Title : Green catalysis and climate change mitigation
Abstract:
Green catalysis is a specialized area of catalysis that emphasizes the use of catalysts with minimal environmental impact. Green catalysts include biocatalysts such as enzymes and microorganisms, as well as heterogeneous catalysts like metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and zeolites. Homogeneous systems, including ionic liquids and other organic catalysts, also play an important role. These green catalytic systems help replace toxic and non-renewable catalyst sources. Catalysis is fundamental to the modern economy and is central to industries such as pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, food processing, and environmental protection. Compared to conventional catalysts, green catalysts enhance reaction rates, lower energy requirements, and improve product yields, thereby making industrial processes more economically viable. In contrast, traditional catalytic approaches often involve risks such as reagent explosions, the formation of hazardous by-products, and reliance on non-renewable raw materials. Green catalysis offers a sustainable alternative by optimizing reaction conditions, employing highly selective catalysts, and promoting cleaner production technologies. The talk will encompass how green catalysis can help in mitigating the drastic impact of climate change. It will consider a developed catalyst MgPrE (Magnesium-Praseodymium mixed with eucalyptus leaves ash) to synthesize green chemical dimethyl carbonate. Detailed physicochemical characterisation helped to clarify the structure–activity link. CO? temperature-programmed desorption (CO?-TPD) demonstrated the critical role of surface basicity in DMC formation. The catalytic process at the molecular level, as well as to determine the energetically advantageous activation of PC and methanol over the MgPrE(4) catalyst. Magnesium praseodymium (MgPr(4)) had the best catalytic activity among the produced catalysts because of the enhanced basicity, high surface area, abundance of oxygen vacancies, and synergistic action of Mg-Pr species. The ideal parameters were 165 °C, 2.5 hours, 5 weight percent catalyst loading based on PC, and a 6:1 methanol/PC molar ratio. The catalyst produced a DMC yield of 66%, selectivity of 42%, and TOF of 0.12 under ideal circumstances.
