Green carbon for the chemical industry of the future
Click 'Watch on Youtube' to view the full playlist. Scientific Discussion meeting organised by Professor Graham Hutchings CBE FREng FRS, Sir Richard Catlow FRS, Professor Matthew Davidson, Professor Matthew Rosseinsky FRS, and Professor Charlotte Williams OBE FRS.
Society is facing the unavoidable challenge of providing essential chemicals and materials from sustainable resources. We need a chemical industry based on non-fossil carbon that can manufacture these products in a net-zero future. The meeting focused on this grand challenge by bringing together scientists and engineers across disciplines to define the advances needed to tackle this crucial problem.
Meeting papers will be published in a future issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A.
Programme
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Organisers
Schedule
Chair
Professor Richard Catlow FRS, University College London, UK
Professor Richard Catlow FRS, University College London, UK
Richard Catlow’s scientific programme develops and applies computer models to solid state and materials chemistry - areas of chemistry that investigate the synthesis, structure and properties of functional materials. His approach applies powerful computational methods with experiment, to contribute to areas as diverse as catalysis and mineralogy. His approach has also advanced our understanding of how defects in the atomic level structure of solids can play a key role in modifying their electronic, chemical and mechanical properties.
His work has offered insight into the behaviour of nuclear fuels under irradiation and to the molecular mechanisms underlying industrial catalysis, especially involving microporous materials and metal oxides, in structural chemistry and mineralogy. Simulation methods are now routinely used to predict the structures of complex solid materials.
His work has been extensively published and cited with over 1000 research articles and several books and reviews.
He has worked extensively on collaborative projects with the developing world, especially in Africa, and was elected Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society - the Academy of Sciences of the UK - in 2016.
| 09:00-09:05 |
Welcome by the Royal Society and lead organiser
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| 09:05-09:30 |
Green Carbon and Hydrogen: the road to Net Zero chemicals manufacture
The carbon and hydrogen rainbows are delineated in the context of the Chemical Industry of the Future. The role of green carbon, derived from terrestrial or aquatic biomass or organic waste, including carbon dioxide emissions, which cannot be seen independently of the role of green hydrogen, is discussed with relevant examples. This, in turn, is dependent on the use of renewable energy – solar, wind or nuclear - for the generation of the green hydrogen. 
Professor Roger A Sheldon FRS, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Professor Roger A Sheldon FRS, University of the Witwatersrand, South AfricaRoger Sheldon is a recognised authority on Green and Sustainable Chemistry and is widely known for developing the E factor for assessing the environmental impact of chemical processes. He has received many awards, including the RSC Green Chemistry Award, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2015 and an Honorary Fellow of the RSC in 2019. He has a PhD from Leicester University (UK) and worked for twenty years in industry (Shell and DSM) before joining Delft University of Technology as professor of Biocatalysis in 1991. He is currently Distinguished Professor of Biocatalysis Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand (SA) as well as Professor Emeritus in Delft. |
| 09:30-09:45 |
Discussion
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| 09:45-10:15 |
From linear to circular – Will this make industry more sustainable and can LCA help?
The circular economy is widely heralded as being more sustainable and better for the environment. But is this true? How would we know? One of the most widely used tools to determine environmental impact is lifecycle assessment. This has been used across many sectors to help identify where impacts occur at early stages and how to make policy decisions and interventions. Life cycle assessment historically took a cradle to grave approach. Sometimes, and more appropriately, it analyses from cradle to cradle. This enables us to create more circular models – a fine tool to measure the impact of the circular economy and circular approaches we might think. But things are rarely circular. Instead, we see a web with products being recycled and remanufactured into ever increasingly new materials. On the one hand this is fantastic! However, we need to know if these systems truly are lower in carbon and have a lower environmental impact. Currently LCA and carbon accounting is not keeping up. We need to develop better ways of determining impact temporally and spatially. This talk will outline some of the work we're undertaking as part of the IDRIC project to create a framework that will truly enable a better understanding of complex interactions in a circular economy. We will explore how green is green when it comes to carbon? What makes it so and how can we measure it? 
Professor Marcelle McManus, University of Bath, UK
Professor Marcelle McManus, University of Bath, UKProfessor Marcelle McManus is a professor of Energy and Environmental Engineering at the University of Bath. She is a Research Director within the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) and Director of the Sustainable Energy Systems Research Centre. Her research interests include investigating the life cycle environmental impact of various products and systems, primarily related to renewable energy and products. Much of the focus of her research is on integrated life cycle appraisals of renewable technologies, and the creation of effective methodologies to do this. Professor McManus has worked with industry to improve performance in terms of energy and Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. She enjoys helping understand the impact of complex systems – large and small – and working to improve emerging technologies. The work she and her colleagues did on the LCA of emerging technology won the Graedel Prize in 2020. |
| 10:15-10:30 |
Discussion
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| 10:30-11:00 |
Break
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| 11:00-11:30 |
Catalysis as a driver for sustainable chemistry
Heterogeneous catalysis, one of the cornerstones of the chemical industry, is at the forefront of innovation to make clean energy, use renewable raw materials and minimize waste generation, all of which are key objectives for achieving sustainable development. To meet these challenges, catalytic processes must consider multidimensional phenomena, ranging from the design of active centres at the nanometre scale to environmental footprint assessment at the planetary scale. This requires a Herculean effort, integrating interdisciplinary fundamental research with state-of-the-art tools and close collaboration with industry to enable implementation. This approach can provide, in addition to rich intellectual satisfaction, decisive processes for society to evolve towards a circular economy. This talk will present recent examples from Professor Pérez-Ramírez’ lab that will unpack this exciting process in more detail. 
Professor Javier Pérez-Ramírez, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Professor Javier Pérez-Ramírez, ETH Zurich, SwitzerlandJavier Pérez-Ramírez has been Full Professor of Catalysis Engineering at ETH Zurich since 2010. His research pursues the nanoscale design of catalytic materials enabling the transition towards sustainable chemical and energy production. He studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Alicante and received his PhD degree at Delft University of Technology in 2002. Javier is a highly cited researcher in the field of chemistry and has been recognized by several awards, most recently the EFCATS Robert K Grasselli Award for Catalysis in 2021 and the 2022 Environment, Sustainability and Energy Horizon Prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2022. He serves as the Chair of the Editorial Board of Green Chemistry and directs NCCR Catalysis, a Swiss Centre of Competence in Research devoted to the development of carbon-neutral chemicals across the whole value chain through catalytic processes. |
| 11:30-11:45 |
Discussion
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| 11:45-12:15 |
Towards the electrification of chemical production
The most commonly produced chemicals, such as ethylene or ammonia, are currently produced in large-scale centralised plants, typically at elevated temperatures and pressures. The transport of these reactive compounds to the end user poses significant safety and logistical challenges. However, with the advent of inexpensive renewable electricity, electrochemical routes of synthesising these chemicals are becoming increasingly attractive. Low temperature electrochemical devices are particularly amenable towards coupling with renewables. They require little infrastructure; as such, they could allow for localised chemical production at the point-of-consumption. In this contribution, the author will discuss recent developments in the electrochemical valorisation of CO2, furfural and glycerol to fuels and high value chemicals. 
Professor Ifan Stephens, Imperial College London, UK
Professor Ifan Stephens, Imperial College London, UKIfan conducted his PhD at the University of Cambridge. In 2008, Ifan moved to the Department of Physics at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and stayed there until 2017, where he was ultimately employed as Associate Professor. Ifan moved to the Department of Materials at Imperial College London in 2017; he currently holds the position of Professor of Electrochemistry there. His group’s research aims to enable the large-scale electrochemical conversion of renewable energy to fuels and valuable chemicals and vice versa. Such processes will be critical in order to allow the increased uptake of renewable energy. Ifan has published 85 papers on topics including oxygen reduction, oxygen evolution, CO2 reduction and nitrogen reduction. Ifan’s research on H2O2 electrosynthesis led to the establishment of the spinout HPNow, which he co-founded. Stephens is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Peabody Visiting Associate Professorship from MIT (2015), the RSC’s John Jeyes Award (2021), an ERC Consolidator Grant (2021-2025) and Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (2022). |
| 12:15-12:30 |
Discussion
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Chair
Professor Charlotte Williams, University of Oxford, UK
Professor Charlotte Williams, University of Oxford, UK
Charlotte K Williams (Department of Chemistry, Oxford University) researches catalysis that allow renewable resources to be used to make polymers, composites and fuels. Her research includes the development of homogeneous catalysts for polymerizations of plant-derived resources and carbon dioxide to deliver oxygenated polymers. She also investigates colloidal nanoparticle catalysts for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide or syn-gas to methanol and dimethyl ether. More information can be found at her research group webpages: http://research.chem.ox.ac.uk/charlotte-williams.aspx. She is the founder of econic technologies which commercializes catalysts for carbon dioxide/epoxide copolymerizations (http://www.econic-technologies.com/). Her work has been recognised by the RSC Corday Morgan Prize (2015) and the WISE Tech Start Up Award (2014).
| 13:30-14:00 |
Imagining a chemical industry based on renewable and recycled carbon
Widespread use of renewable chemical feedstocks and the transition to a circular carbon economy will involve a major transition away from gas phase reactions of volatile hydrocarbons towards condensed phase reactions of non-volatile and poorly soluble biomass and post-consumer plastics. At the same time, highly distributed carbon resources and energy will require processing strategies for which our highly integrated chemical plants are not well-suited. Solvent effects arising from covalent and non-covalent interactions alter behaviours at solid surfaces and in porous catalytic materials, where interactions are strongly influenced by partitioning of molecules between the bulk liquid phase and the surface or pore volume. Nanoscale structuring of solvent molecules near these surfaces alters mobility and promotes or prevents adsorption of reactive molecules near active sites. This talk will describe the challenges and scientific opportunities in describing and controlling effects at the molecular level by probing the molecular composition at solid-liquid interfaces, while simultaneously observing the kinetics of catalytic reactions that transform energy-rich carbon-based molecules. 
Dr Susannah Scott, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
Dr Susannah Scott, University of California, Santa Barbara, USASusannah Scott is a Distinguished Professor in Chemical Engineering and in Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She earned her PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from Iowa State University and conducted postdoctoral research at the Institut de recherches sur la catalyse in Lyon, France. In 1994, she joined the faculty of the University of Ottawa, Canada, where she was named a Canada Research Chair. In 2003, she moved to Santa Barbara, where she currently holds the Mellichamp Chair in Sustainable Catalysis. Recently, she delivered the Ipatieff Lecture at Northwestern, the Grace Hopper Lecture at the University of Pennsylvania, the Kurt Wohl Memorial Lecture at the University of Delaware, the Boulder Scientific Lecture at the Colorado State University, the Eastman Foundation Lectures at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Irving Wender Lecture at the Pennsylvania State University. In 2022, she chaired the Gordon Research Conference on Catalysis. Her research interests focus on the design of catalysts for the conversion of conventional and unconventional carbon-based feedstocks. |
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| 14:00-14:15 |
Discussion
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| 14:15-14:45 |
Heterogeneous catalysis as enabler of circular economy
The guidelines of sustainable development require a transformation of today's linear chemical industry with the aim of closed carbon cycles. In this process, renewable energy can be used as an energy/heating source and to provide chemical redox equivalents, eg in the form of hydrogen or electrons. Catalysts are essential to enable selective chemo-, bio-, or even electrocatalytic reactions under the dynamic supply of resources. As carbon sources, fossil raw materials must be used as carbon efficiently as possible in a transition phase and consistently replaced by renewable carbon sources such as CO2 and biomass, as well as recycling streams, eg in the form of plastics. Catalysts enable raw materials that are highly diverse in functionality and reactivity to be selectively converted and efficient value chains to be developed aiming to realize overall energy-efficient carbon cycles. In particular, chemical energy storage molecules that allow transport and storage of renewable energy will gain importance and strengthen the coupling of the chemical and energy sectors. Herein, novel concepts in catalyst design will be discussed focusing on solid molecular catalysts for CO2 activation, novel biomass transformations and the contribution of catalysis in life cycle assessment as well as the future role of a potentially electrified (bio)refinery. Professor Regina Palkovits, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
Professor Regina Palkovits, RWTH Aachen University, GermanyRegina Palkovits is Full Professor for Heterogeneous Catalysis & Chemical Technology at RWTH Aachen University. She graduated in Chemical Engineering from Technical University Dortmund in 2003 and carried out her PhD under the supervision of Professor Ferdi Schüth at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung until 2006. Afterwards, she joined the group of Professor Bert Weckhuysen at Utrecht University as a postdoctoral fellow. In 2008, she return as a group leader to the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung and since 2010 she has been Professor at RWTH Aachen University. |
| 14:45-15:00 |
Discussion
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| 15:00-15:30 |
Break
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| 15:30-16:00 |
Syngas: the gateway to sustainable fuels and chemicals
The chemicals industry is the third largest contributor to the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. Finding ways to decarbonise (reduce emissions from) the production of chemicals is essential for a more sustainable future. Short-term, decarbonisation can be achieved by improving process efficiency and retrofitting existing plants with carbon capture technology. But longer-term, the industry needs to transition away from fossil fuels towards more sustainable feedstocks. The catalytic transformation of synthesis gas or ‘syngas’ ( a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide) has a key role to play. It is the gateway to transforming electrolytic hydrogen, biomass, waste and captured carbon dioxide into the chemicals and fuels on which the world relies. 
Dr Elizabeth Rowsell, Johnson Matthey, UK
Dr Elizabeth Rowsell, Johnson Matthey, UK |
| 16:00-16:15 |
Discussion
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| 16:15-18:00 |
Poster flash talks followed by Poster session
Professor Graham Hutchings CBE FRS, Cardiff University, UK
Professor Graham Hutchings CBE FRS, Cardiff University, UKGraham Hutchings, born 1951, studied chemistry at University College London. His early career was with ICI and AECI Ltd where he became interested in heterogeneous catalysis initially with oxides and subsequently with gold catalysis. In 1984 he moved to academia and has held chairs at the Universities of Witwatersrand, Liverpool and Cardiff and currently he is Director of the Cardiff Catalysis Institute. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2009, and he was awarded the Davy Medal of the Royal Society in 2013. |
Chair
Professor Matthew Davidson, University of Bath, UK
Professor Matthew Davidson, University of Bath, UK
Matthew Davidson is Whorrod Professor of Sustainable Chemical Technologies and Director of the Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies at the University of Bath, UK. His research focuses on the application of molecular chemistry and catalysis to sustainable chemical processes such as manufacture of renewable fuels, chemicals and plastics. He graduated in Chemistry from the University of Wales, Swansea and received a PhD from the University of Cambridge. Following a Research Fellowship at St John’s College, Cambridge, he held Lectureships in Chemistry at the University of Cambridge and Durham University before being appointed to a Chair of Chemistry at Bath in 1999. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a previous recipient of its Harrison Memorial Prize.
| 09:00-09:30 |
'Fire and Ice.' Hydrogen and carbon dioxide as building blocks for fuels and chemicals
World-wide deployment of technologies to generate electricity from renewable sources enables new catalytic pathways to produce fuels and chemicals from non-fossil raw materials (“power-to-X”).[1] Hydrogen produced from electrolysis provides a molecular pivot between “decarbonised” electricity and “defossilised” energy carriers and products. The present talk will provide insight into challenges and opportunities resulting from this concept and discuss recent advances from our own research on catalytic processes using H2 for the conversion CO2 and biomass-derived substrates. [1] Zimmerman, J B; Anastas, P T; Erythropel, H C; Leitner, W; Science 2020, 367, 397-400. 
Professor Dr Walter Leitner, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Germany
Professor Dr Walter Leitner, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, GermanyWalter Leitner (FRSC) is Director at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion in Mülheim an der Ruhr and holds the Chair of Chemical Technology and Petrochemistry at RWTH Aachen University. His research focusses on an organometallic approach to catalysis at the interface of energy and chemistry motivated by the principles of Green Chemistry. Walter Leitner is author and co-author of more than 400 publications and over 60 patents and patent applications. From 2004 - 2016 he served as Scientific Editor and later as Chairman of the Editorial Board of the Journal Green Chemistry, and since 2021 he is a Scientific Advisory Editor of Angewandte Chemie. The research efforts of his team have been recognised with several distinctions including the European Sustainable Chemistry Award (EuCheMS, 2014; jointly with Professor Jürgen Klankermayer) and the Georg Wittig-Victor Grignard Prize by the Société Chimique de France (2020). His collaboration with Dr Christoph Gürtler (Covestro) to bring catalytic process utilizing CO2 from science to application has been listed in the top three for the Presidential German Future Award (2019) and the European Inventor Award (2021). |
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| 09:30-09:45 |
Discussion
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| 09:45-10:15 |
Why we need non-fossil carbon for the chemical industry: The hidden footprint of consumer goods
In 2020, Unilever launched its Clean Future strategy, which aims to deliver superior products that meet the needs of everyday consumers in a sustainable and affordable way with a commitment to reach NetZero by 2039. Unilever’s total extrapolated greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint for year ending June 2022 was estimated at 56 million tonnes per year. Most of this footprint sits in scope 3 emissions and is largely driven by the upstream footprint of the millions of tonnes of materials we use. In business groups dependent on fossil-based carbon, the footprint also originates from the fate of these materials – which in the environment are designed to biodegrade but in doing so generate carbon emissions – the hidden footprint. In this talk, the author will explore why ingredients are such an important contributor to Unilever’s and others’ GHG footprint and why green renewable carbon-based solutions are crucial to address the footprint of consumer products, the ways they can do this, and the challenges involved in doing this at scale. 
Dr Ian Howell, Unilever, UK
Dr Ian Howell, Unilever, UKDr Ian Howell is a HomeCare R&D Director at Unilever, where he spearheads the creation of innovative and sustainable materials for the home care market. He leverages his 30 years of experience in consumer insight, physical and chemical sciences, marketing, safety, regulatory, patents and open innovation to produce products that have superior performance and lower environmental impact and drives Homecare’s agenda on Net Zero. He also serves as the chair of the Society of Chemical Industry – Sustainable Materials for Consumer Products Group, where he works with other businesses in the UK to foster sustainable supply chains. He has a PhD in Physics from the University of Bristol. |
| 10:15-10:30 |
Discussion
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| 10:30-11:00 |
Break
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| 11:00-11:30 |
Electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide for a circular chemical economy
Electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction provides a way to generate useful carbon fuels and feedstocks from a waste stream. Historically there has been a strong focus on the use of metal electrodes for carbon dioxide reduction, often Au, Ag and Cu. These have achieved impressive selectivity’s and current densities but they tend to work only when the local pH is high. This gives rise to an issue; it is well understood that the reaction of carbon dioxide with hydroxide lowers the available carbon dioxide for conversion and can cause substantial purification costs. Here Professor Alex Cowan will discuss this challenge and their recent work developing catalysts and electrodes that can operate in acidic environments conditions where conventional metal electrodes produce mainly hydrogen. The author will describe the use of acid tolerant molecular electrocatalysts for carbon dioxide reduction, discussing the pathway of development from small molecules in solution to their application on gas diffusion electrodes in complete electrolysers. By operating in acid Professor Cowan and a group of researchers have managed to achieve high single pass conversion efficiencies for the production of CO and their most recent works exploring the application of these electrolysers to real world gas streams will also be discussed. 
Professor Alex Cowan, University of Liverpool, UK
Professor Alex Cowan, University of Liverpool, UKProfessor Alex Cowan obtained his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Nottingham (2007) for the study of inorganic reaction mechanisms with transient spectroscopy, under the supervision of Professor Mike George. Following a postdoctoral position at Nottingham he moved to Imperial College London to study photoelectrochemical water splitting with Professor David Klug in 2008. In October 2012 he joined the department of Chemistry and the Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy at Liverpool University. Alex leads an active research group that develops and studies catalysts for the sustainable production of fuels with a focus on electrocatalytic and photoelectrochemical systems. Alex is director of the UK Solar Fuels and Solar Chemicals network, is a UK expert to the mission innovation activities on Power to X and is on the management board of the UKRI Interdisciplinary Centre for Circular Chemical economy. |
| 11:30-10:45 |
Discussion
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| 11:45-12:15 |
Mechanistic studies as a tool for steering thermo-catalytic CO2 hydrogenation selectivity
CO2 has potential as carbon source of fuels and consumer goods with properties and infrastructure needs analogous to those of current fossil carbon-based products. While reaction with H2 lifts CO2 out of its thermodynamic well, product selectivity is a challenge, with methane being thermodynamically more stable than value-added products such as methanol, dimethyl ether and C2+ hydrocarbons. Recent studies of model catalysts based on well-defined metal-organic frameworks have revealed details of site-specific selectivity towards methane, CO and methanol formation, and give hints to future design of more conventional heterogeneous catalysts. This lecture will contain examples from the presenter’s own research as well as literature, and expand into formation of C2+ products over tandem catalysts. 
Professor Unni Olsbye, University of Oslo, Norway
Professor Unni Olsbye, University of Oslo, NorwayUnni Olsbye obtained an MSc in Industrial Chemistry at NTNU, Norway, in 1987, and a PhD in Organic Chemistry at the University of Oslo (UiO), Norway, in 1991. She then worked at SINTEF and Nordox Industrier before returning to UiO as associate professor in 2001. She was promoted to full professor in 2002. In 2008-15 she was managing director of inGAP, a national centre for research-based innovation. She is elected member of the Norwegian Academy of Technical Sciences and the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. She serves as a senior editor of Journal of Catalysis and a member of several scientific advisory boards. Her research group focuses on catalysis for sustainable valorisation of light molecules (C1-C3), using studies of kinetic and mechanistic consequences of single material parameter variation as a guiding tool for catalyst design. |
| 12:15-12:30 |
Discussion
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Chair
Professor Matthew Rosseinsky FRS, University of Liverpool, UK
Professor Matthew Rosseinsky FRS, University of Liverpool, UK
"Matthew Rosseinsky obtained a degree in Chemistry from the University of Oxford and a D Phil under the supervision of Professor P Day, FRS in 1990. He was a Postdoctoral Member of Technical Staff at AT &T Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey where his work with D W Murphy, A F Hebard and R C Haddon led to the discovery of superconductivity in alkali metal fullerides. In 1992, he was appointed University Lecturer at the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, where he remained until 1999 when he moved to the University of Liverpool as Professor of Inorganic Chemistry. He was awarded the inaugural de Gennes Prize for Materials Chemistry (a lifetime award for achievement in this research area open to all scientists internationally) by the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2009 and the CNR Rao Award of the Chemical Research Society of India in 2010. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2008, and was awarded the Hughes Medal of the Royal Society in 2011. His work addresses the synthesis of new functional materials for energy and information storage applications, and has been characterised by extensive collaboration with many academic and industrial colleagues."
| 13:30-14:00 |
Green ammonia for the decarbonisation of the chemical industry
Ammonia is the second largest globally produced chemical (~ 240 million tons/year), mainly used as fertiliser, feeding over 50% of the World’s population. Currently, (brown/grey) ammonia is produced through the Haber Bosch process using fossil fuels as a source of energy and feedstock, responsible of ~ 1.8% global CO2 emissions (~ 40% of the primary chemical industry). The replacement of brown/grey ammonia by green ammonia, made exclusively using renewable energy, hydrogen from water and nitrogen from air, can fully decarbonise this industry. To achieve this ambition, green ammonia requires new process technologies and optimisation approaches to move away from the continuous energy supply offered by fossil fuels to the intermittent and distributed nature of renewable energy. Herein, we will present our efforts to re-define the conventional Haber-Bosch process of making ammonia by integrating its synthesis and separation into a single vessel in a new process designed to be paired with renewable energy, in combination with novel heat integration strategies and techno-economic analysis. In addition, the high energy density, ease to store and existing infrastructure of ammonia makes it a perfect carbon-free energy carrier, having the potential to directly replace fossil fuels in transportation, heating, electricity, etc. Green ammonia is indeed an opportunity for the chemical industry to contribute to the decarbonisation of the society. 
Professor Laura TorrenteUniversity of Cambridge
Professor Laura TorrenteUniversity of Cambridge Laura Torrente is a Professor in Reaction Engineering and Catalysis at the University of Cambridge where she leads the Catalysis and Process Integration group. Her work involves the development of sustainable chemical processes combining catalysis development, reaction engineering and process integration She is a member of the UK Catalysis Hub. Her research is being supported by a number of public bodies and companies, having recently been awarded an ERC Consolidator grant to continue her work on green ammonia. In 2020, she co-authored a policy brief document commissioned by the Royal Society entitled 'Ammonia: zero-carbon fertiliser, fuel and energy store.' |
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| 14:00-14:15 |
Discussion
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| 14:15-14:45 |
Catalytic approaches to cleaning
The conversion of chemicals to useful cleaning agents using light and photocatalysts presents a green alternative to traditional, thermal catalysis pathways and is showing great promise in disinfection and chemical remediation of wastewater streams. Dr Jennifer Edwards and a group of scientists have investigated how graphitic carbon nitrides can be used to produce H2O2 (a potent biocide) from water and air, without the need for molecular H2. A further use for these photocatalysts ties closely with improving population health by reducing infection spread. On exposure to water, air and sunlight photocatalysts will generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) that have high oxidising potentials. These ROS can be used in a range of innovative cleaning applications-reducing viral and bacterial loads on surfaces, fabrics and in water. This talk will summarise the researchers' advances in creating new solutions for disinfection and cleaning, using just sunlight air and water. 
Dr Jennifer Edwards, Cardiff University, UK
Dr Jennifer Edwards, Cardiff University, UKJenny obtained her PhD in 2007 from Cardiff University and was appointed lecturer in October 2019, then senior lecturer in 2022 (via PDRA positions and an Independent Chancellors research fellowship). Her research focusses on the synthesis and applications of sustainable heterogeneous catalysts, and how these can be used to solve complex issues related to health. She is currently investigating how photocatalysts can provide a solution to global period poverty. Her contributions to precious metal research was recognised by the International Precious Metals Institute USA, June 2011 when she was awarded the Carol Tyler Award. She was recognised for advances in the direct synthesis of H2O2 and awarded the Clara Immerwhar award in 2013. She was awarded the Dillwyn Medal in STEM in 2020 by the Learned Society of Wales. |
| 14:45-15:00 |
Discussion
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| 15:00-15:30 |
Break
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| 15:30-16:00 |
The polymers in liquid formulations revolution: developing a mission-led innovation ecosystem for sustainable PLFs
Found in millions of consumers and industrial products, and comprising hundreds of types of polymers, polymers in liquid formulations (PLFs) are used in everything from Household care products to treating the water we drink. Unfortunately, the way that they are currently made, used and disposed of is not sustainable. Finding ways to replace fossil feedstocks, reuse and recycle PLFs is an important first step towards sustainability for PLFs. The Royal Society of Chemistry convened a cross sectorial Industry Sustainable PLFs Task Force which took a mission-oriented innovation approach to developing the roadmap for Sustainable PLFs. This methodology has been developed to co-design collaborative; dynamic innovation programmes orientated toward global challenges at a scale beyond what single industry players can address alone. Finally, bringing researchers and policymakers together has the potential to create opportunity to act decisively to deliver sustainability improvements for PLFs. 
Professor Anju Massey-Brooker FRSC, Royal Society of Chemistry, UK
Professor Anju Massey-Brooker FRSC, Royal Society of Chemistry, UKProfessor Anju Massey-Brooker previously held position of R&D Director-Principal Scientist at Procter & Gamble (P&G) with 28 years’ experience in leading product and technology innovation programmes impacting several Billion Dollars of sales around the world and enabled P&G’s expansion into new markets and worked on some of P&G’s best-known brands. Winner of multiple Innovation awards and an Inventor on over 50 patents protecting the above innovations. Winner and Project Coordinator for several multi-million pound/euro European Commission and UKRI funded high-impact private-public sector collaborative programmes. She currently holds several honorary positions, including Professor in Practice at Durham University, Senior Research Fellow at University of Birmingham, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Former member of the EPSRC strategic Advisory Team for Physical Sciences and Circular Economy. She presently provides the secretariat for the RSC’s Sustainable PLF cross sectoral Industry Task Force. She holds PhD in Organometallic Chemistry from Cambridge University. 
Professor Rowan Conway, UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, UK
Professor Rowan Conway, UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, UKRowan Conway is a Policy Fellow and Visiting Professor of Strategic Design the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP) at University College London. Rowan teaches strategic design for innovation in a range of contexts beyond IIPP, within the UCL School of Management and the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford. She has an extensive background working in the private and public sector leading purpose-led design and innovation projects, and she is currently in collaboration with the Royal Society of Chemistry. She was previously Director of Innovation at the Royal Society of Arts where she set up the RSA Lab to use design methods to explore, prototype and test research insights and policy ideas with government agencies, NGOs, academic partners, businesses, and social enterprises. Between 2019 and 2022, Rowan worked as Head of Mission Oriented Innovation Network at UCL convening global policy-making institutions and she is currently Independent Chair of the Mutual Learning Exercise on the efficacy of the EU Missions for the European Commission. |
| 16:00-16:15 |
Discussion
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| 16:15-17:00 |
Panel discussion/Overview
Professor Paul Monks, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, UK
Professor Paul Monks, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, UKProfessor Paul Monks is the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). As CSA, he delivers independent and impartial scientific advice to Ministers and policy makers across the DESNZ portfolio. Paul also works closely with the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, other Departmental CSAs, and the department’s Chief Economist, to strengthen the links within and across departments, encouraging effective engagement and knowledge sharing, and to support delivery of a robust evidence base to underpin DESNZ policy decisions. Prior to joining the department, Paul was Pro-Vice Chancellor and Head of College of Science and Engineering at the University of Leicester, where he remains a Professor in Atmospheric Chemistry and Earth Observation Science. Professor Graham Hutchings CBE FRS, Cardiff University, UK
Professor Graham Hutchings CBE FRS, Cardiff University, UKGraham Hutchings, born 1951, studied chemistry at University College London. His early career was with ICI and AECI Ltd where he became interested in heterogeneous catalysis initially with oxides and subsequently with gold catalysis. In 1984 he moved to academia and has held chairs at the Universities of Witwatersrand, Liverpool and Cardiff and currently he is Director of the Cardiff Catalysis Institute. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2009, and he was awarded the Davy Medal of the Royal Society in 2013. Professor Richard Catlow FRS, University College London, UK
Professor Richard Catlow FRS, University College London, UKRichard Catlow’s scientific programme develops and applies computer models to solid state and materials chemistry - areas of chemistry that investigate the synthesis, structure and properties of functional materials. His approach applies powerful computational methods with experiment, to contribute to areas as diverse as catalysis and mineralogy. His approach has also advanced our understanding of how defects in the atomic level structure of solids can play a key role in modifying their electronic, chemical and mechanical properties. His work has offered insight into the behaviour of nuclear fuels under irradiation and to the molecular mechanisms underlying industrial catalysis, especially involving microporous materials and metal oxides, in structural chemistry and mineralogy. Simulation methods are now routinely used to predict the structures of complex solid materials. His work has been extensively published and cited with over 1000 research articles and several books and reviews. He has worked extensively on collaborative projects with the developing world, especially in Africa, and was elected Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society - the Academy of Sciences of the UK - in 2016. Professor Charlotte Williams, University of Oxford, UK
Professor Charlotte Williams, University of Oxford, UKCharlotte K Williams (Department of Chemistry, Oxford University) researches catalysis that allow renewable resources to be used to make polymers, composites and fuels. Her research includes the development of homogeneous catalysts for polymerizations of plant-derived resources and carbon dioxide to deliver oxygenated polymers. She also investigates colloidal nanoparticle catalysts for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide or syn-gas to methanol and dimethyl ether. More information can be found at her research group webpages: http://research.chem.ox.ac.uk/charlotte-williams.aspx. She is the founder of econic technologies which commercializes catalysts for carbon dioxide/epoxide copolymerizations (http://www.econic-technologies.com/). Her work has been recognised by the RSC Corday Morgan Prize (2015) and the WISE Tech Start Up Award (2014). Professor Matthew Davidson, University of Bath, UK
Professor Matthew Davidson, University of Bath, UKMatthew Davidson is Whorrod Professor of Sustainable Chemical Technologies and Director of the Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies at the University of Bath, UK. His research focuses on the application of molecular chemistry and catalysis to sustainable chemical processes such as manufacture of renewable fuels, chemicals and plastics. He graduated in Chemistry from the University of Wales, Swansea and received a PhD from the University of Cambridge. Following a Research Fellowship at St John’s College, Cambridge, he held Lectureships in Chemistry at the University of Cambridge and Durham University before being appointed to a Chair of Chemistry at Bath in 1999. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a previous recipient of its Harrison Memorial Prize. Professor Matthew Rosseinsky FRS, University of Liverpool, UK
Professor Matthew Rosseinsky FRS, University of Liverpool, UK"Matthew Rosseinsky obtained a degree in Chemistry from the University of Oxford and a D Phil under the supervision of Professor P Day, FRS in 1990. He was a Postdoctoral Member of Technical Staff at AT &T Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey where his work with D W Murphy, A F Hebard and R C Haddon led to the discovery of superconductivity in alkali metal fullerides. In 1992, he was appointed University Lecturer at the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, where he remained until 1999 when he moved to the University of Liverpool as Professor of Inorganic Chemistry. He was awarded the inaugural de Gennes Prize for Materials Chemistry (a lifetime award for achievement in this research area open to all scientists internationally) by the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2009 and the CNR Rao Award of the Chemical Research Society of India in 2010. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2008, and was awarded the Hughes Medal of the Royal Society in 2011. His work addresses the synthesis of new functional materials for energy and information storage applications, and has been characterised by extensive collaboration with many academic and industrial colleagues." |