Short CV
Professional Experiences
| since 05/2013 | Head of the Group for Sustainable Energy Carriers and Adjunct Professor at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne. |
| 01/2014-03/2021 | Head of the Swiss Competence Centre for Energy Research in the field of Biomass (SCCER BIOSWEET). |
| 05/2010-7/2019 | Member of the board of directors of the Hydromethan AG, a spin-off company of the Paul Scherrer Institut. |
| since 01/2010 | Head of the Laboratory for Sustainable Energy Carriers and Processes at the Paul Scherrer Institut. |
| 10/2001-09/2018 | Head of the Catalysis for Energy Group at the Paul Scherrer Institut. |
| 05/2001-09/2001 | Head of the Catalytic Processes Group at Degussa AG, Feed Additives Division. |
| 08/1997-04/2001 | Research 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. |
| 02/1994-07/1997 | Assistant 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). |
Publications before PSI
- 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.
Awards
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Swiss Technology Award 2005 |
| 2005 | Special Environmental Prize 2005 (Price of the ABB Schweiz AG for the most innovative system to reduce CO2 emissions) |
Other Functions
| Institution / Function | Period |
| 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 |