Scientists have developed new catalysts that can be tailored to have the perfect features for each chemical processes.
Researchers at the University of Alicante Molecular Nanotechnology Lab (NANOMOL) have created a new material that has different characteristics of varying zeolites, Phys.org reported.
These are very useful as both natural and artificial catalysts help in the production process of fuels and pharmaceutical intermediates.
Additionally, the preparation of this family of catalysts is more sustainable than previous alternatives, and far simpler to prepare. Their characteristics can also be tailored to suit each chemical process, giving a higher chance of success.
Javier Garcia Martinez, director of NANOMOL and professor of inorganic chemical at the University of Alicante, told the publication these developments can really help improve chemical manufacturing processes involving the transformation of bulky molecules. This has a big limitation in previous versions of catalysts.
By transforming the zeolites into more stable material, this helps to control the conversion of bulky molecules – a move the website calls a “one-of-a-kind advance in this field”.
This development can have many benefits for the pharmaceutical, chemical and plastic industries, according to Noemi Linares, who is a researcher at the university and a member of NANOMOL.
She noted the catalysts can be used to lower the temperature required to degrade plastics, reducing CO2 emissions. In addition to this, the catalysts are optimised for the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds. As a result, they are six times more effective than current catalysts.
Martinez is certainly well-placed to lead such ground-breaking work, as he is the president-elect of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; was awarded the King Jaime I Award in 2014 and the Emerging Researcher Award from the American Chemical Society the following year; was named as the best US entrepreneur in the chemical sector in 2017; and has been the president of the Young Academy of Spain since 2019.
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