News and Events
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering staff in winning team selected for USA 2008 R&D 100 award
Professor Chris Hardacre and Dr. Alex Goguet from the Centre for the Theory and Application of Catalysis (CenTACat) in QUB are part of the team that has been selected for a 2008 R&D 100 award in the USA. They have made a seminal contribution to the development of SpaciMS which is an experimental technique for investigating chemical reactions under real operating conditions in systems such as catalytic converters or fuel cells. Sampling within the reactor during operation gives greater understanding of reactor and catalytic chemistry than has previously been possible. This experimental methodology has been used by automotive manufacturers to optimise catalytic converters and to achieve the 2010 emissions control standards three years ahead of schedule.
Professor Hardacre, who is the Director of CenTACat, says that “he is delighted with this prestigious award which recognises the contribution that CenTACat is making to the development of new methodologies and demonstrates the international reputation that Queen’s University has in this important area of research”. Dr. Goguet, who contributed many novel features to the design of the SpaciMS in QUB, says that “it is very pleasing to have this research recognised and to be part of the international team that has created a world-leading experimental capability in catalysis research”.
