- Utilization of alternative feedstocks such as natural gas and biomass through C1 chemistry

- Biomass conversion and development of green technologies for chemicals and fuels

- Preparation of heterogeneous catalysts via sol-gel method and nano-material synthesis

- Production of clean fuels and chemicals such as alcohols, hydrogen and hydrocarbons through synthesis gas

- Reaction kinetics and application of micro-structured reactors for compact chemical process

 

▶ Fuels from alternative feed stocks and development of environmentally-bening processes

 The utilization of natural gas as an alternative feed stock has been receiving enormous interest after the recent oil crisis. The C1 chemistry is one of the important methodologies for producing clean fuels and chemicals by using heterogeneous catalysts. In our laboratory, the synthesis of hydrogen, alcohols and hydrocarbons from synthesis gas which could be derived from natural gas or biomass has been intensively investigated using heterogeneous catalysts through the novel preparation routes such as impregnation, sol-gel and nano-material synthesis. Efficient conversion of biomass into chemicals and fuels is also pursued vigorously through non-catalytic and catalytic routes. The application of micro-structured reactors is also our research topic for the development of compact chemical processes.

▶ Highly efficient heterogeneous catalysts and micro-reactors

 The preparation of heterogeneous catalysts by sol-gel method and nano-material synthesis is of interest to our laboratory. Especially, the focuses are also on the synthesis of micro and/or mesoporous materials through coating technologies and encapsulation methods. In addition, both conventional reaction systems such as the lab-scale fixed bed reactors, continuous stirred tank reactors or micro-structured reactors are applied for measuring catalytic performances. Studies on reaction kinetics also form one of the major parts in our laboratory for furthering the research activity towards the development of efficient chemical processes.