Catalysis and Alternatives to Liquid Fuels

The refining of liquid fuels from petroleum has arguably had a larger effect on the field of (non-enzymic) catalysis than any other industry, so much so that both the engineering and social norms resulting from, and supporting the petroleum industry now affects both the agenda and problem-setting goals in the alternative fuels industry and consequentially in catalysis. For example, there is great emphasis today on the development of biofuels that resemble in their properties and operation gasoline and diesel. I argue that this is not necessarily the most prudent manner of using biomass as a fuel source and propose that it is more prudent and efficient to convert biomass to electricity directly. If adopted, this would have a vast effect on vehicle design, on electrical distribution strategies and investments and consequently on the pathways that research programs in catalysis are likely to follow, replacing current emphases on producing and improving liquid fuels with ones affecting such processes as combustion, and battery and other electrical storage and distribution issues.