Clariant Chemistry Award
Clariant honors outstanding scientific achievements in the field of “sustainable chemistry” by presenting the CleanTech Award at the fourth Clariant Chemistry Day. The company also partnered with the University of Basel to confer the Clariant Chemistry Award.
The top prize was awarded to Ydna Marie Questell-Santiago of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) for her scientific work on new routes to carbohydrates and derivates derived from biomass.
Dr. Martin Vollmer, chief technology officer at Clariant, says, “It is impressive to see these creative achievements in academic research with high industrial relevance. Sustainable chemistry is a key enabler for innovation in various industrial sectors but also to tackle the technological challenges of our society.”
The award ceremony marked the end of an event attended by around 100 students and representatives of industry and dedicated to the exchange of knowledge between industry and academia. Alongside the CleanTech Award nominees, the winner of the Clariant Chemistry Award, Rajesh Mannancherry, discussed the results of his research, “Molecular Dynamic Staircases: All-Carbon Axial Chiral ‘Geländer’ Structures.” Guest speaker Paul Dyson from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) talked about improving the sustainability of chemical reactions by innovative catalyst systems. In addition, 36 participants showcased their research projects through posters and lectures. The Poster Award went to Christoph Kerzig of the University of Basel.
The Clariant CleanTech Award was initiated in 2012 and is open to Master and PhD students and Postdocs from Swiss universities covering topics such as resource efficiency, renewable raw materials or green technologies and environmental protection.
For more information, visit: www.clariant.com
