Advancing Critical Chemical Processes for a Sustainable Future: Challenges for Industry and the Max Planck–Cardiff Centre on the Fundamentals of Heterogeneous Catalysis (FUNCAT)

Catalysis is involved in around 85 % of manufacturing industry and contributes an estimated 25 to the global domestic product, with majority processes relying on heterogeneous catalysis. Despite importance different segments, fundamental understanding heterogeneously catalysed lags substantially behind that achieved other fields. The newly established Max Planck–Cardiff Centre Fundamentals Heterogeneous (FUNCAT) targets innovative concepts could contribute scientific developments needed research field achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions chemical industries. This Viewpoint Article presents some our activities visions current future challenges catalysis regarding green circular economy by focusing explicitly critical processes. Namely, hydrogen production, ammonia synthesis, carbon dioxide reduction, along new aspects acetylene chemistry.