Catalysts are of crucial importance to our society as these materials are essential for mediating more than 90% of all industrial chemical processes worldwide. While traditionally linked to the petrochemical industry catalysis research is a keystone discipline to develop sustainable processes in our push towards a circular society.
Research in the Catalysis Institute covers all aspects of catalyst research from the synthesis and modification, physico-chemical characterisation with special focus on characterizations under operation conditions, testing of catalytic performance and stability under industrially relevant conditions as well as theoretical modelling of catalytic processes and materials.
The Institute is the leading research group in heterogeneous catalysis in South Africa and enjoys excellent relations with similar academic groups in Europe, North America, and Asia as well as substantial co-operation with domestic and international industry.
It hosts the DSI HySA/Catalysis Centre of Competence, which focuses on the development of fuel cell and electrolysis technology, the DSI Research Flagship program CoalCO2-X, which focuses on the synthesis of diesel fuels from carbon dioxide and green hydrogen, as well as three DSI/NRF SARChI Chairs in Reaction Engineering, Nanomaterials in Catalysis, and Sustainable Catalysis. Our researchers further play leading roles in several local and international research consortia.
