Professor Pierre Jacobs, KU Leuven, Belgium, was awarded the BASF-DECHEMA Alwin Mittasch Special Prize for his research into materials and their use as process catalysts. The award comes with EUR 10,000 in prize money. It was presented at the “Future Loves History – 100 Years of Ammonia Synthesis” scientific symposium at BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Pierre A. Jacobs, born 1943, studied at the University of Leuven, Belgium. Since 1999, he is professor at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis (COK). He has also taught at the Dutch Institute of Catalysis Research and as a visiting professor at ETH Zürich, Switzerland.

Initially focusing on zeolites and their use in catalysis, Pierre Jacobs gradually expanded his research activities to include other heterogeneous and homogeneous catalytic processes, many of these are now in industrial use. These include synthesis of γ-butyrolactone from maleic acid anhydride, an important step in the manufacture of anti-dementia drugs, and side chain alkylation of alkyl-substituted anthraquinones, an intermediate step in industrial hydrogen peroxide production. His research areas also include catalytic processing of biomass.

The numerous awards Jacobs has received include the 1981 American Chemical Society’s Emmett Award in Fundamental Catalysis, the Donald W. Breck Award in 1998, and the Synetix Award of the European Federation of Catalysis Societies in 2001.

Recent publications

• Tailoring nanohybrids and nanocomposites for catalytic applications,
  F. de Clippel, M. Dusselier, S. Van de Vyver, L. Peng, P. Jacobs, B. Sels,
  Green Chem 2013, 15 (6), 1398–1430.
  DOI: 10.1039/C3GC37141G
• Molybdenum-Vanadium-Antimony Mixed Oxide Catalyst for Isobutane Partial Oxidation Synthesized using Magneto Hydrodynamic Forces,
  B. Stuyven, J. Emmerich, P. Eloy, J. Van Humbeeck, P. Jacobs, C. Kirschhock, J. Martens, E. Breynaert,
  Appl. Catal. A, General 2013.
  DOI: 10.1016/j.apcata.2013.07.039
• Is there still a Future for Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils?,
  A. Philippaerts, P. Jacobs, B. Sels,
  Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013, 52 (20), 5220–5226.
  DOI: 10.1002/anie.201209731
• Conversion of (ligno)cellulose feeds to isosorbide with heteropoly acids and Ru on carbon,
  B. Op de Beeck, J. A. Geboers, S. Van de Vyver, J. Van Lishout, J. Snelders, W. Huijgen, C. Courtin, P. Jacobs, B. Sels,
  ChemSusChem 2013, 6 (1), 199–208.
  DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201200610
• CO₂ reverse selective mixed matrix membranes for H₂ purification by incorporation of carbon–silica fillers,
  F. de Clippel, A. Khan, A. Cano-Odena, M. Dusselier, K. Vanherck, L. Peng, S. Oswald, L. Giebeler, S. Corthals, B. Kenens, J. Denayer, P. Jacobs, I. Vankelecom, B. Sels,
  J. Mater. Chem. 2013, 1, 945–953.
  DOI: 10.1039/C2TA00098A