Prof. Dr. Oliver Kröcher

Head, Laboratory for Sustainable Energy Carriers and Processes
Telephone
+41 56 310 20 66
Paul Scherrer Institute PSI
Forschungsstrasse 111
5232 Villigen PSI
Switzerland
Digitale Visitenkarte




Professional Experiences
since 05/2013Head of the Group for Sustainable Energy Carriers and Adjunct Professor at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne.
01/2014-03/2021Head of the Swiss Competence Centre for Energy Research in the field of Biomass (SCCER BIOSWEET).
05/2010-7/2019Member of the board of directors of the Hydromethan AG, a spin-off company of the Paul Scherrer Institut.
since 01/2010Head of the Laboratory for Sustainable Energy Carriers and Processes at the Paul Scherrer Institut.
10/2001-09/2018Head of the Catalysis for Energy Group at the Paul Scherrer Institut.
05/2001-09/2001Head of the Catalytic Processes Group at Degussa AG, Feed Additives Division.
08/1997-04/2001Research manager for catalytic processes at Degussa AG (Germany), Feed Additives Division.
Working on:
- Heterogeneous gas phase reactions (propene to acrolein, ß-picoline to 3-cyanopyridine, methanol to methyl mercaptan).
- Development, set-up and operation of process controlled laboratory apparatus and pilot plants.
- Catalyst development, quality control of catalyst production, catalyst changes in production plants.
- Development of process gas analysis systems.
- Plant process development.
02/1994-07/1997Assistant at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Industrial Chemistry of the ETH Zurich (Switzerland).
Research mentor for diploma students.
Education
02/1994-07/1997 Ph.D. thesis under the supervision of Prof. Dr. A. Baiker at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Industrial Chemistry of the ETH Zurich (Switzerland): "Synthesis of Formic Acid Derivatives by Catalytic Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide".
Working on:
- Heterogeneous (and homogeneous) hydrogenation reactions.
- Sol-gel chemistry.
- High pressure chemistry.
- Multi phase reactions.
- Supercritical fluids.
Additional education in technical chemistry.
02/1993-12/1993 Thesis for diploma examination at the Institute for Organic Chemistry, University of Wurzburg (Germany).
10/1988-01/1993 Chemistry studies at the University of Wurzburg (Germany).
  • H. Redlingshöfer, O. Kröcher, W. Böck, K. Huthmacher, G. Emig, "Catalytic Wall Reactor as a Tool for Isothermal Investigations in the Heterogeneously Catalyzed Oxidation of Propene to Acrolein", Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2002, 41 (6), 1445 -1453.
  • L. Schmid, O. Kröcher, R. A. Köppel, A. Baiker, "Silica xerogels containing bidentate phosphine ruthenium complexes: textural properties and catalytic behaviour in the synthesis of N, N -dimethylformamide from carbon dioxide", Micropor. Mesopor. Mat. 2000, 35-36, 181-193.
  • O. Kröcher, R. A. Köppel, A. Baiker, "Silica hybrid gel catalysts containing ruthenium complexes: influence of reaction parameters on the catalytic behaviour in the synthesis of N, N -dimethylformamide from carbon dioxide", J. Mol. Catal. 1999, 140, 185-193.
  • O. Kröcher, R. A. Köppel, A. Baiker, "Silica Hybrid Gels Containing Group(VIII) Transition Metal Complexes: Preparation, Structural, and Catalytic Properties in the Synthesis of N, N -Dimethylformamide and Methyl Formate from Supercritical Carbon Dioxide.", J. Catal. 1998, 178, 284-298.
  • O. Kröcher, R. A. Köppel, A. Baiker, "Novel Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Synthesis of Formic Acid Derivatives from CO2", Chimia 1997, 51 (1-2), 48-51.
  • O. Kröcher, R. A. Köppel, A. Baiker, "Highly active ruthenium complexes with bidentate phosphine ligands for the solvent-free catalytic synthesis of N, N -dimethylformamide and methyl formate", Chem. Commun. 1997, 453-454.
  • O. Kröcher, R. A. Köppel, A. Baiker, "Sol-gel derived hybrid materials as heterogeneous catalysts for the synthesis of N, N -dimethylformamide from supercritical carbon dioxide", Chem. Commun. 1996, 1497-1498.
  • O. Kröcher, R. A. Köppel, A. Baiker, "Synthesis of N, N -Dimethylformamide by Heterogeneous Catalytic Hydrogenation of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide", High Pressure Chemical Engineering, P. R. von Rohr, C. Trepp (Eds.), Process Technology Proceedings 12, Elsevier: Amsterdam, 1996; pp. 91-96.
  • A. Baiker, O. Kröcher, R. A. Köppel, "Verfahren zur Synthese von Ameisensäure und ihren Derivaten", Swiss patent application No. 3103/96, 12/18/1996.
  • G. Bringmann, T. Hartung, O. Kröcher, K.-P. Gulden, J. Lange, H. Burzlaff, "Synthesis and Absolute Stereostructure of Dinaphth[2,1-c:1',2'-e]oxepin-3-(5H)-one", Tetrahedron 1994, 50 (9), 2831-2840.
YearAward
2005
Swiss Technology Award 2005 
Michael Schär, Oliver Kröcher, Martin Elsener


Hocheffizientes DeNOx-System für Dieselmotoren (Highly efficient DeNOx system for Diesel engines)

2005
Special Environmental Prize 2005 (Price of the ABB Schweiz AG for the most innovative system to reduce CO2 emissions) 
Oliver Kröcher, Martin Elsener


Hocheffizientes DeNOx-System für mobile Dieselantriebe (Highly efficient DeNOx system for mobile Diesel engines)

 
Institution / FunctionPeriod
Frontiers in Fuels
Chief Editor		since 2022
Extended Energy Commission of the Swiss Academies of Sciences a+
Member		since 2018

International congress on Catalysis and Automotive Pollution Control (CAPoC)

Scientific Advisory Board Member

since 2015

Institute for Biomass and Resource Efficiency (IBRE) of the FHNW

Steering Committee Member

since 2010
European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) on Bioenergy
Steering Committee, Member		since 2010
Dechema (German Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology)
Member		since 1998