ERC AdG INTENT

Critically important heterogeneous catalytic reactions for energy conversion and chemicals production have been run for decades in fixed bed reactors packed with catalyst pellets, whose operation is intrinsically limited by slow heat removal/supply. There is urgent need for a new generation of chemical reactors to address the current quest for process intensification. In the INTENT project we propose that a game-changing alternative is provided by structured reactors wherein the catalyst is washcoated onto or packed into structured substrates, like open-cell foams or 3D printed periodic open cellular structures (POCS), fabricated with highly conductive metals (Al, Cu).