Dr. Tessel Bouwens

Biography

Tessel Bouwens is an Assistant Professor specializing in supramolecular chemistry with a focus on artificial photosynthesis. Her research is inspired by nature and aims to achieve the conversion of simple building blocks into complex chemicals powered by sunlight. Bouwens employs a supramolecular approach that utilizes non-covalent chemistry to tackle challenges in artificial photosynthesis. She has developed innovative solar cell technologies that combine supramolecular machines with dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells to enhance energy conversion efficiency. Her current work involves creating new methods to generate solar chemicals, thereby reducing reliance on polluting fossil resources. This research encompasses material synthesis, electrode preparation, electrochemical characterization, and mechanistic analysis through spectroscopic techniques. Bouwens completed her Bachelor’s (2014) and Master’s (2016) degrees at the University of Amsterdam. She received a PhD fellowship from the Holland Research School of Molecular Chemistry, graduating in 2021 under the supervision of Professors Joost Reek and Simon Mathew. Following a brief postdoctoral position with Dr. Grecea at UvA, she was awarded the NWO Rubicon Postdoctoral Fellowship to work in the Reisner Lab at the University of Cambridge from 2022 to 2024. She became a Research Fellow at Darwin College in 2023 and, in 2024, received the NWO Veni grant, which supports her position as an Assistant Professor at TU Delft. Her research interests include Supramolecular Materials, Artificial Photosynthesis, and the development of Solar Chemicals.

Research Interests

Experience