Catalysis and sustainable processes
at the University of Messina
Research on heterogeneous catalysis and sustainable processes is one of the main activities present at the Laboratory of Catalysis for Sustainable Production and Energy (CASPE), where operate the groups of Industrial Chemistry and Chemical Engineering located at the Dept. ChiBioFarAm of the University of Messina, Italy. This Laboratory was created by the InterUniversity Consortium on the Science and Technology of Materials (INSTM) and the University of Messina. From 2001 to 2009 it was also one of the three associated laboratories partecipating to ELCASS (European Laboratory of Catalysis and Surface Science) together with the CNRS and Univ. Louis Pasteur in France, and the the Fritz-Haber-Institute of MPG in Germany. The Laboratory is also actively involved in the European Research Institute of Catalysis (ERIC aisbl), the Durable Integrating Structure created from IDECAT. ERIC is an international non-profit organization with registered office in Bruxelles (Belgium) and a leading competence centre in Europe for innovative research on nanotech catalytic materials.
The group of catalysis has many established international collaborations and has coordinated the EU Nework of Excellence on catalysis IDECAT, besides other large EU projects. The group is leaded by Gabriele CENTI and Siglinda PERATHONER, professors of Industrial Chemistry at the University of Messina. The research activities cover many field of herogeneous catalysis (including photo- and electro-catalysis) and the development of related sustainable processes, technologies and devices for chemical production and energy, and environment protection. Solar-driven chemistry and energy, and circular economy are the main topics on which research is focused. Both they have lead the preparation of the "Science and Technology Roadmap on Catalysis for Europe" (A path to create a sustainable future) in the frame of the activities of the European Cluster on Catalysis.The common vision is the development of novel materials and innovative industrial processes. The activities cover aspects from the synthesis and characterization, to the testing and kinetics, to some aspects of reactor, catalyst and process engineering.
Updated 22 August 2023