KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC)

Introduction


Center Director

Vision

The KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC) will be a world-leading node for the establishment of a multidisciplinary approach to “catalysis by design.” The world’s energy needs will increase throughout this century, driven by population and economic growth. Meeting these needs will require both the development of new energy resources, especially carbon-free ones, and the efficient and environmentally responsible utilization of fossil fuels. In this context, catalysis is a critical enabling science for our energy future and our clean environment. It is the number one technology for transforming raw materials into technologically useful forms – whether for the chemical or petroleum industries or for the newly-emerging energy industry. Catalysis has a huge impact on the industrial, agricultural and consumer sectors. Catalysts are enablers for a broad range of devices including sensors, fuel cells, exhaust gas converters and water purifiers. Development of new catalytic processes across the chemical, petroleum and new energies industries will increase resource and energy utilization efficiencies and reduce waste and overall environmental footprints. It is one of the most promising tools for sustainable development and green chemistry.

Mission

The center will develop new catalysts, new catalytic reactions, and new catalytic technologies which are crucial to meet these future challenges. The center will move from "catalyst discovery" to "catalysis by design."

Center Objectives and Approaches


Catalysis by Design

Why catalysis by design in 2010?
When the scientists discover the nature of existing heterogeneous catalysts they frequently discover that they are composed of nanoparticles of metals, oxides, sulfides, nitrides with edges, corners, faces, defect sites. There is no reason why an incoming molecule should react in the same way on an edge, a face or a corner. The situation is therefore complicated by the heterogeneity of the surface which is frequently referred to as a “black box”. The consequence is the level of selectivity of heterogeneous catalysis which can, in principle, be considerably improved if we know how to prepare “single site catalysts”. Consequently there is a need to get out of this “black box” and to synthesize 100% of active sites: this is a concept of “single site catalysis”. This single site approach is already well established in homogeneous, polymer or bio catalysis. It is the reason why we want a center where molecular chemists should interact strongly with heterogeneous catalysis chemists

KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC) Diagram

Multidisciplinary Approach to Catalysis

Recent revolutionary advances in other connected area of catalysis can lead to breakthroughs in catalysis itself. These advances can be observed in nanotechnology, biochemistry, photochemistry, material science, molecular and nanoscale approaches to catalytic phenomena, in situ atomic-scale characterization tools, new reactor designs, and high-performance computing are enabling breakthroughs in catalysis science and technology. These breakthroughs are expected to develop a predictive approach to “catalysis by design.”

KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC) Diagram

The center has been designed to create a continuous brainstorming of scientists coming from various horizons. It will be composed of 9 faculty with a very different backgrounds. They will work together to try to solve well defined challenges for modern catalysis.

A Methodology for Catalyst Discovery

Once a target of interest will be defined the strategy will be based on the following scheme: postulate a mechanism based on the conceptual tools of surface, molecular, bio and solid state chemistry. This will lead to the choice of metal, support and ancillary ligands. Then synthesis of the single site catalyst will be achieved using all the possible tools of molecular, supramolecular, bio and solid state chemistry.

Characterization will be achieved using all the tools present in the laboratory as well as core facilities (see below) that are easily accessible because they are present in the same building.

  • Catalytic reaction
  • Postulated mechanism
  • Choice of metal and coordination sphere
  • Synthesis of catalyst and full characterization
  • Catalytic reaction

Applied R&D Domains of the KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC)

This “single site,” “material science” approach will be focused on applied scientific domains which are relevant to the petroleum industry, the environment, bio-based raw materials, polymers, and nanotechnology. These domains correspond to areas of need in Saudi Arabia as well as the rest of the world. Detailed scientific domains are shown on the schematic to the left:

Current Research Areas


The research areas developed in KAUST are in relation with the needs of the world in terms of environment, energy and sustainability. They will be highly connected with industrial but also with global needs. They are based on a new and pluridisciplinary approach of catalysis by design. All the topics will have a link for new energy resources, new catalysts or catalytic reactions for environment and sustainability.

The strength of the KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC) will be the combination of expertise, at the same location, of scientists specializing in homogeneous, heterogeneous, photo- and enzymatic-catalysis. The Center will be focused on single-site catalysts.

Research activities at the KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC) will be grouped into several main thrusts:

  • Development of high-performance catalysts for chemical and petrochemical industries
  • Petrochemical process design based on single-site catalysts
  • Scientific computing/modeling for catalyst design based on single site
  • Photo-catalysis for hydrogen generation from water based on single site, semi-conducting properties
  • High-value fine- and specialty-chemicals and materials; hydrogen chemistry and storage
  • Novel use of CO2 by catalysis
  • Basic catalytic research in the area of solar-induced chemical reactions, solar chemicals and products
  • Research into catalysis of polymer synthesis will also contribute to or benefit from other KAUST works in carbon capture/hydrogen-rich fuels, fuel cells, nanotechnology, membranes, scientific computing and process design and engineering
  • Nanoparticles of metals and oxides for catalysis (and other disciplines)
  • Enzyme microarrays and bio-template nanomaterials
  • Hybrid nanomaterials
  • Self organized nano- and meso-scale catalytic systems, such as micelles or colloidal particles

Research Collaborations

Leveraged International Research by Partnership


Private Sector Collaboration

  • Saudi Arabia Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC)
  • Saudi Aramco
  • Dow
  • RTI International, NC, USA
  • Various world petroleum and chemical industries

KAUST Academic Excellence Alliance

Academic Partnership

KAUST Global Research Partnership

Regionally-Relevant Focus Areas

  • The KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC) Center will coordinate with related Saudi Arabia activities such as the Energy Strategic Research Thrust and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, and will also focus on fields to benefit the region, such as: clean fuels, carbon sequestration, petrochemical process design and engineering, hydrogen and fuel cells, hybrid energy systems, nanotechnology, membranes, polymers, materials for high-stress environments, and scientific computing

The Scientists at KCC

  • The scientists at KCC have been or will be selected on the basis of pluridisciplinarity.

Core Facilities Support


KAUST provides advanced research facilities for catalysis studies. Advanced equipment for the full range of characterization techniques will be available including: advanced FTIR, chemical analysis (e.g., Raman, small and wide-scale XRD, various NMR techniques), microscopic techniques (e.g., TEM, AFM, Environmental SEM), surface analysis techniques (e.g., ESCA, Auger, BET), electrical and electrochemical measurements, TGA, and many other routine and advanced chemical and analytical tools. As opportunities emerge, high-bay areas and specialized spaces in the Innovation Cluster and Research Park facilities will be available for pilot testing and/or industrial collaboration.

The KCC Laboratories

KCC is divided into 7 highly specialized laboratories corresponding to the pluridisciplinary nature of the research in catalysis:

  • The heterogeneous catalysis laboratory
  • The homogeneous catalysis laboratory
  • The biocatalysis laboratory
  • The surface organometallic chemistry laboratory
  • The polymer laboratory
  • The inorganic synthesis laboratory
  • The photocatalysis laboratory