Dr. Joost Bakker

Research interests

It is my goal to develop a bottom-up understanding of the interactions that drive heterogeneous catalytic processes on a molecular level, in particular of the catalytic activity of the transition metal clusters, the smallest heterogeneous catalysts. Metal clusters form the limiting factor in the surface-to-volume ratio for precious catalytic materials and can exhibit unexpected catalytic activity.

To this end I study the geometric and electronic structure of transition metal clusters with and without reactants in the gas phase, where an exceptional control over size- and charge allows for a fundamental understanding of the interaction between catalyst and substrate, one molecule at a time.

My main contribution to the field is the development of novel structure-sensitive characterization techniques using Infrared Free-Electron Lasers (IR-FELs). Instrumentation used include laser ablation sources coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometers (TOF-MS) and to a radio-frequency ion trap with a Fourier-Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance mass spectrometer (FTICR-MS) as analyzer. All instruments used are coupled to the HFML-FELIX FELs. Further information at: Free elektron lasers > instruments, User station 13.

Bio

• 2025 – HFML-FELIX
• 2020 – 2024 Radboud University, Associate Professor
• 2013 – 2020 Radboud University, FELIX laboratory, Senior scientist
• 2007 – 2012 FOM institute for Plasma physics Rijnhuizen, Nieuwegein, Senior scientist
• 2006 – 2007 Laboratoire de Chimie Physique, Orsay, France, Postdoctoral fellow
• 2004 – 2006 Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany, Postdoctoral fellow
• 2002 University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA, Visiting scientist
• 1998 – 1999 Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA, Visiting Researcher
• PhD 2004, Radboud Universiteit, Nijmegen

Co-workers

Teaching

• Mechanics & Mechanics Lab (BSc Natural Sciences)
• Spectroscopy of Atoms and Molecules (BSc. Chemistry, Natural Sciences)
• Molecular Physics (MSc Quantum Matter, Physical Chemistry)