Danish chemicals company joins Dutch nanoconsortium

Danish company Haldor Topsøe is to join the public–private Nano-Imaging under Industrial Conditions (NIMIC) research consortium in its capacity as a catalyst specialist, alongside Dutch counterpart Albemarle Catalysts BV. The two chemical companies will put nanotechnology developed under the auspices of NIMIC into practice.

The original NIMIC partners are TU Delft, Leiden University, Albemarle Catalysts BV, FEI Company BV, LPM BV, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) and the Netherlands Cancer Institute.

NIMIC introduces new methods for the live observation of chemical, biomedical and material science processes of atoms and molecules at nanometre level. As these new types of microscopy can be used under process conditions, they have a wide range of potential applications. One example is studying and improving catalysts.

Alfons Molenbroek of Haldor Topsøe’s R&D Division, said: “Our participation in NIMIC is an expansion and intensification of our current cooperation. Over the past few years, we have worked closely with TU Delft and FEI Company in developing nanoreactors used for studying catalysts in an electron microscope. We recently succeeded for the first time in observing atomic-level chemical reactions within a nanoreactor in our electron microscope at a pressure greater than 1 bar. This offers many promising opportunities for understanding the structure and activity of catalysts under industrial conditions.”

Roel Kamerling, executive director of NIMIC, said: “NIMIC was created a year ago as a SmartMix programme encompassing seven Dutch organisations. Our aim is to have both a scientific and commercial impact. The addition of Haldor Topsøe demonstrates that we are on the right track.”