Enabling Factor of Sustainable Chemical Production

Catalysis as Enabling Factor of Sustainable Chemical Production 

A catalyst, in its simpler definition, is a substance that enables a chemical reaction to proceed at an usually faster rate or under different conditions (such as at a lower temperature) than otherwise possible. The catalyst interacts with the reagents and intermediates of reaction but is regenerated to the initial state during the reaction cycle. The turnover number (TON) indicates how many cycles a single catalytic center could perform the reaction cycle without being deactivated. In complex reactions with multiple possible products (the usual case in chemistry), the catalyst enables us to maximize a specific reaction pathway and thus to provide a selective synthesis. 

From this definition, the role of catalysis to enable sustainable chemical processes 

Catalysis is also one of the key enabling factors for the European Technology Platform of Sustainable Chemistry (www.suschem.org). A specific coordination of European innovation-driven research in the field of catalysis and sustainable chemistry has been made by the ACENET ERA-NET network (www.acenet.net) and a European N etwork of Excellence (ID EC AT, www.idecat.org) has been dedicated to the role of catalysis for sustainable production and energy. In Japan the Green and Sustainable Chemistry Network (www.gscn.net) dedicates much attention to catalysis. 

For example, the 7th Green and Sustainable Chemistry Awards given in 2008 were dedicated to the development of (i) an environmentally benign THE polymerization process utilizing solid acid catalysis (various researchers of Mitsubishi Chemical), 

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