Innovative Catalysis and Sustainability

Scientific and socio-economic aspects

Catalysis is “the current recognized most important and pervasive interdisciplinary technology in the chemical industry”. Current chemical industry relies heavily on fossil fuels; and it does, so far, more for processing and related energy requirements, than as a carbon-based feedstock. In the current strive for a more renewable-energy driven society, the roadmap on catalyst’s development depends strongly on if and how the chemical industry can evolve to a REN-driven rather than fossil-fuel driven production. The upcoming generation of researchers in catalysis will have to be trained and to operate the connection between the shifting techno-economic panorama of energy-related production systems and catalysis development challenges. This school proposes to set the basis for such an analysis. “What roadmap for catalysis addressing the chemistry-energy-economy nexus?”, through the prism of 5 pivotal molecules that are at the roots of many current production routes: hydrogen, ammonia, methane, olefins/biomass and carbon dioxide.