DFG Renews Funding
CRC on Sustainable Catalysis Enters Third Funding Phase
- 15.05.2026
The German Research Foundation has renewed funding for the Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio 247 “Heterogeneous Oxidation Catalysis in the Liquid Phase” (CRC/TRR 247) for a further four years. Led by Ruhr University Bochum, with University of Duisburg-Essen as co-applicant institution, the consortium brings together researchers from several partner institutions, including Kiel University, the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion and the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society. The renewed support marks the beginning of the consortium’s third funding period.
The researchers aim to make selective oxidation reactions more efficient and sustainable. These reactions produce important precursor chemicals for chemical syntheses, for example in the plastics, pharmaceutical and fine chemicals industries. Many of the processes currently in use, however, rely on rare and expensive precious metal catalysts.
To develop more sustainable high-performance catalysts, the team is investigating mixed metal oxides that are abundant and readily available. A key research question is how chemical reactions take place at the interfaces between solids and liquids. In particular, the researchers are examining how catalyst surfaces change during operation and how these changes affect performance.
During the first two funding phases from 2018 to 2026, the scientists developed advanced experimental and theoretical methods that enabled them to decipher key reaction mechanisms and identify particularly active regions of the catalysts.
In the third funding phase, which is now beginning, the focus is shifting to materials whose surfaces undergo partially reversible changes during reactions. Such dynamic structures are regarded as a promising approach for developing especially high-performance catalysts. In addition, the consortium is investigating new classes of materials and the combined use of heat and electrical energy to drive chemical reactions more efficiently.
The CRC/TRR 247 is coordinated by Prof. Dr Kristina Tschulik at Ruhr University Bochum. The co-spokesperson is Prof. Dr Stephan Schulz from the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry at University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE). Other principal investigators from UDE’s Faculty of Chemistry are Dr Corina Andronescu, Prof. Dr Stephan Barcikowski, Prof. Dr Kai Exner and Dr Stephane Kenmoe. From the Faculty of Physics, the participating principal investigators are Prof. Dr Kramper Campen, Prof. Dr Heiko Wende and Prof. Dr Rossitza Pentcheva. Prof. Dr Christof Schulz from the Faculty of Engineering is also a principal investigator in the CRC.
Please find further information on the website of the TRR: https://www.sfbtrr247.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/trr/index.html.en