PSFD research group news

At DIFFER, a premise for conducting science is to work with an experienced team of engineers and technicians. A recent project that illustrates this teamwork, is the construction of a heat exchanger for plasma research. Let’s dive deeper into this unique convergence where science, engineering and craftsmanship come together.

Can we use plasma technology to change the way we produce nitrogen fertilizers, without carbon emissions? PhD researcher Qinghao Shen explored how renewable electricity powers cleaner nitrogen fixation. Advanced computer models reveal how to make this process more energy-efficient and industrially viable. On 29 October 2025 he successfully defended his thesis.

What if one technology could help tackle climate change on Earth and support future missions to Mars? A recent PhD study shows that this is not just science fiction, but a promising reality. On Tuesday 27 May 2025 PhD researcher Xingyu Chen defended her thesis called ‘The Plasma–Solid Oxide Interface: An experimental study of plasma-enhanced surface processes'.

During the 17th International Symposium on Advanced Plasma Science and its Applications for Nitrides and Nanomaterials (ISPlasma2025) and the 18th International Conference on Plasma-Nano Technology & Sciences (IC-PLANTS2025), EIRES director and DIFFER group leader Richard van de Sanden has been awarded the Plasma Materials Science Hall of Fame Prize for 2024.

Travelling by plane without feeling guilty and saying goodbye to a large part of the CO₂ problem. That sounds like magic, doesn't it? In a Universiteit van Nederland video chemist Tess van Eeden explains how plasma chemistry can help to make the chemical industry more sustainable.