# Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry
**Source**: https://www.dtu.dk/english/education/graduate/msc-programmes/applied-chemistry/specialization/catalysis-and-sustainable-chemistry
**Parent**: https://www.dtu.dk/english/education/graduate/msc-programmes/applied-chemistry
### Coordinator of specialization
[Anders Riisager](https://www.dtu.dk/english/person/anders-riisager?id=6154&cpid=869 "Anders Riisager")
Professor
[Phone: +45 45252233](tel:45252233 "45252233")
[ar@kemi.dtu.dk](mailto:ar@kemi.dtu.dk "ar@kemi.dtu.dk")
## Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry
There is a growing demand for expertise in advanced and functional materials, particularly in the fields of catalysis and sustainable technologies. MSc graduates specializing from this specialization will gain strong competencies in the synthesis, characterization, and application of catalysts for environmental processes, chemical production, energy conversion, and fuel cells as well as chemistry and catalysis at the nanoscale.
The specialization covers both theoretical and practical aspects of catalysis, including reaction kinetics and mechanisms. Students will also develop hands-on experience with the design and operation of research test rigs, as well as industrial reaction engineering.
A key focus of the program is understanding the relationship between the structure and properties of advanced materials and catalysis. To support this, students will be acquianted with methods of investigation in surface studies alongside spectroscopic and X-ray characterization of molecular species and solid-state structures.
To complete the specialization, the student must fulfil the following requirements:
- Have passed Polytechnical foundation courses adding up to at least 10 ECTS
- Have passed Programme specific courses adding up to at least 50 ECTS
- Have performed a Master Thesis of at least 30 ECTS within Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry
- Have passed a sufficient number of Elective courses to bring the total number of ECTS of the entire study to 120 ECTS
**Mandatory course**
All mandatory courses under the polytechnic foundation and programme specific courses must be completed, in addition, the following must be fulfilled:
The following courses are mandatory to fullfill the requitements for the specialization:
| | | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [26510](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26510?menulanguage=en) | Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry | 10 | point | Spring F4 (Tues 13-17, Fri 8-12) |
| [28242](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/28242?menulanguage=en) | Chemical Kinetics and Catalysis | 5 | point | Autumn E1A (Mon 8-12) |
\
Choose at least 10 points among the following programme specific courses:
| | | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [10339](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/10339?menulanguage=en) | Concepts in heterogeneous catalysis and applications to energy conversion | 5 | point | Autumn E3B (Fri 13-17) |
| [26130](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26130?menulanguage=en) | Spectroscopic methods | 5 | point | Autumn E2B (Thurs 8-12) |
| [26438](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26438?menulanguage=en) | NMR Spectroscopy | 5 | point | Autumn E4B (Fri 8-12) |
| [28315](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/28315?menulanguage=en) | Applied Colloid and Surface Chemistry | 5 | point | Autumn E5B (Wed 13-17) |
| [28443](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/28443?menulanguage=en) | Industrial Reaction Engineering | 7.5 | point | Spring F4B (Fri 8-12) |
| [47301](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/47301?menulanguage=en) | Hydrogen energy and fuel cells | 5 | point | Spring F1B (Thurs 13-17) |
| [47333](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/47333?menulanguage=en) | Electron microscopy for materials science | 5 | point | Autumn E3A (Tues 8-12) |
| [47336](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/47336?menulanguage=en) | Applications of X-ray and neutron scattering in biology, chemistry, and physics | 5 | point | August |
| [47342](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/47342?menulanguage=en) | Molten salt chemistry and technologies | 5 | point | Autumn E1B (Thurs 13-17) |
\
**Elective Courses**
The following couses are proposals for the specialization:
| | | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [02452](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/02452?menulanguage=en) | Machine Learning | 5 | point | Autumn E4A (Tues 13-17) |
| [10302](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/10302?menulanguage=en) | Electronic Structure Methods in Material Physics, Chemistry and Biology | 10 | point | Spring F5 (Wed 8-17) |
| [26236](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26236?menulanguage=en) | Statistical thermodynamics and reaction dynamics | 5 | point | Autumn E4B (Fri 8-12) |
| [26455](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26455?menulanguage=en) | Organic Reaction Mechanisms and Supramolecular Chemistry | 5 | point | Autumn E2B (Thurs 8-12) |
| [28316](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/28316?menulanguage=en) | Laboratory Course in Colloid and Surface Chemistry | 5 | point | January |
| [28872](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/28872?menulanguage=en) | Biorefinery | 5 | point | Autumn E4B (Fri 8-12) |
| [47334](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/47334?menulanguage=en) | Carbon capture, utilization, and storage | 5 | point | Spring F3A (Tues 8-12) |
| [47338](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/47338?menulanguage=en) | Organic energy materials | 5 | point | Autumn E5A (Wed 8-12) |
\
**Autumn start - proposed study plan**
Polytechnical foundation
Programme specific courses
Thesis
Electives
1.Semester
[26433](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26433?menulanguage=en)\
Organic Chemistry 3
5 point
[26438](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26438?menulanguage=en)\
NMR Spectroscopy
5 point
[28242](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/28242?menulanguage=en)\
Chemical Kinetics and Catalysis
5 point
[26134](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26134?menulanguage=en)\
Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (Inorganic... Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (Inorganic Chemistry 3)
5 point
Electives \
Elective
Shared
[42500](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/42500?menulanguage=en)\
Innovation in Engineering (Polytechnical... Innovation in Engineering (Polytechnical Foundation)
5 point
2.Semester
[26510](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26510?menulanguage=en)\
Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry
10 point
[26317](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26317?menulanguage=en)\
Instrumental Chemical Analysis
5 point
[26231](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26231?menulanguage=en)\
Physical Chemistry 3
5 point
[12101](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/12101?menulanguage=en)\
Quantitative methods to assess... Quantitative methods to assess sustainability (Polytechnical Foundation)
5 point
[26620](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26620?menulanguage=en)\
Chemistry and Innovation
5 point
3.Semester
[26130](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26130?menulanguage=en)\
Spectroscopic methods
5 point
[47333](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/47333?menulanguage=en)\
Electron microscopy for materials... Electron microscopy for materials science
5 point
Special course \
Special course
10 point
Electives \
Elective
5 point
[47336](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/47336?menulanguage=en)\
Applications of X-ray and neutron... Applications of X-ray and neutron scattering in biology, chemistry, and physics
5 point
4.Semester
Thesis \
Master's thesis
30 point
\
**Spring start - proposed study plan**
Polytechnical foundation
Programme specific courses
Thesis
Electives
1.Semester
[26510](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26510?menulanguage=en)\
Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry
10 point
[26317](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26317?menulanguage=en)\
Instrumental Chemical Analysis
5 point
[26231](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26231?menulanguage=en)\
Physical Chemistry 3
5 point
Electives \
Elective
Shared
[42501](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/42501?menulanguage=en)\
Innovation in Engineering (Polytechnical... Innovation in Engineering (Polytechnical Foundation)
5 point
2.Semester
[26433](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26433?menulanguage=en)\
Organic Chemistry 3
5 point
[26438](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26438?menulanguage=en)\
NMR Spectroscopy
5 point
[26130](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26130?menulanguage=en)\
Spectroscopic methods
5 point
[28242](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/28242?menulanguage=en)\
Chemical Kinetics and Catalysis
5 point
[26134](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26134?menulanguage=en)\
Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (Inorganic... Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (Inorganic Chemistry 3)
5 point
Electives \
Elective
5 point
3.Semester
[28443](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/28443?menulanguage=en)\
Industrial Reaction Engineering
7.5 point
[12101](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/12101?menulanguage=en)\
Quantitative methods to assess... Quantitative methods to assess sustainability (Polytechnical Foundation)
5 point
[47301](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/47301?menulanguage=en)\
Hydrogen energy and fuel cells
5 point
Special course \
Speciel course
7.5 point
[26620](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26620?menulanguage=en)\
Chemistry and Innovation
5 point
4.Semester
Thesis \
Master's thesis
30 point
\
*Specializations are merely recommended ways of choosing the courses in the curriculum. Applicants are not admitted to a specialization but to the programme and it is possible to choose among all the courses in the curriculum following the directions given. However, if a specialization has been fulfilled the title of the specialization may be added to the diploma.*