2024

Master students Amos Yusuf, from the ME faculty (Mick Dam, from the EEMCS faculty and graduate Bas Brouwer have won the Mekel Prize 2024 for the best extra scientific activity at TU Delft: the development of an initiative that brings master students into the classroom teaching sciences to the younger generations. The prize was ceremonially awarded by prof Tim van den Hagen on 13 November after the Van Hasselt Lecture at the Prinsenhof, Delft. They received a statue of Professor Jan Mekel and 1.500,- to spend on their project. Insights into climate change are being openly doubted. Funding for important educational efforts and research are being withdrawn. Short clips – so called “reels” – on Youtube and TikTok threaten to simplify complex political and social problems. AI fakes befuddle what is true and what is not. The voices of science that contribute to those discussion with modesty, careful argument and scepticism, are drowned in noise. This poses a threat for universities like TU Delft, who strive to increase student numbers, who benefit from diverse student populations and aim to pass on their knowledge and scientific virtues to the next generation. It is, therefore, alarming that student enrolments to Bachelor and Master Programs at TU Delft have declined in the past year. Students in front of the class The project is aimed to make the sciences more appealing to the next generation. They have identified the problem that students tend miss out on the opportunity of entering a higher education trajectory in the Beta sciences – because they have a wrong picture of such education. In their mind, they depict it as boring and dry. In his pilot lecture at the Stanislas VMBO in Delft, Amos Yusuf has successfully challenged this image. He shared his enthusiasm for the field of robotics and presented himself as a positive role model to the pupils. And in return the excitement of the high school students is palpable in the videos and pictures from the day. The spark of science fills their eyes. Bas Brouwer Mick Dam are the founders of NUVO – the platform that facilitates the engagement of Master Students in high school education in Delft Their efforts offer TU Delft Master Students a valuable learning moment: By sharing insights from their fields with pupils at high school in an educational setting, our students can find identify their own misunderstandings of their subject, learn to speak in front of non-scientific audiences and peak into education as a work field they themselves might not have considered. An extraordinary commitment According to the Mekel jury, the project scored well on all the criteria (risk mitigation, inclusiveness, transparency and societal relevance). However, it was the extraordinary commitment of Amos who was fully immersed during his Master Project and the efforts of Brouwer and Dam that brought together teaching and research which is integral to academic culture that made the project stand out. About the Mekel Prize The Mekel Prize will be awarded to the most socially responsible research project or extra-scientific activity (e.g. founding of an NGO or organization, an initiative or realization of an event or other impactful project) by an employee or group of employees of TU Delft – projects that showcase in an outstanding fashion that they have been committed from the beginning to relevant moral and societal values and have been aware of and tried to mitigate as much as possible in innovative ways the risks involved in their research. The award recognizes such efforts and wants to encourage the responsible development of science and technology at TU Delft in the future. For furthermore information About the project: https://www.de-nuvo.nl/video-robotica-pilot/ About the Mekel Prize: https://www.tudelft.nl/en/tpm/our-faculty/departments/values-technology-and-innovation/sections/ethics-philosophy-of-technology/mekel-prize

The ENHANCE Diversity Seed Fund

Are you a student at TU Delft or another ENHANCE university with a passion for promoting diversity and inclusion? The ENHANCE Diversity Seed Fund is your chance to turn that passion into action. ENHANCE provides funding to support innovative, student-led projects that address key challenges related to inclusion and diversity within our academic communities. Key Details: Funding Available: Up to 1500 Euros per project in the 1st round! Eligibility: Students from ENHANCE member universities. Staff can also join student-led initiatives. Application Deadline: 8 January 2025. More information: Join the online Information Event on the 26 November 2024 16:00-17:00 CET on Zoom . More information: enhanceuniversity.eu/diversity/diversityseedfund/

New catheter technology promises safer and more efficient treatment of blood vessels

Each year, more than 200 million catheters are used worldwide to treat vascular diseases, including heart disease and artery stenosis. When navigating into blood vessels, friction between the catheter and the vessel wall can cause major complications. With a new innovative catheter technology, Mostafa Atalla and colleagues can change the friction from having grip to completely slippery with the flick of a switch. Their design improves the safety and efficiency of endovascular procedures. The findings have been published in IEEE. Catheter with variable friction The prototype of the new catheter features advanced friction control modules to precisely control the friction between the catheter and the vessel wall. The friction is modulated via ultrasonic vibrations, which overpressure the thin fluid layer. This innovative variable friction technology makes it possible to switch between low friction for smooth navigation through the vessel and high friction for optimal stability during the procedure. In a proof-of-concept, Atalla and his team show that the prototype significantly reduces friction, averaging 60% on rigid surfaces and 11% on soft surfaces. Experiments on animal aortic tissue confirm the promising results of this technology and its potential for medical applications. Fully assembled catheters The researchers tested the prototype during friction experiments on different tissue types. They are also investigating how the technology can be applied to other procedures, such as bowel interventions. More information Publicatie DOI : 10.1109/TMRB.2024.3464672 Toward Variable-Friction Catheters Using Ultrasonic Lubrication | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore Mostafa Atalla: m.a.a.atalla@tudelft.nl Aimee Sakes: a.sakes@tudelft.nl Michaël Wiertlewski: m.wiertlewski@tudelft.nl Would you like to know more and/or attend a demonstration of the prototype please contact me: Fien Bosman, press officer Health TU Delft: f.j.bosman@tudelft.nl/ 0624953733

Design and imagination as essential tools during the climate crisis

In Nature Partner Journals, ten researchers advocate the use of imagination in tackling the climate crisis. They focus specifically on urbanising river deltas, which are of great social and economic importance and highly vulnerable to climate change. "We scientists should not merely outline doomsday scenarios," says Professor Chris Zevenbergen. "Create a vision for people to believe in and work towards.”

Inaugural address: machine optimisation key to more efficient logistics system

The processing and transport of materials can be made much more efficient, says TU Delft professor Dingena Schott in her inaugural address, ‘Advancing Transport and Processing: from Model to Impact’. She will deliver her address on 15 November. Her research focuses on the interaction between machines and materials, with a special emphasis on granular materials.

FAST University Fund invites all TU Delft students

FAST University Fund invites all TU Delft students to apply for the Ambitious Project Grant or the Event Grant of up to €15.000!

Education demonstration in Utrecht cancelled

Safety cannot be guaranteed In our post of 22 October , we announced that students and staff of TU Delft will have the opportunity to take part in protests against the cabinet's plans to cut higher education. Today it has been announced that the demonstration against the cuts to higher education and science on 14 November in Utrecht has been cancelled because the safety of the demonstrators cannot be guaranteed. Read the reaction of Universiteiten van Nederland to the cancellation of the education demonstration in Utrecht (Dutch only).

Young Investigator Award for Gabrielle Laloy-Borgna

Gabrielle has won the technical Young Investigator Award at Euroson 2024 (congress of the European Federation of Ultrasound Societies in Medicine and Biology) with her presentation entitled: “Ultrasound imaging in bones: tissue characterization, anatomical images
and blood flow measurements”.

Ilaria Orsi joined ImPhys as PhD student

Ilaria started her PhD program in the Renaud group about ultrasound imaging inside bones, contributing to the advancement of such non-invasive technique to characterize tissue composition and to quantify blood flow.

First prize for ZhenZhen Wu at the 2024 NWO Biophysics poster awards

ZhenZhen Wu's poster, “Absolute Voltage Imaging in Developing Zebrafish,” won first prize in the 2024 NWO Biophysics poster awards, competing against over 150 posters. The BioPM Poster Prizes are awarded to the best posters presented at the NWO Biophysics Conference, and the winners are selected by a jury. ZhenZhen Wu z.wu-3@tudelft.nl

Enrolment for new courses open on 13 November

The new courses will start from Monday 18 November. Enrolment for these starts from Wednesday 13 November at 08.00! In the second quarter, a new series of courses awaits you. You can find out more on the website. Maybe you already know that you want to attend your favourite course again or maybe you want to discover and try something new; it's all possible. The enrolment moment for the course depends on the day the course takes place. At 08:00 enrolments for Monday's courses open, at 10:00 for Tuesday's courses, at 12:00 for Wednesday's courses, at 14:00 for Thursday's courses and at 16:00 for courses on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Enrolments go fast Enrolment for our courses always runs fast, so don't wait too long or be surprised by a course where spots are still available! Enrolment closes Enrolment closes on Friday 22 November at 16.00.

Contributions of SPTL at the CVS Congress (21-22 November, Utrecht)

On November 21 and 22, the 51st edition of the CVS congress is held in the Railway museum in Utrecht. Members of the Smart Public Transport Lab contribute to the following sessions: Knus in de bus op dinsdag; zijn alle werkdagen nog wel hetzelfde? Thursday, November 21, 16:00-17:30 Julia Bickel, Maxim Meijers and Niels van Oort [abstract] Stedelijkheidsgraden in transportmodellen: Een analyse over de impact van de ruimtelijke omgeving op reisgedrag Thursday, November 21, 16:00-17:30 Janine Grauss, Justin Hogenberg and Niels van Oort [abstract] Van en naar het treinstation: Voorkeuren van reizigers voor gedeelde elektrische micromobiliteit Friday, November 22, 11:30-13:00 Nejc Geržinič, Mark van Hagen, Dorine Duives and Niels van Oort [ abstract ] Gamen maakt de toekomst – Serious gamen voor een optimale mobiliteitsmix Friday, November 22, 11:30-13:00 Tessa Leferink, Niels van Oort and Sander Lenferink [abstract] De verkenning van de potentie van fietsparkeren bij het ov: een casus in Den Haag Madeline Lai, Dorine Duives, Stefan Talen, Nejc Geržinič and Niels van Oort Friday, November 22, 14:00-15:30 [abstract]