KIT Researcher Patrick Lott Receives the 2026 DECHEMA Prize
The award, worth 20,000 euros, recognizes his research on dynamic reactor operation
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Dr. Patrick Lott, a private lecturer at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), is receiving the DECHEMA Prize. The award, which comes with a prize of 20,000 euros, recognizes his innovative and groundbreaking work on the dynamic operation of heterogeneously catalyzed reactions—particularly under extreme conditions. The award ceremony will take place on September 17, 2026, at the DECHEMA FORUM in Frankfurt am Main.
Patrick Lott (KIT) Receives the DECHEMA Prize
P. Lott
Heterogeneous catalytic reactions form the basis of numerous industrial processes—but in practice, they often do not proceed under ideal, constant conditions. Varying load conditions, fluctuating compositions of the reaction mixtures, and changes in temperature and pressure pose major challenges for catalysts and reactors. Patrick Lott’s work makes a significant contribution to the targeted, dynamic operation of such processes and to using dynamics not as a disruptive factor but as a tool for improved performance, stability, and regeneration.
The practical relevance of his research is particularly evident in environmental catalysis and methane conversion. Among other things, Patrick Lott investigated strategies to address deactivation effects in methane oxidation and to improve catalyst performance through dynamic regeneration. In addition, he has made contributions to methane valorization, for example through work on oxidative methane coupling at very short residence times, as well as on methane and biogas pyrolysis for hydrogen production with solid carbon capture. His results also point toward pilot-scale applications.
Patrick Lott studied chemistry at KIT, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Supported by a doctoral fellowship from the Chemical Industry Fund, he earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from KIT in 2019 (summa cum laude) with research on emission control in lean-burn natural gas engines using palladium-based methane oxidation catalysts. Since 2020, he has led the “Catalytic Reactors” group there and also serves as Chief Technology Officer at the Center for Emission Control Karlsruhe and Managing Director of the KIT spin-off chemogy GmbH. For his scientific work, he has been honored with, among other awards, the VAA Foundation Excellence Award (2020) and the FCTKA Prize from the Friends of Chemical Engineering Karlsruhe e.V. (2023). He successfully completed his habilitation in Technical Chemistry at KIT in April 2026.
The DECHEMA Prize is awarded for outstanding research in the fields of technical chemistry, process engineering, biotechnology, and chemical apparatus engineering. Particular consideration is given to work by younger scientists in the early stages of their careers who, for example, do not yet hold a tenured professorship or a corresponding position in industry or at research institutions. Originality, as well as scientific and technical progress, are key criteria for evaluation. The work should preferably have been conducted at European universities, scientific research institutions, or in industry. The prize is endowed with 20,000 euros.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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