The local ordering of atoms at the surface of a metallic particle determines its catalytic activity and selectivity. As energy systems of the future will be based on efficient catalytic conversion of small molecules in closed cycles, we study how structural effects of catalysts can be used to our ad…

Catalysis is of extreme relevance in the production of everyday materials and plays a central role in many aspects of our life.

Promotor: Prof.dr. G.J. Kroes

Heterogeneous catalysis is essential to many industrial applications. These catalysts are often comprised of supported nanoparticles, which contain various different surface sites.

The dissociative chemisorption of methane on metal surfaces is of fundamental and practical interest, being a rate-limiting step in the steam reforming process. The reaction is best modeled with quantum dynamics calculations, but these are currently not guaranteed to produce accurate results because…

Promotor: Arjen Doelman, Co-promotor: Vivi Rottschäfer

Fundamental understanding of molecular reactions on metal surfaces is important for improving heterogeneous catalysis.

This thesis describes the use of a combined approach of computational and experimental techniques to gain novel insights to understand the glycosylation reaction and its reactive intermediates.

Unfolding potential

This perspective addresses four challenges facing theorists whose aim is to make quantitatively accurate predictions for reactions of molecules on metal surfaces, and suggests ways of meeting these challenges, focusing on dissociative chemisorption reactions of H2, N2, and CH4.

In the thesis the dynamics of strategies is studied from two perspectives.In the first part of the thesis strategies are considered to be opinions present in a community.

Promotores: G.W. Canters, T.J. Aartsma

How can we make the production of chlorine cheaper and more friendly for the environment?

The research presented in this thesis makes use of small molecules (as H2 , D2 and O2 ) on well-defined single crystal surfaces (flat Pt(111), flat Cu(211) and curved Pt(111)) to elucidate the role of surface structure and degrees of freedom in the reactant in specific surface reactions.

In this thesis, dynamic testing principles were applied to examine young children's potential for learning. Our studies focused on the role of cognitive flexibility, to further increase our understanding of the cognitive processes involved in children's ability to learn from instruction and feedback,…

In this thesis, we study travelling waves in stochastic reaction-diffusion equations. We extend techniques from the deterministic theory for travelling waves to apply to the stochastic version, which allows us to compute the stochastic wave speed and shape, and draw conclusions on the stability of the…

Promotor: Prof.dr. T.J. Aartsma, Co-promotor: R.N. Frese

This thesis has shed light on some of the ways in which the local electrolyte composition can differ from the bulk and how these changes in the local reaction environment can determine the activity and/or selectivity of two important electrocatalytic reactions, namely, electrochemical CO2 reduction…

The glycosylation reaction is a pivotal reaction in creating new and complex oligosaccharides.

An assessment approach that tailors to children’s instructional needs

In this dissertation, the synthesis and characterization of a series of iron complexes based on different ligand platforms are described.

Can dynamic testing provide us with insight in children’s potential for learning?

Promotor: Prof.dr. E. Bouwman

Chemical reactions go hand-in-hand with an energy exchange with the environment in which they take place. Surfaces offer a variety of energy dissipation channels, constituted by the nuclear and electronic degrees of freedom of the atoms at the interface. Aiming at an improved future harvesting of energy,…

BlaC is the β-lactamase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We show that it can recover from inhibition by clavulanic acid and that phosphate helps it do so.

Promotor: A. Doelman, Co-promotor: J.D.M. Rademacher

Promotor: M.T.M. Koper, Co-Promotor: L.B.F. Juurlink

Koper

A difficulty of studies on chemical kinetics are the reaction time scales and detection of their intermediates.

Hetterscheid

Developing methodes to understand the evolution of patches in natural ecosystems

Lecture

Promotor: Prof.dr. S.F. Portegies Zwart, Co-promotor: D.C. Heggie

An accurate description of reactive scattering of molecules on metal surfaces often requires the modeling of energy transfer between the molecule and the surface phonons. Although ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) can describe this energy transfer, AIMD is at present untractable for reactions with…

Although it is often assumed that the stereochemistry in Ugi multicomponent reactions is determined in the final Mumm rearrangement step, experimental and computational evidence that Ugi reactions on hydroxylated pyrrolines proceed under kinetic control is reported.

Jaroslaw Kantorowicz, assistant professor at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs, isolated the reaction of the public to the potential breach of constitutional fiscal rules from the reaction of other players, such as the opposition, media and civil society organizations.

Methods for accurately computing the interaction of molecules with metal surfaces are critical to understanding and thereby improving heterogeneous catalysis.

The research of our group is centered around dynamical systems, functional analysis and their interplay.

Dynamic nuclear polarization with paramagnetic agents can enhance nuclear magnetic resonance signals by orders of magnitude. The mechanism of enhancement depends a.o. on the magnetic resonance properties of the agents used. Electron spin relaxation times at NMR relevant magnetic field/microwave frequencies,…

The research of this programme is centered around dynamical systems, functional analysis, and their interplay.

If gifted children are experts in using strategies, why do they experience problems with learning? Why do they underachieve?

Actin Polymerization and Membrane Physics in Living Cells: Analysis of cell spreading mechanisms

This research group is interested in the physics of living cells, especially their cytoskeleton dynamics under defined external stimuli.

Promotor: E. Bouwman, Co-promotor: S. Bonnet

Promotor: W.Th.F. den Hollander

Phospholipase A/acyltransferase 3 (PLAAT3) and PLAAT4 are enzymes involved in the synthesis of bioactive lipids. Despite sequential and structural similarities, the two enzymes differ in activity and specificity.