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SUMMARY:Catalysis at the Nanoscale: Zeolite Innovations for a Low-Carbon C
 hemical Industry
DTSTART:20260320T110000
DTEND:20260320T120000
DTSTAMP:20260501T141925Z
UID:07ddea780dfc9fbbff7d62b61b248682a23d7f3ee4d8e86fddd23860
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Prof. Javier García Martínez\nAbstract:\nThe transition to 
 a circular\, low-carbon chemical industry requires new catalytic processes
  capable of transforming complex feedstocks such as waste\, plastics\, a
 nd biomass. This shift demands catalysts that combine high accessibility w
 ith precise molecular confinement\, enabling the efficient conversion of l
 arge molecules while minimizing by-products\, solvent use\, and energy con
 sumption and operating under milder conditions with excellent selectivity.
  Zeolites are among the most important industrial catalysts\, but their mi
 croporous structure often imposes diffusion limitations. Over the past yea
 rs\, our laboratory has developed a wide range of strategies to overcome t
 hese limitations and achieve the long-standing goal of designing catalysts
  that simultaneously provide enhanced accessibility and the molecular sele
 ctivity characteristic of zeolites. These advances include methods to intr
 oduce intracrystalline mesoporosity and create hierarchical zeolite arc
 hitectures\, whose formation has been elucidated through advanced in situ 
 techniques.\n \nThe resulting hierarchical zeolites show superior catalyt
 ic performance in reactions involving bulky molecules and have already dem
 onstrated their industrial relevance. Their commercialization\, initially
  through the MIT spin-off Rive Technology and later through major industri
 al partners such as Shell and W. R. Grace\, illustrates how academic disc
 overies can be translated into market-ready technologies that improve exis
 ting refinery processes. These developments highlight the importance of ac
 ademic entrepreneurship and technology transfer if we are serious about en
 abling a circular chemical economy. In this presentation\, I will also di
 scuss future directions and opportunities in nanoscale catalysis and empha
 size the importance of translating scientific advances into industrial pra
 ctice to accelerate the transition toward sustainable\, circular chemistry
 .\n\nBio:\nJavier García Martínez is a professor of Inorganic Chemistry 
 and Director of the Molecular Nanotechnology Lab\, a world-leading researc
 h center working on the synthesis and application of nanostructured materi
 als for the sustainable production of chemicals and energy at the Universi
 ty of Alicante\, Spain. He is also the founder of Rive Technology\, a tech
 nology-based company that commercializes nanostructured catalysts that sig
 nificantly reduce CO2 emissions while increasing energy efficiency. In 201
 9\, W. R. Grace acquired this technology and now commercializes it globall
 y. Prof. García Martínez was president of the International Union of Pur
 e and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) for the 2022-2023 biennium. Before that\, 
 he served as vice-president\, a member of the Executive Committee\, and vi
 ce-president of the Division of Inorganic Chemistry.\n\nHis contributions 
 to catalysis\, energy\, and chemistry have been recognized with some of th
 e most prestigious awards including 1) Innovator of the Year\, 2007\, by M
 IT\, 2) Member of the Round Table of Top Entrepreneurs\, 2008\, by the Eur
 opean Commission\, 3) Young Global Leader\, 2009\, by the World Economic F
 orum\, 4) Emerging Researcher Award\, 2015\, and Kathryn C. Hach Award for
  Entrepreneurial Success\, 2018\, by the American Chemical Society\, 5) Pr
 emio Rey Jaime I\, 2014\, 6) Fellow of the International Science Council a
 nd the American Chemical Society  and Honorary Fellow of the Royal Chemic
 al Society and 7) vice president of the Council of Emerging Technologies o
 f the World Economic Forum\, 2011\, 8) National Research Award presented b
 y the King of Spain (2024).  
LOCATION:CM 1 5 https://plan.epfl.ch/?room==CM%201%205
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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