NWO Roadmap Grant for new national X-ray research centre

Utrecht University will develop its own X-ray microscopy lab for research on sustainable materials. The facility will form part of a new national X-ray research centre that will be launched with €15.8 million in funding from NWO, led by the University of Groningen. At Utrecht University, Bert Weckhuysen and Florian Meirer of the Institute for Sustainable and Circular Chemistry are heading the development of the new lab.

Their research group uses X-rays to follow chemical processes from the inside out. With this approach, the researchers aim to design stable and efficient materials, including catalysts, essential for the materials and energy transitions. 

“Up to now, we performed these kinds of measurements mainly at large synchrotron facilities in both Europe and the United States,” says Weckhuysen. “Now we’re bringing that technology into the lab. This allows us to run long-term experiments, for instance to test the stability of catalysts under real working conditions.”

From synchrotron to lab

The Utrecht facility will be housed in the EM Square in the David de Wied Building and will be integrated into the existing analytical infrastructure. This enables researchers to combine multiple imaging techniques to gain deeper insight into materials. 

“It’s fantastic that we can now carry out such advanced X-ray microscopy here in Utrecht,” says Weckhuysen. “And of course, we’re opening this infrastructure not just to our own institute, but to researchers across the country.” Florian Meirer adds: ”We also wish to investigate samples ranging from the field of life sciences to objects of art and cultural heritage.”

We’re opening this infrastructure not just to our own institute, but to researchers across the country.

National network

The new virtual X-ray centre will operate across three university hubs: Groningen, Utrecht and Eindhoven. Together they will provide researchers from the Netherlands and abroad with access to unique facilities, training opportunities and knowledge exchange. The grant is part of NWO’s Large-Scale Research Infrastructure (LSRI) programme.