Scientific Sessions

Catalysis plays a pivotal role in converting renewable resources into sustainable fuels, chemicals, and energy, addressing the growing need for environmentally friendly alternatives to fossil-based materials. Biomass, a primary renewable resource, can be transformed into biofuels, biochemicals, and hydrogen through catalytic processes such as hydrolysis, transesterification, pyrolysis, and gasification. Heterogeneous catalysts, including metal oxides, supported metals, and zeolites, are commonly employed to improve conversion efficiency and selectivity, while enzymatic and biocatalytic systems offer mild and eco-friendly pathways for producing high value chemicals from renewable feedstocks.

Emerging catalytic technologies also enable photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and photoelectrochemical processes for harnessing solar and electrical energy to generate fuels like hydrogen and syngas from water, CO2, and biomass derivatives. Understanding the mechanisms of catalysis and the interaction between active sites and reactants is crucial for designing robust and scalable systems. Integration of nanocatalysts, computational modeling, and process intensification techniques further enhances performance, making renewable catalysis a cornerstone of the circular economy. Overall, catalysis for renewable sources contributes significantly to sustainable energy production, environmental protection, and the development of a low-carbon future.