Breakthroughs in Tungsten Carbide Catalysts for Sustainable Petrochemicals and Plastic Upcycling
Researchers at the University of Rochester, led by Marc Porosoff, are engineering tungsten carbide as a low-cost, sustainable alternative to precious metal catalysts. They identified optimal tungsten carbide phases, like β-W₂C, for converting carbon dioxide into chemicals. It also proved over ten times more efficient than platinum for hydrocracking plastic waste into new materials, supporting a circular economy. Additionally, a new optical method for precise catalyst temperature measurement enhances reproducibility and efficiency in chemical engineering processes.
Scientists, particularly at the University of Rochester under Marc Porosoff, are making significant strides in developing tungsten carbide as a low-cost, sustainable catalyst to replace expensive and scarce precious metals like platinum in various chemical reactions. These catalysts are crucial for producing everyday products, from plastics to detergents.One key advancement involved precisely manipulating tungsten carbide particles at the nanoscale within chemical reactors to identify optimal atomic arrangements, or phases. Published in *ACS Catalysis*, this research pinpointed β-W₂C as a highly effective phase for converting carbon dioxide into important chemical precursors, despite being less thermodynamically stable.Furthermore, a study in the *Journal of the American Chemical Society* highlighted tungsten carbide's efficacy in upcycling plastic waste. It proved over ten times more efficient and less costly than platinum for hydrocracking polypropylene (common in water bottles) into smaller molecules for new products. Tungsten carbide's metallic and acidic properties, along with its lack of micropores, enable easier interaction with large polymer chains, addressing limitations of platinum-based catalysts and fostering a circular economy.Underpinning these catalytic improvements is a new optical measurement technique for accurately determining catalyst surface temperatures, developed with Andrea Pickel's lab and published in *EES Catalysis*. Traditional methods can be off by 10-100 degrees Celsius, hindering reproducibility. This precise measurement allows for better control of chemical reactions, facilitating the efficient coupling of exothermic and endothermic processes, minimizing waste heat, and leading to more robust findings across the field of catalysis. These advancements promise more efficient, sustainable, and reproducible chemical engineering.
