Phys.org March 4, 2020
Catalytic enhancement of chemical reactions via heterogeneous materials occurs through stabilization of transition states at designed active sites. An international team of researchers (University of Minnesota, University of Delaware, UC Santa Barbara, UMass Amherst) designed a new class of catalysts that greatly accelerated the primary surface reactions using waves. When the applied wave frequency and amplitude match up with characteristics of the primary chemistry, the reaction becomes thousands of times faster than all other side reactions and essentially stops making any errors to side products. The researchers were able to broadly explain the relationship between different types of chemistries and the frequencies of surface waves that control catalyst errors. The technology can be incorporated into hundreds of industrial (energy, materials, food, and medical) chemical technologies to reduce waste by thousands of tons each year while improving the performance and cost-efficiency of materials production…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Researchers at the Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation invented catalyst technology that can accelerate chemical reactions using waves. Credit: Ardagh et al., Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation