Team reveals breakthrough in chemical catalyst development

‘The impact of this new discovery is enormous,’ said the team’s lead researcher Michael Tsapatsis, a chemical engineering and materials science professor in the university’s College of Science and Engineering. ‘Every drop of gasoline we use needs a catalyst to change the oil molecules into usable gasoline during the refining process.’

According to a statement, the research improves efficiencies by giving molecules fast access to the catalysts where the chemical reactions occur.

The research team built the prototype of the new catalyst using highly optimised ultra-thin zeolite nanosheets. They used a unique process to encourage growth of these nanosheets at 90º angles. The arrangement of the nanosheets makes the catalyst faster, more selective and more stable, but can be made at the same cost (or possibly cheaper) than traditional catalysts.

With faster catalysts available at no extra cost to the producer, production per manufacturing dollar will increase. With a higher output, it is conceivable that consumer costs will drop.