The Center for Enabling New Technologies Through Catalysis (CENTC) is a National Science Foundation Phase II Center for Chemical Innovation. CENTC brings together researchers from across North America to collaboratively address the economic, environmental and national security needs for more efficient, inexpensive and environmentally friendly methods of producing chemicals and fuels from a variety of feedstocks.

Through catalysis, CENTC researchers can lower the energy costs to transforming chemicals, use inexpensive, abundant and nontoxic starting materials and generate less waste. Fundamentally new technologies are needed to reduce our dependency on foreign oil both for fuels and for chemicals. The production of chemicals including plastics and medicines from petroleum can be made more efficient through catalysis. Novel catalytic methods are also needed to develop alternatives to petroleum for fuels and chemicals. Coal, shale and biomass may all be viable as starting materials for the production of fuels.

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CENTC News

CENTC Undergraduate Summer Research Program Accepting Applications
Applications are now available for the CENTC Undergraduate Summer Research Program. Undergraduate fellowships are available to conduct research at a choice of CENTC’s 13 locations during the summer of 2010. The program is 10 weeks long, running from June 14, 2010 through August 20, 2010. Fellows will receive a stipend and compensation for travel and housing. For more information and to download an application, visit:
http://depts.washington.edu/centc/education_ur.htm

Melanie Sanford Receives BASF Catalysis Award 2009
CENTC investigator Melanie Sanford was recently awarded the BASF Catalysis Award 2009 for her research seeking new catalytic reactions for cleaner systems and greener processes in chemistry.

CENTC Researchers Characterize Methane-Metal Complex
CENTC researchers at the University of North Carolina and the University of Washington have described the first observation of a metal complex that binds methane in solution. The finding is reported in the October 23 issue of Science.

Karen Goldberg Interviewed by EarthSky
CENTC Director Karen Goldberg was interviewed by EarthSky recently on the topic of converting methane to methanol. You can listen to the interview and read the transcript at EarthSky:
http://www.earthsky.org/interviewpost/energy/karen-goldberg-trying-to-make-natural-gas-more-accessible-fuel-option

What is Catalysis?

Catalysis changes how a chemical reaction happens. This process usually speeds up a reaction, and can also make new reactions possible that allow different starting materials to be used. The chemical that causes these changes is called a catalyst. The catalyst is not used up in a reaction.