Research Interest
- Dynamic Reactor Operation: Experimental and model-based investigation of the periodic operation of chemical reactors to enhance efficiency and selectivity.
- Heterogeneous Catalysis: Microkinetic modeling and kinetic analysis of gas-solid reactions on structured catalyst surfaces.
- In Situ & Operando Analytics: Development and application of spatially and temporally resolved methods in reaction engineering to decode transient phenomena and transport processes.
Work History
| since 05/2025 | Research Associate (Post-Doc) Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry (ITCP), KIT |
| since 09/2025 | Freelance Consultant (Reaction Engineering / Technical Chemistry) Karlsruhe |
| 02/2022 - 05/2026 | Research Associate (Ph.D. candidate) Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry (ITCP), KIT |
| 08/2024 – 11/2024 | Visiting Scientist Department of Chemical and Biomolecular engineering, University of Houston |
| 09/2021 – 12/2021 | Graduate Student Assistant Institute for Micro Process Engineering (IMVT), KIT |
| 11/20219– 09/2020 | Graduate Student Assistant Institute of Chemical Process Engineering (CVT), KIT |
Education
| 02/2022 – 05/2026 | Ph.D. in Chemical and Process Engineering, KIT Thesis: Mechanistic Insights into Palladium-based Exhaust Gas Catalysts via Spatiotemporal Resolution Techniques Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry (ITCP), KIT |
| 10/2019 – 01/2022 | M.Sc. in Chemical and Process Engineering, KIT Thesis: Component Resolved Simulation and Experimental Investigation of the Direct Catalytic Hydrogenation of CO2 to Long-Chain Hydrocarbons Institute for Micro Process Engineering (IMVT) |
| 10/2016 – 09/2019 | B.Sc. in Chemical and Process Engineering, KIT Thesis: Impact of the Synthese Method on the Catalytic Performance of Mo-Based Mixed Oxides in the Oxidation of Methacrolein to Methacrylic Acid Institute of Chemical Process Engineering (CVT) |
Honors
| 08/2024 – 11/2024 | Research Travel Grant Karlsruhe House of Young Scientist (KHYS) |
| 2022 | Emil Kirschbaum Award KIT Department of Chemical and Process Engineering |
Publications
| [12] | Development of the Chemical Reaction Mechanism for Oxide Film Formation and Decomposition in Rh-Based Three-Way Catalysts A. Takano, S. Tischer, D. Hodonj, P. Lott, O. Deutschmann, J. Kusaka, Emiss. Control Sci. Technol., accepted 11.09.2026 |
| [11] | Enhancing the Performance of Pd/zeolite-based H2-SCR Catalysts: The Role of Noble Metal Loading, Promotor Addition, and Combination with a Conventional Fe-BEA NH3-SCR Catalyst M. Borchers‡, D. Hodonj‡, K. Schäfer, F.M. Bauer, P. Lott, Catal. Sci. Technol. 16 (8), 2026, 2680–2693. https://doi.org/10.1039/d5cy01387a |
| [10] | Advanced capillary sampling technique for spatially concentration measurements of complex gas mixtures L. Nordhausen, M.D. Gutsch, D. Hodonj, M. Börnhorst, React. Chem. Eng. 11 (8), 2026, 1642–1654. https://doi.org/10.1039/d5re00531k |
| [9] | Elucidating Rate-Determining Steps of Surface-Catalyzed Reactions Exhibiting Isothermal Rate Multiplicity Morales, J. Ratcliff, D. Hodonj, P. Lott, O. Deutschmann, P. Bollini, M.P. Harold, ACS. Catal. 16, 2, 2026, 1025–1041. https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.5c06007 |
| [8] | Rate multiplicity of sub-stoichiometric methane oxidation on Pt/Pd/Al2O3: development and analysis of kinetic models J. Ratcliff, P.W. Chen, A. Morales, D. Hodonj, P. Lott, O. Deutschmann, M.P. Harold, Chem. Eng. Sci. 320, 2026, 122340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2025.122340 |
| [7] | Periodic Operation of Three-Way Catalysts: From Synthetic Gas Bench Testing to Real-World Engine Performance D. Hodonj, K. Umemoto, M. Terasawa, Z. Yu, U. Wagner, T. Mori, H. Nishioka, O. Deutschmann, T. Koch, J. Kusaka, P. Lott, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 64, 2025, 8143–8155. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.5c00132 |
| [6] | Temperature dependent frequency control of TWC operation for efficient CH4 and NOx abatement of stoichiometric natural gas engines D. Hodonj, B. Thiele, O. Deutschmann, P. Lott, Chem. Eng. J. 499, 2024, 155852. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.155852 |
| [5] | Spatiotemporal insights into forced dynamic reactor operation for fast light-off of Pd-based methane oxidation catalysts K. Keller‡, D. Hodonj‡, L. Zeh, L. Caulfield, E. Sauter, C. Wöll, O. Deutschmann, P. Lott, Catal. Sci. Technol. 14, 2024, 4142. https://doi.org/10.1039/D4CY00625 |
| [4] | tion parameters and lambda input signal during lambda-dithering of three- way catalysts for low-temperature performance enhancement D. Hodonj, M. Borchers, L. Zeh, G.T. Hoang, S. Tischer, P. Lott, O. Deutschmann, Appl. Catal. B: Environ. 345, 2024, 123657. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2023.123657 |
| [3] | Impact of operation parameters and lambda input signal during lambda-dithering of three- way catalysts for low-temperature performance enhancement D. Hodonj, M. Borchers, L. Zeh, G.T. Hoang, S. Tischer, P. Lott, O. Deutschmann, Appl. Catal. B: Environ. 345, 2024, 123657. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2023.12365 |
| [2] | Detailed Kinetic Modeling of CO2-Based Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis L. Brübach, D. Hodonj, L. Biffar, P. Pfeifer, Catalysts 12, 6, 2022, 630. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12060630 |
| [1] | Kinetic Analysis of CO2 Hydrogenation to Long-Chain Hydrocarbons on a Supported Iron Catalyst L. Brübach, D. Hodonj, P. Pfeifer, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 61, 4, 2022, 1644–1654. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.1c04018 |