H.V. Veldhuizen (Hugo)

Biography

I was born in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and raised in a nearby town, called Vlijmen, in the Netherlands. In 2012 I started with the study Science (a combination of chemistry, molecular life sciences, and physics) at the Radboud University in Nijmegen. After three years, I received my bachelor’s degree in both Science and Chemistry.

The master’s program which I followed (also at the Radboud University) is known as Molecular Chemistry, in which I developed a great interest in systems chemistry and molecular materials. For one year, I worked at the university’s Physical Organic Chemistry department. Here, I synthesized a dynamic and stress-relaxing hydrogel, and characterized its properties with (mainly) rheology. For my second internship, I wanted to explore the application-side of research. Therefore, I worked for six months at the Research and Development department of Océ-Technologies B.V. in Venlo. Here, I worked on getting a better understanding of UVgel ink gelation through monitoring the effect of ink recipe changes on the physicochemical properties of the ink. In September 2018, I received my master’s degree in Chemistry cum laude, and crossed the country to start my PhD at the Delft University of Technology.

Current Project

I’m working on the design, synthesis, and application of high-performance covalent organic frameworks (COFs). By screening different monomeric building blocks, the right type of dynamic covalent chemistry, and suitable polymerisation conditions, we hope to develop COFs with large surface areas and high crystallinity. After that, the next challenge will be to employ COFs as active materials in applications such as efficient and sustainable lithium- or sodium-ion batteries.