Environmental catalysis into the 21st century

This paper describes existing catalyst technologies and trends in research as we enter the 21st century. Catalytic technologies developed during the 20th century for end-of-pipe clean up of pollutant emissions will continue for mobile and stationary sources. The catalytic problems associated with the fuel-efficient lean-burn engine, with lower emissions of greenhouse gases, offers significant challenges, especially for lean NOx reduction with on-board fuels. Monitoring pollutants using catalytic sensors will play a key role in controlling emissions from mobile and stationary sources. Decomposing ambient ozone using 'passive' catalytic technologies will find increasing application by the year 2000. Photocatalysis will continue to be the subject of research, but applied only in 'niche' markets. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell will be a major focus for research in electrocatalysis and catalytic fuel processing to make hydrogen from hydrocarbons. This technology holds great promise for stationary and vehicular power generation. The manufacture ('Green Chemistry') of chemicals with decreased waste and pollutants will continue to be actively pursued by many chemical manufacturers with increasing successes. The feasibility of catalytic combustion for stationary power generation with ultra-low emissions will be decided early in the 21st century. Predictions for the possibility of commercial successes will be made. (C)2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.