Date | 12 Nov 2024 |
Time | 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm (HKT) |
Venue | Lecture Theatre T6, Meng Wah Complex |
Speaker | Prof. Sir Richard Catlow |
Institution | Department of Chemistry, University College London, UK; School of Chemistry, Cardiff University; UK Catalysis Hub, Research Complex at Harwell, UK |
*This is a joint distinguished lecture of the Faculty of Science and the Department of Chemistry.
Title:
SCIENCE to ENABLE the CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Professor Catlow began his career at Oxford University, has directed the Davy-Faraday Laboratory at the Royal Institution in London. He has been a Professor at University College London, the University of Keele, the University of Cardiff, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society – the UK Academy of Science - and a member of the German National Science Academy, the Leopoldina, of the Academia Europaea and the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS); he is also an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and of the Materials and Chemical Societies of India. He served as Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society from 2016 -2021 and was knighted in 2000 for his services to leadership in science and research.
His research programme is based on the development and application of computational techniques used in direct conjunction with experiment in probing the properties of complex materials. He has played a leading role in developing the field both in the UK and internationally. His programme comprises the study of energy materials, catalysis, nano-chemistry and surface chemistry. His work has also exploited the synergy between computation and experiment using synchrotron radiation and neutron scattering methods, especially in catalytic science. He has published over a 1200 research papers.
Abstract:
This lecture will first discuss some general aspects and challenges relating to the development of the circular economy. It will then focus on the issues relating to the defossilising of the Chemical Industry, where he will highlight a recent Royal Society Policy Briefing on this topic1. He will next discuss key scientific challenges concerning CO2 utilisation and green ammonia production, emphasising the vital role of catalytic chemistry in meeting these challenges. The important contribution to the field of large scale facilities including synchrotron radiation and neutron beam facilities, together with High Performance Computing will be discussed. He will conclude by outlining the role of Life-Cycle-Analysis (LCA) in evaluating technological options, and by considering how the scientific community can best respond to the challenges of the Circular Economy and sustainability.