Catalysis research at HZB gets new facility

The facility built by ILS is the largest single investment in the CatLab project

Left: Each block of the chemical reactors is roughly 3 to 4 meters wide and a bit under 2 meters high. The facility consists of two blocks and weighs 3 tons in total. © R. Schlatmann/HZB // Right: The facility consists of a total of eight chemical reactors in which catalytic systems can be tested. © D. Amkreutz/HZB

As part of the CatLab project, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) has acquired a unique facility for measuring the catalytic performance of thin-film catalysts. Built by ILS in Adlershof, it has now been delivered. The facility consists of a total of eight chemical reactors in which catalytic systems can be tested. At over €2.5 million, this is the largest single investment in the CatLab project.

‘The reactors enable thin-film and powder samples to be examined continuously or in batches under adjustable conditions, from room temperature to 780 °C, at pressures up to 50 bar and different flow rates and residence times. This allows us to investigate a wide range of chemical reactions that are important for the energy transition,’ says project manager Dr. Ing. Albert Gili from HZB.

Examples of such reactions include the conversion of carbon dioxide to methanol, the dry reforming of methane, and the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, which can be used to produce synthetic fuels. The facility enables the screening of catalyst candidates, kinetic investigations, and studies on the long-term stability of catalysts. The latter is a decisive factor for the industrial implementation of any catalytic reaction. ‘The facility will be a cornerstone for the further development of thin-film catalyst production, not only for CatLab, but also for our in-house research and other important projects such as CARE-O-SENE, Greenquest and several new ones in the pipeline,’ says Prof. Dr. Rutger Schlatmann, CatLab overall project lead at HZB.

Video presentation of the facility on the LinkedIn channel of ILS CEO Anton Nagy

Contact:

Competence Centre Photovoltaics Berlin (PVcomB)
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie
Schwarzschildstraße 3, 12489 Berlin
https://www.helmholtz-berlin.de/projects/pvcomb/

Prof. Dr. Rutger Schlatmann
(030) 8062-15680
rutger.schlatmann(at)helmholtz-berlin.de

Dr. Albert Gili de Villasante
(030) 8062-15049
albert.gili(at)helmholtz-berlin.de

HZB press release, 6 March 2026