The energy system is at the heart of two of the greatest challenges of the 21st century: decreasing CO2 emissions to meet the ambitions of the Paris agreement while fulfilling the growing energy demand associated with the economic aspirations of a growing world population.

The main focus of this thesis is the behaviour of two-dimensional materials, namely (anti)-ferromagnetic materials in the first two chapters, which show topological phases, and energetic square ice in the third and fourth chapter.

Promotor: Prof.dr. W.Th.F. den Hollander, Co-promotor: R. Fernandez.

Promotor: Prof.dr. E. Bouwman, Co-Promotor: S. Bonnet

Promotor: W. T. F. den Hollander, F. H. J. Redig

In this course, you will learn about sustainability and staying with the environmental boundaries of our planet. You will gain an understanding of the effects of growing affluence and population growth, the key challenges we are facing, and ways to influence your direct environment.

Promotores: F.H.J. Redig, W.T.F. den Hollander

Promotor: J. Zaanen

The expanding population and economic activity are driving up global energy consumption. Simultaneously, there is an urgent need to transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources to mitigate the climate crisis, primarily caused by fossil fuel combustion.

The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) reduces vehicle emissions to combat climate change. EVs raise concerns regarding the production of lithium-ion batteries and related emissions; while batteries can also provide energy storage services for the electricity system.

Promotor: Prof.dr. M.L. van Heck, Co-Promotor: B.P. Tighe

Metals surfaces form a group of effective catalysts for the reaction of small molecules such as hydrogen (H2).

The research described in this thesis focused on the preparation of S/N functionalized carbene ligands and their transition metal complexes, and the exploration of their application as electrocatalysts for proton reduction.

The global transition toward low-carbon energy systems and the rapid expansion of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, are reshaping how modern societies produce, move, and process energy and information.

This dissertation investigates the energy and material related impacts of the transition towards a low-carbon heating system in the Netherlands, in the context of its 2050 climate and circular economy policy goals.

The AT-Hook Nuclear Localized 15 (AHL15) gene belongs to a plant-specific gene family of DNA-binding proteins. Overexpression of AHL15 in Arabidopsis thaliana delays developmental phase transitions whereas its loss of function causes a slight acceleration.

‘De prikkels in de wetenschap zijn net zo pervers als bij de banken’, vindt UMC-bestuurder en immunoloog Frank Miedema. Staan andere belangen goed wetenschappelijk onderzoek inderdaad in de weg? Op maandag 24 maart geeft prof. Miedema een openbare lezing over ‘Science in Transition’.

This thesis describes the functional analysis of the Arabidopsis AHL15 gene.

The elementary excitations of magnets are called spin waves, and their corresponding quasi-particles are known as magnons. The rapidly growing field of Magnonics aims at using them as information carriers in a new generation of electronic devices, (almost) free of electric currents.

This thesis focuses on the synthesis, characterization and performance towards CO2 electroreduction of mono and bi-metallic particles based on p-block metals

Jaroslaw Kantorowicz and Rok Spruk onderzoeken de bijdrage van institutionele hervormingen aan economische groei.

Mechanical forces are known to play an important role in bacterial colonies. In this dissertation, we study the self-organization at various stages of growing bacterial colonies, and focus on the mechanical effects of cell growth.

Submissions are sought for a special issue with Frontiers in Political Science that explores the conceptual and practical aspects of a ‘just’ energy transition both within and beyond Europe. In particular, contributions to the theoretical and interdisciplinary foundations of just transitions, as well…

In dit artikel onderzoekt Barrie Sander, universitair docent internationaal recht, vanuit een narratief-theoretisch perspectief hoe veiligheid wordt geconstrueerd, betwist en beschreven binnen drie EU-regelgevingskaders op het snijvlak van klimaat- en AI-governance: de wet inzake kritieke grondstoffen,…

The vegetative growth period for leafy vegetables like lettuce is essential for yield and quality.

In this thesis, we consider various (electro)chemical phenomena at surfaces and nanoparticles and their underlying atomistic processes, which we studied using first-principles methods such as density functional theory.

In the early universe, the dynamics of the Higgs field can give rise to many interesting phenomena.

Promotor: Prof.dr. M.L. van Hecke

Decarbonizing the building stock is critical for realizing the climate-neutral target for the Netherlands.

This thesis advance our understanding and the application of molecular catalysts relevant to the reduction of oxygen as well as reduction of nitrite.

Promotores: Arjen Doelman, Jens Rademacher, Max Rietkerk

In-use stocks of products can be considered as intermediaries between human needs and the physical world.

The zoo of detected exoplanets reveals both the uniqueness of our own Solar System and the complexity of planetary system formation, sparking fundamental questions about how planetary systems form and evolve.

Promotor: W.Th.F. den Hollander

Promotor: Prof.dr. E. Deprettere

High-angular-resolution observations of the circumstellar material have uncovered numerous and very diverse substructures in protoplanetary discs, raising the question of whether they are caused by forming planets or other mechanisms.

A sustainable resource management is an essential aspect to satisfy the current human needs without compromising the needs of future generations.

The Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics states that a measurement collapses a wavefunction onto an eigenstate of the corresponding measurement operator.

Systems with local constraints is a new finding in recent researches on complex systems. The heterogeneous spatial interactions and the temporal dependencies among those numerous units make it difficult to describe by traditional statistical physics.

Promotores: W.T. de Groot, M. Tchuenté, Co-promotor: J.P. Cheylan

Promotores: Prof.dr. E.F. van Dishoeck, Prof.dr. C.P. Dullemond

Geometric phases lead to a nontrivial interference result when an electron's different quantum mechanical paths choices encircle a magnetic coil in an Aharonov-Bohm experiment.

Promotor: F. Arbab

Spectroscopic studies on fluorescent single molecules in organic condensed matter does not only provide information about the molecule itself, but also its near environment. By suppression of phonon-induced broadening of spectral lines through cooling to low temperatures, small changes in the spectral…