By developing techniques for measurement at high pressures, he has made significant contributions to the study of chemical reactions in gaseous and liquid phases. For many years he was in charge of European projects focusing on innovative methods and techniques in the field of chemical transformations as well as on optimization of chemical and biochemical processes using high pressure. His recent work and unfailing commitment have led to a patent for high-pressure storage and production of hydrogen from formic acid. His development of a catalyst and viable production system for hydrogen, considered revolutionary by his peers, has led to licensed commercial use.
- kinetics and mechanisms of complex formation in solution
- variable temperature and pressure (up to 2000 bar) IR, UV-vis and NMR spectroscopy
- NMR studies of carbonyl cluster fluxionalities
- catalytic activation of small molecules
Highly cited publications – hydrogen storage/delivery in the carbon dioxide/formic acid systems
- * “A Viable Hydrogen-Storage System Based On Selective Formic Acid Decomposition with a Ruthenium Catalyst”, C. Fellay, P. J. Dyson, G. Laurenczy*, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2008, 47, 3966.
- * “A Well-Defined Iron Catalyst for the Reduction of Bicarbonates and Carbon Dioxide to Formates, Alkyl Formates, and Formamides”, C. Federsel, A. Boddien, R. Jackstell, R. Jennerjahn, P. J. Dyson, R. Scopelliti, G. Laurenczy*, M. Beller*; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2010, 49, 9777.
- * “Efficient Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid Using an Iron Catalyst” A. Boddien, D. Mellmann, F. Gaertner, R. Jackstell, H. Junge, P. J. Dyson, G. Laurenczy*, R. Ludwig*, M. Beller*, Science, 2011, 333, 1733.
- * “Formic acid as hydrogen source – recent developments and future trends”, M. Grasemann, G. Laurenczy*, Energy Environ. Sci., 2012, 5, 8171.
- * “Hydrogen storage: beyond conventional methods”, A. Dalebrook, W. Gan, M. Grasemann, S. Moret, G. Laurenczy*, Chem. Comm., 2013, 49, 8735.
- * “Direct Synthesis of Formic Acid from Carbon Dioxide by Hydrogenation in Acidic Media”, S. Moret, P. J. Dyson, G. Laurenczy*, Nature Communications, 2014, 5, 4017; DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5017.
* Highly cited papers – As May/June 2016, these articles received enough citations to place them in the top 1% of their academic field based on a highly cited threshold for the field and publication year (Data from Essential Science Indicators℠ – 10.11.2016).