26 November 2013
During the annual Student Research Conference of the VSNU (in Dutch), physics student Christine Verbeke of Utrecht University and DIFFER won the Dutch best bachelor research prize. Chairman of NWO Jos Engelen awarded the prize: Verbeke's research into future energy sources at DIFFER (pdf) tackles a "very relevant and innovative topic. Moreover, she is able to explain her research well ", says the jury.
Christine Verbeke is the first student to be part of DIFFER's new Solar Fuels theme. In this new line of research, physicists and chemists investigate how we can use sustainable but variable energy sources and store that energy in artificial fuels. Verbeke performed theoretical research into breaking up CO2 in a plasma environment, producing the building blocks to create artificial fuels with zero net CO2 production.
Prize winners of the 2013 Student Research Conference: prize winner Christine Verbeke of Utrecht University and DIFFER (right); second place winner Petrie van der Zanden of Radboud University Nijmegen (middle) and Jan Pille of the Radboud University Nijmegen (right). Photo credit: VSNU
