Role of Catalysis

The achievement of a sustainable mobility was thus linked to the capacity to develop and consecutively further improve the catalytic converters for emissions from cars, buses and trucks. Several challenges remain in this area, particularly related to the need to find more effective catalysts for the reduction of NOx in the presence of oxygen (a very relevant problem to address the increasing share of 

A recent study by the US Department of Energy (DoE) [10] Catalysis for Energy indicated the following three priority research directions for advanced catalysis science for energy applications  

Advanced catalysts for the conversion of heavy fossil energy feedstocks. 

Advanced catalysts for conversion of biologically derived feedstocks and specifically the deconstruction and catalytic conversion to fuels of lignocellulosic biomass. 

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Allen, D. (1992). The Role of Catalysis in Industrial Waste Reduction. Industrial Environmental Chemistry, ed. D. T. Sawyer, and A. E. Martell, 89-98. New York Plenum Press. 

Environmental catalysis has its potential in improving innovations in the field of catalysis and highlighting the new directions for research driven by market, social, and environmental needs. Therefore, it can be concluded that environmental catalysis plays a key role in demonstrating the role of catalysis as a driver of sustainability by improving the quality of life and protecting human health and the environment... 

Explain the role of catalysis in fuel cell technology. 

Die Natur der Chemie, FUTURE (Hoechst Magazin), August 1996 Vision of large-scale production in shoebox-sized plants nature and plant ceUs as model for micro reactors sustainable development central role of catalysis general advantages of micro flow use of clean raw materials minimization of waste the next step in the sequence acetylene-to-efhylene chemistry ethane chemistry renewable resources combinatorial chemistry intelligent and creative solutions [229]. 

The final chapter of this book is dedicated to solar energy as a source of hydrogen and for CO2 conversion. This chapter introduces the main concepts of the field and highlights the role of catalysis for using solar energy. 

In 1794, the English chemist Elizabeth Fulhame published a book called An Essay on Combustion. Her book included many of the first recorded ideas about the role of catalysis in chemical processes. 

Sheldon, R. A., Consider the environmental quotient, Chemtech, 1994, 24(3), 38-47 Sheldon, R. A., The role of catalysis in waste minimization, in Precision Process... 

Although a specific chapter dedicated to the role of catalysis in energy production is not included, because most of the aspects were already covered in the final chapter of the previous book, the reader can easily use the final sections of each chapter to identify priorities for research on catalysis for sustainable energy. 

The difficult task of examining the role of catalysis in coal liquefaction has been taken on by Mochida and Sakanishi. They show the catalytic requirements in various stages of coal conversion and the many complex interactions of the catalyst with coal constituents. They also point out directions for future catalysis research needed for more economical coal liquefaction, a commendable feature for processes requiring a long lead time. 

Applying the foregoing thermodynamic and kinetic information to manganese behavior in natural water systems is considerably limited because the manganese system exemplifies the difficulties discussed earlier. On the thermodynamic side, the kinds of oxide phases in natural waters may not correspond to those for which equilibrium data are available. Also, cation exchange reactions are probably important (21). On the kinetic side, the role of catalysis by various mineral surfaces in suspension or in sediments is not really known. Of considerable importance may be microbial catalysis of the oxidation or reduction processes, as described by Ehrlich (7). With respect to the real systems, relatively... 

The role of catalysis in membrane assembly is emphasized again by the above model since the N-terminal sequence of the nascent polypeptide chain of a spanning protein is released by proteolysis as soon as it reaches the cytosol. The N-terminal polypeptide chain extension may help the chain penetrate the hydrophobic bilayer and solubilize the resulting hydrophobic N-terminal part of the chain in the aqueous medium of the cytoplasm. However, the role of the protease-catalyzed hydrolysis of the polypeptide chain in membrane assembly is minimized in the membrane trigger hypothesis (99). According to this model, the essential role of the leader sequence would be to modify, in association with the lipid bilayer, the folding pathway of the protein in such a way that the polypeptide chain could span the membrane. 

Derbyshire, F. J., Role of Catalysis in Coal Liquefaction Research and Development, Energy and Fuels, 3, 273-277 (1989). 

Lastly a thermodynamically feasible reaction is not necessarily a commercially viable one, even if the feedstock costs are low. A second factor then comes into play, that of reaction kinetics. If a reaction is unfeasibly slow it will not be commercially viable. For example a very slow reaction may require a reactor so large it may not be economically practical. This is, of course, the role of catalysis, to speed up the rate of formation of a desired product, with a more selective catalyst speeding up the rate of formation of a desired product more than that of unwanted by-products. (We note however, that catalysis cannot change the equilibrium conversion for a reaction, as it is purely a kinetic phenomenon.)... 

J.A. Cusumano, Role of catalysis in achieving environmentally sustainable growth in 21st century, Appl. Catal, A General 775 181. 

Catalytica Associates, Inc. is conducting a study to produce a systematic assessment of the role of catalysis in thermochemical conversion via gasification and liquefaction. This study is also examining the potential impact of catalytic concepts under development in other areas, such as coal conversion, and new reactor technology on biomass conversion. 

We have discussed a series of examples and aspects, such as the problem of risk and sustainability assessment, tools and principles for a sustainable industrial development (in particular, the issue of scaling-down and intensification of chemical processes, and the role of catalysis), and problems and opportunities in substituting chemical and processes (also in the view of REACH legislation, and of the international chemicals policy on sustainability). These topics are expanded in the following chapters, while the final section on industrial case histories for sustainable chemical processes provides further hints on these aspects. 

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. 

The examples shown here are industrial examples of the advantages brought about by catalysis to exploit more sustainable processes. These examples represents a real breakthrough in chemical processes, with a more than 100-fold reduction of effluents compared to the previous processes. The drastic simplification of the process (four less steps) allows a very competitive route. It is a nice example of the role of catalysis as a key for sustainability. 

This book is thus organized in three parts. The first five chapters discuss the principles and tools needed to realize a sustainable industrial chemistry. Chapter 1 discusses the general principles and emphasizes the differences between green and sustainable industrial chemistry approaches. It is also an introductory chapter to the topic. Chapter 2 discusses the role of catalysis as a main enabling factor to achieve sustainability through chemistry. Several examples of homogeneous, heterogeneous and biocatalysis are discussed, with emphasis on industrial aspects, to provide a comprehensive view of the possibilities offered by this tool. 

The role of catalysis in the petroleum industry has been equally revolutionary. Meta I-supported systems (e.g. of Topsoe and Shell) for catalytic reforming, hydrodesulfurization and hydrodenitrification, alkylation catalysts and shape selective systems (e.g. zeolites and pillared clays) for catalytic cracking (FCC) and production of gasoline from methanol (Mobil MTG) all represent significant technical and commercial achievements. 

Allen, D. T., The role of catalysis In industrial waste reduction. In Industrial Environmental Chemistry Waste Minimization in Industrial Processes and Remediation of Hazardous Wastes (A. E. Martell and D. Sawyer, eds.), p. 89. Plenum, New York, 1992. 

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