Catalysis, the speeding up or sometimes the slowing down of the rate of a chemical reaction, is caused by the addition of some

substance that does not undergo a permanent chemical change. In an equilibrium process it does not produce a higher yield, but it does allow the same yield to be formed more quickly. It often allows the chemical engineer to lower temperatures and save energy. Although theoretically they are not used up in a reaction, in practice they often have to be replaced due to mechanical wear and tear. The search for new catalysts is of wide interest in both research and industry. Researchers will undertake plans to find new catalysts to develop new chemical reactions that will reshape the way scientists think about the construction of complex molecules - a central requirement for the discovery of new medicines.

Catalysis is also important for the development of new energy technologies, which is essential to promote economic prosperity and to provide for environmental preservation. Researchers are developing new catalytic materials and processes for converting resources such as biomass and coal to transportation fuels and chemical commodities, reducing NOx emissions, and fundamental research aimed at improving our understanding of how catalysts promote chemical reactions. Research in heterogeneous catalysis focuses on developing new catalyst and processes for decomposing and converting cellulosic materials into liquid fuels and chemical commodities, for use in selective oxidation and dehydrogenation reactions, for reducing nitrogen oxide emissions, hydrogen production, and the conversion of synthesis gas into liquid fuels. Also, research in advancing understanding of the structure/composition/function relationships in nanoscale catalytic materials. Research in homogeneous catalysis explores fuel-related catalysis mechanisms, new catalytic species, and new catalytic reaction chemistry at the high pressures and temperatures that are frequently used in industrial processes. New research is published in the form of a journal, which is subject to scrutiny by the editor and a peer reviewer (another expert in the field.) From here, the article is validated by the test of time, being cited and criticised or supported by articles that follow. Highly cited papers in prestigious journals are generally held in high regard, having been subject to greater scrutiny.

Ethanoic acid could be produced in industry as we produce it in the laboratory by oxidation of ethanol, however this has a low atom economy as there are other products of the reaction. A better method is: CH3OH + CO CH3COOH As this process has an atom economy of 100% and there are no waste products. It was first developed by BASF in 1960 with two catalysts (cobalt and an iodine-based cocatalyst) at conditions of 300degrees and 700atm. These conditions require a lot of energy input to achieve and the process can be hazardous at this temperature. The process was further developed with a new catalyst system of rhodium/iodide ion which operated at milder conditions of 150-200degrees and 30-60atm. However: - Rhodium metal is very expensive - Rhodium and iodide ions form insoluble salts such as RhI3, and the water content in the reaction vessel has to be kept relatively high to prevent this - A final distillation step is required to remove water, adding to the energy demand and cost - Rhodium also catalyses side reactions such as: CO(g) + H20 (g) CO2(g) + H2(g) Iridium has been suggested by Monsanto as an alternative to rhodium. Although it is less active, studies have shown that it can be promoted using ruthenium leading to a more active and more specific catalyst (Cativa process) and releases less CO2 into the atmosphere. This also allows the use of less water and reduces the number of drying columns necessary, decreasing the formation of by-products. The process continues to evolve, which is why research of catalysis is so important.