Horst Complex

prof.dr. S.R.A. Kersten (Sascha)

Full Professor
TNW-CE-SPT
Horst Complex ME216
s.r.a.kersten@utwente.nl
+31534894430
Business card

EDUCATION

  • 2002 PhD, Department of chemical engineering, University of Twente, The Netherlands
  • 1996 Master, Department of chemistry, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

CURRENT POSITIONS

  • 2011 Professor (full) of Sustainable Process Technology, Department of chemical engineering, University of Twente
  • 2012 Coordinator biomass pillar within the Green Energy Initiative (GEI), University of Twente (UT), The Netherlands
  • 2004 Teacher at Shell training centre

PREVIOUS POSITIONS

  • 1996 – now Researcher Department of chemistry, University of Amsterdam
  • 1996 – 2002 Researcher/project leader (PhD work done during this period) Energy research Centre of the Netherlands
  • 2003 – 2010 Coordinator biomass within IMPACT institute, University of Twente
  • 2003 – 2008 Assistant professor Department of chemical engineering, University of Twente
  • 2008 – 2011 Associate professor Department of chemical engineering, University of Twente

SUPERVISION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS

  • 2003 – 2014 30 master students, Department of chemical engineering, University of Twente
  • 2003 – 2014 6 post-docs, Department of chemical engineering, University of Twente
  • 2003 – 2011 5 PhD student guided as assistant / associate professor, University of Twente
  • 2011 – 2014 7 PhD student guided as responsible full professor, University of Twente
  • 2010 – 2013 1 PhD student guided as responsible full professor, Department of chemical engineering, University of Freiburg, Germany
  • 2003 – 2014 18 PhD as committee member, University of Twente (7), Dutch Universities (6), Abroad (5, France, Spain, Italy, Germany)
  • 2014 – now 11 PhD projects running as responsible full professor, excluding 3 vacancies, University of Twente

TEACHING ACTIVITIES

  • 2005 – 2011 Sustainable technology (BSC - project), Department of chemical engineering, University of Twente
  • 2004 – now Lecturer (guest) – Thermochemical conversion of biomass, Wageningen university
  • 2011 – now Multiphase reactors (MSC), Department of chemical engineering, University of Twente
  • 2014 – now Practicum process technology (MSC), Department of chemical engineering, University of Twente
  • 2004 – now Reaction engineering & multiphase reactors, Shell training centre, The Netherlands

ORGANISATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS

  • 2005 – 2009 Energy and resources symposium, University of Twente
  • 2003 – now Meetings for (inter)national projects as overall project leader or WP leader

INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

  • 2011 – now Faculty member (kamer van Hoogleraren), University of Twente
  • 2011 – now Master curriculum committee, University of Twente
  • 2003 – now Coordinator Biomass institutes IMPACT & GEI

COMMISSIONS OF TRUST

  • 2011 – now Advisory boards for tenure track / professor appointments (Netherlands & abroad)
  • 2008 – now Reviewer of projects NWO / STW (Dutch scientific subsidy agencies)
  • 2007 – now Reviewer of projects foreign subsidy agencies (recently mostly Austria & Ireland)

MAJOR COLLABORATIONS

  • Academia (current collaborations in research programs)
  • Prof. M. Garcia-Pérez Pyrolysis/analysis WSU (USA), also student exchange program
  • Prof. W. Prins Pyrolysis UGhent (Belgium)
  • Prof. H. Heeres Hydrotreating RUG (The Netherlands)
  • Prof. B. Weckhuysen Catalysis UU (The Netherlands),
  • Prof. S.S. Li, Hydrotreating Curtin University, Perth (Australia)
  • Prof. X. Wang Liquefaction CAS Shanghai (China)
  • Dr. L. Rehmann Fermentation Western Ontario (CAN) also student exchange program
  • Prof. K. Seshan Catalysis UT (The Netherlands)
  • Prof. D. Fabri Algae U. Bologna (Italy)
  • Prof. R. Wijffels Algae WUR (the Netherlands)
  • Dr. J. Baltrusaitis Molecular modeling Lehigh University (USA)
  • Dr. D. Meier Analysis VTI Hamburg (Germany)

COMPANIES & INSTITUTES (IN CURRENT PROJECTS)

SHELL, AKZO, DOW, DSM, Huntsman, Sabic, BTG, OPRA, TWENCE, ECN, TNO

Expertise

  • Chemical Engineering

    • Pyrolysis
    • Temperature
    • Water
    • Fast Pyrolysis

  • Chemistry

    • Procedure
    • Bio-Oil
    • Reaction Temperature
    • Biomass

Organisations

Ancillary activities

  • DEMCON-SUSTERCo-owner of company
  • foundation docenten collectiefboard member foundation docenten collectief

Publications

2025

Continuous extraction of xylose to Dowtherm A via esterification with 1-napthalene boronic acid from bagasse acid hydrolysate (2025)Journal of environmental chemical engineering, 13(1). Article 115226. van der Wal, P. J., Lange, J. P., Kersten, S. R. A. & Ruiz, M. P.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2024.115226Aqueous and Biphasic Coupling of Furfural and Cyclopentanone for the Synthesis of Bio-Jet Fuel Precursors (2025)ACS sustainable chemistry & engineering, 13(1), 681–691. Baldenhofer, R., Lange, J. P., Kersten, S. R. A. & Ruiz, M. P.https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.4c09269Pyrolysis of Polyethylene: Chemical Kinetics, Mass Transfer, and Reflux System (2025)Energy & fuels, 39(1), 1015-1025. Zairin, D. M., Ruiz, M. P. & Kersten, S. R. A.https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.4c05204Influence of pulping conditions on the pulp yield and fiber properties for pulping of spruce chips by deep eutectic solvent (2025)Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 15(1), 1377–1391. Pérez, A. D., Roy, Y., Rip, C., Kersten, S. R. A. & Schuur, B.https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-023-05156-y

2024

Furanic jet fuels – Water-free aldol condensation of furfural and cyclopentanone (2024)Biomass & bioenergy, 190. Article 107410. Baldenhofer, R., Smet, A., Lange, J. P., Kersten, S. R. A. & Ruiz, M. P.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2024.107410Fractionation of extracellular polymeric substances by mild techniques (2024)[Thesis › PhD Thesis - Research UT, graduation UT]. University of Twente. Evangelista Da Silva Antunes, E. C.https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036562676Regeneration of deep eutectic solvent post biomass delignification (2024)[Thesis › PhD Thesis - Research UT, graduation UT]. University of Twente. Gholami, M.https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036562973LOGIC: Towards green methanol from CO2 (2024)[Thesis › PhD Thesis - Research UT, graduation UT]. University of Twente. van Schagen, T. N.https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036563116Lignocellulosic biomass to glycols: Simultaneous conversion of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin using an organic solvent (2024)Biomass & bioenergy, 187. Article 107307. Di Sabatino, R., Kersten, S. R. A., Lange, J.-P. & Ruiz, M. P.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2024.107307Furfural to Cyclopentanone – a Search for Putative Oligomeric By-products (2024)ChemSusChem, 17(12). Article e202400108. Baldenhofer, R., Lange, J. P., Kersten, S. R. A. & Ruiz, M. P.https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202400108

Research profiles

Courses academic year 2025/2026

Courses in the current academic year are added at the moment they are finalised in the Osiris system. Therefore it is possible that the list is not yet complete for the whole academic year.

Courses academic year 2024/2025

Courses academic year 2023/2024

Involved in projects with the following companies and institutes:

  • SHELL
  • AKZO
  • DOW
  • DSM
  • Huntsman
  • Sabic
  • BTG
  • OPRA
  • TWENCE
  • ECN
  • TNO

Address

University of Twente

Horst Complex (building no. 20), room ME216
De Horst 2
7522 LW Enschede
Netherlands

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Organisations

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