Tobias Pogrzeba

Microemulsion systems for catalytic reactions and processes

Among the available green solvents, microemulsion systems show superior properties for catalytic reactions and processes which can be easily tuned by the selection of an appropriate surfactant. In this review, we show examples for bio-, homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis and discuss the parameters which are important for successful implementation of these systems. Based on the kind of catalysis, they allow for the reuse of dissolved catalysts or even for a better solubilisation of hydrophobic reactants. However, their phase behaviour which strongly depends on composition and temperature as well as surfactant/catalyst interaction has to be studied in detail.

Weimar 2016: Catalysis Strikes Back

What a start to the year—the German Catalysis Society (GeCatS) gathered for their annual meeting, which is traditionally held in the historical city of Weimar. The city is situated in the heart of Germany and is well known for its cultural and historical impact on the nation’s development throughout the centuries. This year’s 49th meeting took place from Wednesday March 16th to Friday March 18th and was attended by 535 participants (slightly fewer participants than previous years owing to a busy international conference timetable). Nonetheless, the scientific program was comprehensive and, as expected, set to a high scientific level, involving 5 plenary lectures, 31 presentations, and 269 posters on display. Special interest was recognized within these contributions in the fields of electrochemistry, selective oxidation/reduction, catalyst preparation, and selective (de-)hydrogenation. Moreover, YounGeCatS organized two poster workshops this year, in which attention was paid to ten selected poster contributions, mostly given by young scientists. The two poster workshops were dedicated to the topics of reaction engineering and molecular catalysis–biocatalysis, respectively. In addition to the scientific program, 27 companies were present to exhibit their latest products and innovations related to catalysis research and catalyst characterization throughout the conference. With 21 exhibitors in attendance the previous year, this significant growth clearly demonstrates how fruitful the interaction is for industry and academia meeting in Weimar.

Hydroformylation of 1-dodecene in microemulsions: operation and validation of lab results in a miniplant

Hydroformylation of 1-Dodecene in Microemulsions: Operation and Validation of Lab Results in a Miniplant