I-Corps: New Catalysts for Chemicals Production

这个i-Corps团队项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力包括可能将新的选择性催化剂商业化，这种催化剂能够以更低的成本、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更安全、更有效地生产化学品和化学产品。催化剂是能够显著提高所需产品的反应速度的物质。在许多情况下，如果不使用催化剂，化学产品的商业化生产是不可能的。大约90%的化工生产需要在生产过程的至少一个步骤中使用催化剂。这包括生产散装化学品、塑料和聚合物、合成橡胶、药品、农用化学品、燃料以及用于消费品和食品工业的化学品。对更具选择性和以更低成本提供更有效的化学生产的新催化剂的需求跨越了化学工业的所有部门。这个i-Corps项目专注于一系列独特的专利受限几何配体和金属催化剂，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。这项技术的具体应用开发还处于初步阶段，但已经证明了专有约束几何催化剂生产的基本概念，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。具体地说，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，以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.