1. Engineering Active Sites for Sustainable Catalysis Robert Raja

2.  Cascade Reactions & Flow Chemistry  Vitamins  Agrochemicals  Fragrances and flavours  Food-additives Porous Molecular Frameworks The Strategy:  Designing novel framework structures (zeolites, AlPOs, MOFs, ZIFS).  Isomorphous substitution of framework anions and cations with catalytically active transition-metal entities.  Take advantage of pore aperture for shape-, regio- and enantio-selectivity Properties:  Hybrid/hierarchical architectures.  Wide-ranging chemical properties  Redox catalysis (selective oxidations, epoxidation).  Acid catalysis (alkylations, isomerisations, dehydration).  Bifunctional and cascade reactions  Oxyfunctionalization of alkanes and aromatics (C–H activation)  High thermal stability/recyclability  Structure-property relationships  Greener Nylon  Terephthalate-based fibres  Liquid-phase Beckmann reactions   -Caprolactam synthesis  Bio-Ethanol dehydration Fine-Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Industrial Research Projects Bulk Chemicals & Energy Key Benefits:  Replace highly corrosive and more expensive oxidants with benign ones (molecular oxygen)  Access mechanistic pathways that were hitherto difficult  Synergy in catalytic transformations  Catalyst and process conditions amenable for industrial exploitation Chem. Commun., 2011, 47, 517–519 Engineering Active Sites for Enhancing Catalytic Synergy

3. Role in Future Challenges Sustainable energy Atom-efficient Catalysis Benign Reagents Eliminate Waste Renewable Fuels Renewable energy Clean drinking water CO 2 capture Sustainable Catalysis For Renewable Energy Applications: Research Areas  Renewable Transport Fuels  Bio-Ethanol & Biomass Conversions  Hybrid Biofuels (1 st and 2 nd generation)  Bio-diesel  Hydrogen Economy  Industrial Hydrogenations  Low-temperature acid catalysis  Alternatives to PGM Catalysts Key Benefits:  Better compositional control compared to traditional methods such as incipient wetness and deposition/precipitation  Improved site-isolation aids catalytic turnover  Use of oxophile reduces amount of noble metals and aids anchoring  Exceptional synergy in catalytic reactions (akin to enzymes)  Access mechanistic pathways that were hitherto difficult  Process conditions amenable for industrial exploitation Collaborative Projects 1.Photocatalytic-splitting of water for the generation of H 2 and O 2 2.Harvesting marine-energy for potential impact on H 2 economy Engineering Perspective 1.Developing marine exhaust- gas cleaning technologies 2.Selective catalytic reduction for removal on NOx, SOx, VOCs, particulates from diesel engines Dalton Trans., 2012, 41, 982-989

4. Hybrid Catalysts for Biomass Conversions and Multifunctional Hierarchical Architectures for Biodiesel Production Bio-Ethanol/ Propanol Ethylene/ Propylene Synergy Academic & Industrial Partnership Programs Renewable Transport Fuels Bio-Ethanol and Biomass Conversions Hybrid Biofuels (1 st and 2 nd Generation) Biodiesel & Bioenergy Hydrogen Economy Alternatives to PGM Catalysts Industrial Hydrogenations Low-Temperature Acid-Catalysis Renewable Polymers Single-Step Cascade Reactions for the Conversion of Vegetable Oils to FAMES & Direct Glycerol conversion to 1,3-propanediol