About our institute
Research and teaching at the Institute of Technical Chemistry mainly focuses on heterogeneous catalysis and chemical reaction engineering.
The research area of heterogeneous catalysis deals with scientific investigations (both fundamental and process related) of zeolites, metal supported catalysts, and redox-active oxides or oxide layers, i. e. they are being synthesized, characterized, and thoroughly tested.
The research area of chemical reaction engineering also deals with the scientific investigations (both fundamental and process related) of technical reaction control and reactor designs with an emphasis on heterogeneous catalysis engineering, micro reaction engineering, and electrochemical reaction engineering.
Research topics at the Institute of Technical Chemistry
Solid acid/base catalysis
Synthesis of zeolite catalysts; characterization; in-situ solid-state NMR
Examples of application: Dehydration of e.g. lactic acid or ethanol; dehydrogenation in combination with amidation or oxidation reactions; catalytic cracking of bio-oils; methanol-to-olefins
Oxidation catalysis
Synthesis of Mars-van-Krevelen catalysts, monolayer supported catalysts and metal supported catalysts; characterization; isothermal reaction engineering investigations; explosion prevention
Examples of application: Selective oxidation of o-xylene, n-butane and methane
Hydrogenation catalysis
Metal support catalysts; metal organic frameworks (MOFS); characterization
Examples of application: Selective hydration of alkynes to alkenes; transfer hydrogenations
Micro reaction engineering
Fixed bed micro-reactors; slit-reactors with catalyst coatings; multi-phase reactions in slug-flow systems; thermography
Examples of application: Oxidation of cyclohexane; ethoxylations; anionic polymerization of butadiene
Electrochemical reaction engineering
Gas Diffusion Electrodes; H-type cells; flow cells; linear sweep voltametry; potensiostatic and galvanostatic measurements
Examples of application: CO2-reduction to formic acid for chemical storage and substrate supply of fermenters; CO2-reduction to alcohols
News at the ITC
University of Stuttgart is taking part in eForFuel,:
University of Stuttgart is taking part in eForFuel, an exciting EU-funded research and
innovation initiative that seeks to provide a sustainable replacement of fossil fuels by
using electricity and microorganisms to convert CO2 into renewable fuels.t.
Further information (in German)
Team of the ITC List of publications Teaching at the ITC Alumni Contact usContact
Elias Klemm
Prof. Dr.-Ing.Head of Institute
Elisa Favaro
Assisstant to the Head of Institute