CARE-O-SENE paper published in the “Journal of Physical Chemistry”

A major output of the CARE-O-SENE project is the large volume of research contributions that continuously further our mutual understanding of sustainable aviation fuels and their related academic fields. One such contribution has now found its way into publication. The paper by Enrico Sireci, Tilman D. Grüger, Philipp N. Plessow, Dmitry I. Sharapa, and Felix Studt was included in Volume 129, Number 29 of the American Chemical Society’s “Journal of Physical Chemistry C” in July 2025 and also featured on that issue’s title page.

The work entitled “Modeling the Shape and Stability of Co Nanoparticles as a Function of Size and Support Interactions through DFT Calculations and Monte Carlo Simulations” can be viewed on the journal’s website via this link: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jpcc.5c02777.

This publication once more illustrates the benefits of international, inter-institutional collaboration in addressing societal challenges, in its course producing new insights to be taken up by researchers worldwide.

Sasol and HZB Deepen Collaboration with Strategic Focus on Digitalization

Sasol Research & Technology and Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) are expanding their partnership into the realm of digitalization, building on their joint efforts in the CARE-O-SENE project and an Industrial Fellowship launched earlier this year. This new initiative marks a significant step forward in leveraging digital technologies to accelerate catalyst innovation and deepen scientific collaboration.

As part of its broader digitalization strategy, Sasol Research and Technology has identified Digital Catalysis, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) as key growth areas for future research. HZB is similarly advancing its expertise in Digital Catalysis and data-driven analysis of complex catalyst characterization datasets. This effort is supported by the establishment of a joint data centre with scientific partners on the HZB campus. Their strong external network further strengthens the potential for impactful collaboration.

Dr. Randy Cunningham, a rising researcher at Sasol Research and Technology, has been selected to work closely with HZB in this emerging field. Holding a PhD in Polymer Science from Stellenbosch University, Cunningham has been trained in Fischer–Tropsch catalysis and has contributed to several CARE-O-SENE initiatives. He is actively developing his digital skillset through hands-on training and recently published a paper applying machine learning to industrial polymerization processes at Sasol . "Being involved in this collaborative initiative at the crossroads of catalysis and data science is a truly exciting prospect. It represents a significant step towards achieving more sustainable and efficient chemical processes on an industrial scale”, Cunninham says.

Dr. Tobias Sontheimer, co-lead of CARE-O-SENE and Head of Strategy at HZB, comments: “We’re thrilled to launch this new chapter in our partnership with Sasol. It not only reinforces our shared commitment to skills development across the consortium but also propels our digitalization agenda forward.”

Andy Msiza, Senior Vice President of Sasol research and Technology and executive sponsor of the program, adds: “This initiative presents an exciting opportunity to nurture our next generation of researchers in a field that is increasingly important to Sasol’s future. There is potential with this approach to unlock value, both in current operations and future innovations, making a significant impact.”

Looking ahead, the collaboration is expected to span multiple dimensions, including skills transfer, advanced modelling of synchrotron datasets generated at BESSY II, and the application of AI to conduct meta-analyses of historical literature and plant data. These efforts aim to generate new insights and drive transformative breakthroughs in catalysis research.