I-Corps: New Catalysts for Chemicals Production

这个I-Corps团队项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力包括新的选择性催化剂的可能商业化，这些催化剂以更低的成本，更少的化学废物和更低的能源需求，从石化和可再生原料中提供更安全和更有效的化学品和化学产品生产。 催化剂是能显著提高所需产物反应速率的物质。 在许多情况下，如果不使用催化剂，化学产品的商业生产是不可能的。 大约90%的化学品生产需要在生产过程的至少一个步骤中使用催化剂。这包括大宗化学品、塑料和聚合物、合成橡胶、药品、农用化学品、燃料以及消费品和食品工业中使用的化学品的生产。化学工业的各个领域都需要具有更高选择性和更低成本的新型催化剂。I-Corps的这个项目专注于一个独特的专利限制几何构型配体和金属催化剂系列，这些催化剂在化学工业的几个细分市场中具有潜在的应用。针对具体应用的这一技术的开发尚处于初步阶段，但专有的约束几何催化剂生产的基本概念验证已经得到证明，并已获得专利覆盖。根据最初的客户访谈，该团队将专注于评估化工行业聚合物、橡胶和石油精炼领域的客户需求。具体而言，该团队将探索客户对更具选择性，更活跃，更便宜的催化剂的需求，用于将石化和可再生原料转化为聚合物和其他增值产品。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps team project includes possible commercialization of new, selective catalysts that provide safer and more efficient production of chemicals and chemical products from petrochemical and renewable feedstocks at lower cost, with less chemical waste, and with lower energy requirements. Catalysts are substances that dramatically increase reaction rates for desired products. In many cases, commercial production of a chemical product is not possible without the use of a catalyst. Approximately 90% of all chemical production requires the use of a catalyst in at least one step of the production process. This includes the production of bulk chemicals, plastics and polymers, synthetic rubber, pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, fuels, and chemicals used in consumer products and in the food industry. The need for new catalysts that are more selective and provide more efficient chemical production at lower cost spans all sectors of the chemical industry.This I-Corps project focuses on a unique family of patented constrained geometry ligands and metal catalysts that have potential applications in several of the market segments of the chemical industry. Development of this technology for specific applications is in the preliminary stages, but basic proof-of-concept of proprietary constrained geometry catalyst production has been demonstrated and patent coverage has been obtained. Based on initial customer interviews, the team will focus on evaluating customer needs in the polymer, rubber, and petroleum refining segments of the chemical industry. Specifically, the team will explore customer needs for more selective, more active, and less expensive catalysts for conversion of petrochemical and renewable feedstocks to polymers and other value-added products.