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Some of tomorrow's catalysts for processing renewable and non-renewable feedstocks, diminishing anthropogenic carbon dioxide and increasing the production of energy

Thomas, John Meurig and Harris, Kenneth David Maclean ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7855-8598 2016. Some of tomorrow's catalysts for processing renewable and non-renewable feedstocks, diminishing anthropogenic carbon dioxide and increasing the production of energy. Energy & Environmental Science 9 (3) , pp. 687-708. 10.1039/C5EE03461B

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Abstract

This review provides a wide-ranging summary of several aspects of heterogeneous catalysis and its impact on the increasing need to generate more energy, less CO2 and the production of more commodities required by an expanding world population. Particular attention is paid to the options (some of which are already a practical reality) now available for the use of anthropogenic CO2 as a source for the production of platform chemicals required to sustain civilized life. In this connection, Rubisco-inspired methods of utilizing CO2 are discussed, as is the utilization of algae to yield ethanol and O2 from water, CO2 and sunlight. In addition, the increasing use of methanol (derived from CO2) as an energy vector, as well as a source of ethene and propene (which are in growing worldwide demand), is adumbrated. As far as strategies for the design of new solid catalysts are concerned, summarizing accounts are given of the emerging popularity and recent successes of supported “single-atom”, chemo-selective catalysts (of Pt, Pd, Ir and Au), of so-called “single-atom alloy” catalysts for selective hydrogenations, and of monophasic single-site heterogeneous catalysts (SSHCs) for a range of chemical processes, some of which have already been commercialized. SSHCs can, in general, be assembled from earth-abundant elements (C, N, O, Mg, Al, P, Fe), and are effective for shape-selective, regio-selective and enantio-selective catalytic conversions. We also briefly discuss the prospect of converting anthropogenic CO2 into CH4, and touch upon the action needed to reduce atmospheric CO2 so as to fulfil the aims of the recent (December 2015) UN Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP-21).

Item Type: Article
Date Type: Publication
Status: Published
Schools: Chemistry
Subjects: Q Science > QD Chemistry
Additional Information: First PDF uploaded in accordance with publisher's policies at http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/issn/1754-5692/ (accessed 19.5.16).
Publisher: RSC Publishing
ISSN: 1754-5692
Funders: EPSRC
Date of First Compliant Deposit: 19 May 2016
Date of Acceptance: 6 January 2016
Last Modified: 07 Nov 2023 02:19
URI: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/85075

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