What Is to Be Expected from Heterogeneous Catalysis in the Pipeline to Circular Economy?

Abstract

Modern society requires a change in the philosophy of doing science, which faces the enormous challenge of being compatible with the new sustainability principles. Inorganic chemistry holds the keys to accelerate the transition given that most chemical processes or technology devices rely on the use or integration of inorganic materials. In particular, heterogeneous catalysis has a central role in promoting the transition from a linear economy to a circular one. To accomplish this, it is imperative that the modern schemes for catalysis will adopt a holistic approach based on sensible choice of raw materials, reliance on clean energy inputs and establishment of a robust framework of resource use and recovery. Some of these concepts are analysed here and discussed in Ref. [to a few selected examples.