Bart Zijlstra Email & Phone Number

Roermond, Li, Nl

Roermond, Limburg, Netherlands

Eindhoven Area, Netherlands

Electrochemical reduction of CO₂ is a future solution to store excess renewable electricity in chemical bonds. I was tasked with developing a modeling procedure that identifies critical mechanistic pathways in this chemical transformation. I collaborated with both computational and experimental colleagues to extend our C++ modeling software to include the effects of electrochemical potential and diffusion limitations. During the project I wrote various Python modules to automate data acquisition and produce high-quality graphs. We then published the results in a respected academic journal.

Eindhoven, North Brabant, Netherlands

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is a transition technology that enables the production of clean transportation fuels. Scalable application of this technology requires fundamental understanding of the heterogeneous catalyst. In my PhD project, I used the Dutch supercomputer to unravel the mechanism of the Fischer-Tropsch reaction. In addition to performing an extensive amount of density functional theory calculations, I became a core developer of the microkinetic modeling code MKMCXX. This C++ software suite uses the computed reaction barriers to simulate the rates of chemical reactions. My expertise in quantum chemical modeling and software engineering led to various publications, and resulted in the successful defense of my PhD thesis on January 15, 2020.

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

My interest in computational Fischer-Tropsch research developed during my MSc studies. Because I also wanted to gain experience in an experimental and industrial context, I chose to do a four-month internship at the Shell Technology Centre Amsterdam in the Gas Conversion group. During the internship I was responsible for preparing and testing promoted cobalt catalysts in a lab-scale Fischer-Tropsch reactor setup. I identified multiple selectivity directing promoters and I optimized the GC-FID analysis procedure.

Eindhoven, North Brabant, Netherlands

Computational Fischer-Tropsch research.

Roermond, Limburg, Netherlands

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Chemical Engineering

Master Of Science (Msc), Chemical Engineering, Cum Laude

Bachelor Of Science (Bsc), Chemical Engineering

Gymnasium, N&T, N&G, Ib English A2 Higher Level

Education record