The Swiss CAT+ Project
The Swiss CAT+ is a data-driven technology platform offering high-throughput and automated experimentation tools combined with advanced computational data analysis in the field of catalysis (https://swisscatplus.ch).
The project, initiated by Prof. Dr. Christophe Copéret(ETHZ) and external pageProf. Dr. Nicolaï Cramer (EPFL), received an initial starting fund of 25mCHF from ETH-domain (2021-2024).
Two hubs have been created, the West hub (external pageSwiss Cat+ West), located at EPFL targets homogenous chemistry whereas the East hub (Swiss Cat+ East), at ETHZ deals with heterogeneous catalysis. The hubs are respectively under the authority of EPFL Vice-President of Academic Affairs and ETHZ Vice-President of Research.
Each hub has acquired specific high-end robotic tools allowing fully automated and parallelized catalysts synthesis, characterization and testing. The labs are fully digitalized aiming at closed loop data-driven experimentation using machine learning algorithms to support the experimental design of catalyst and their chemical understanding.
The Swiss CAT+ hubs are open to the whole scientifc community on service request basis. Feel free to contact external pageDr. Pascal Mieville - Head of Swiss CAT+ West, or Dr. Paco Laveille - Head of Swiss CAT+ East, for more details.
You may also register and send the Swiss CAT+ East an official request external pagehere.
The Swiss CAT+ East Hub
Swiss CAT+ East, located at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETHZ), focuses on heterogeneous catalysts R&D.
Swiss CAT+ Governance
The ETH Domain (ETH-RAT) provides the starting funds, equally distributed to each hub. The East hub located at ETH Zurich focuses on heterogeneous catalysis whereas the West hub located at EPFL targets homogeneous catalysis. Locally, the governing authorities are respectively the ETHZ Vice President of Research (VPR) for the East hub, and the EPFL Vice President of Academic affairs (VPA) for the West hub. A Steering Board composed of the Executive Directors of both hubs, with an equal number of Principal Investigator (PI) from each Polytechnic Institute (ETHZ and EPFL), approves the overall scientific strategy. An Advisory Board, composed of international experts provides additional scientific guidance. Finally, a main user assembly gathers once a year to discuss the scientific achievements resulting from the Swiss CAT+ hubs support, and to suggest potential new tools to acquire or ways to improve the hubs’ operations. Users from ETH-RAT institutions, as well as external universities and private companies may request Swiss CAT+ services.
Steering Committee as of March 2022:
- Prof. Dr. Christophe Copéret, Head of the Laboratory of Surface and Interfacial Chemistry at ETHZ.
- Prof. Dr. Nicolai Cramer, Head of the Laboratory of Asymmetric Catalysis and Synthesis at EPFL.
- Dr. Paco Laveille, Director Swiss CAT+ East (ETHZ).
- Dr. Pascal Mieville, Director Swiss CAT+ West (EPFL).
Advisory Board as of March 2022:
- Prof. Dr. Matthias Beller - Director of the “Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse e.V” (LIKAT).
- Prof. Dr. Abigail G. Doyle, Saul Winstein Chair in Organic Chemistry at UCLA.
- Prof. Dr. David Farrusseng, Research Professor at CNRS - Lyon 1 Univ.
- Dr. Thomas Heinz, Vice President Global Chemical R&D at Novartis.
- Dr. Stephan Andreas Schunk, Vice President R&D at BASF and Executive Expert at hte GmbH.
- Dr Till Kuehn, Vice President at Bruker BioSpin, Head of R&D.
- Dr. Luc Nougier, Director Catalysis, Biocatalysis and Separation at IFP Energies Nouvelles.
- Dr. Maud Reiter, Vice President Discovery Chemistry at Firmenich.
- Dr. Mikael Berthod, Head of the Competence Center Process Technology & Chemistry at Borealis.
- Dr. Kurt Püntener, Head of Catalysis and Flow reactions at Roche.
- Dr. Edouard Godineau, Head of Green and Sustainable Chemistry at Syngenta.
- Dr. Normen Szesni, Head of Future Technologies, BU Catalysts at Clariant.
Contact
swisscatplus-east
Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1
Laboratory G 120
8093
Zürich
Schweiz
Where to find us
We are located in HCI G120 laboratory:
HCI
Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5 / 108093 Zürich
