Manoj Coppens, BEP student in the first year of the Chemical Engineering master, received the BSc thesis AMCEL award
The BSc thesis AMCEL award was won by Manoj Coppens for his research on the electrochemical NO reduction in a PEM cell, as part of his BSc research project at Delft University of Technology (TuD) under the supervision of prof. Atsushi Urakawa.
In his work, focused on the effects of the catalysts and reaction conditions, he achieved remarkable Faradaic efficiencies of NO conversion to ammonia and demonstrated new paths for waste-to-value conversion and towards pollutant reduction. The BSc thesis award, sponsored by Avantium, will also be presented during the AMCEL annual symposium where the winner will present a poster on his research work.
What was so special or striking about your thesis that you won this prize?
"I think the most striking part of my thesis was the exploratory nature of it. The field of NO reduction in a PEM cell is very novel. My supervisor, Sorin Bunea, and I set out to investigate the possibility of reducing NO towards ammonia in a PEM cell. Going into the project there were no expectations of any usable results (although no results is still a result). Due to this the project was quite dynamic, as depending on results some things were investigated more thorough than others. Adapting the project throughout my thesis period was key and led to great results. Another important aspect is that the field of electrochemistry is getting more traction as we need to move towards a carbon neutral and sustainable future. Using electrochemical technologies (possibly like the one in my thesis) to replace the current fossil fuel based ones is imperative."
What does winning this prize mean for your further studies and research?
"Winning this prize has motivated and convinced me that electrochemical technologies will play a key part in our road towards a sustainable and carbon neutral future. Personally, I would like to continue in this field. Whether it be in industry or academics."
