ChemCatBio Webinar Series: Accelerating the Catalyst Development Cycle

This video was produced when the laboratory operated as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The laboratory is now the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR). The realization of sustainable routes to fuels and chemicals from renewable feedstocks such as biomass relies on the effective transformation of highly functionalized compounds into targeted precursors and products using low-cost, earth-abundant catalysts that maintain performance under severe conditions. Addressing these challenges requires advanced catalysts with controlled active sites that promote desired transformations, while resisting deactivation, and that can be produced cost-effectively at relevant scales. In this video presentation, we will highlight transition metal carbides as a class of materials that has the potential to meet these goals. We will demonstrate how the integration of predictive computational modeling, tailored materials synthesis, and in-situ characterization capabilities within the ChemCatBio Consortium is accelerating the development of these complex but promising catalysts.