Haldor Topsoe is a specialist in catalysis, in popular terms described as a process that accelerates a chemical reaction which would otherwise be uselessly slow.

The importance of catalysis to industry, the environment and our everyday lives is huge. In one way or another, catalysis is involved in 90% of all commercially produced products - from fertilizer to furniture to the fuel in our vehicles. It can make expensive products processes cheaper, turn worthless waste into value and clean the air we breathe.

Study published in Nature Materials

Based on a recent study, Topsoe has taken a quantum leap forward in understanding catalysis in action similar to those in automotive catalyc system used to clean the engine exhaust from diesel vehicles.

Findings from the study have been published in the scientific journal 'Nature Materials':

“In popular terms we created a miniaturized version of the catalyst found in the tailpipe of a diesel vehicle and that made it possible to observe it in operation for the first time ever”, says Stig Helveg, senior researcher scientist at Topsoe and one of the authors behind the article.

By looking directly at the catalyst in action, the researchers discovered that its surface fluctuates over time and this allowed them to solve a puzzle that remained unsolved for years in catalysis:

“The nanoreactor makes it possible for us to visualize an entirely new dimension of the catalytic reaction that explains why it oscillates due to dynamic changes in the catalyst surface. This insight can be used to improve the performance of our catalysts and consequently also the many industrial applications they are part of", says Stig Helveg.

Within the automative sector, Topsøe’s catalysts are instaslled in the vehicle’s muffler to remove dangerous nitrogen oxides (NOx) as well as particulates and hydrocarbons. Since the sale of these devices began in 2006, more than 250,000 heavy trucks and buses worldwide have been equipped with Topsoe's catalysts and technology.

Source: Haldor Topsoe