![close up of periodic table](../../assets/images/12-col/research-catalysis.jpg)
Catalysis Cluster
Catalysis encompasses a broad range of technologies and science that facilitates discovery, development, and use of low-energy reaction pathways to change molecules.
Researchers in Catalysis Science & Engineering use a wide range of materials characterization tools, and Penn State’s Materials Research Institute provides access to one of the most well-equipped materials characterization facilities in the world.
Catalysis plays pivotal roles in many modern technologies, including:
- energy conversion and storage
- reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
- pollution reduction
- plastics recycling
- production of industrial and pharmaceutical products
- biotechnology
- water treatment and purification
Related fields:
- chemical engineering
- chemistry
- materials science
- energy conversion and storage
- environmental protection and greenhouse gas reduction
- nanoscience
- elecrochemistry
- reaction engineering
Catalysis students learn:
- materials synthesis and characterization
- reaction kinetics
- theory and modeling
- thermodynamics
- spectroscopy
- reactor design and management
- reaction networks
- data management
Catalysis careers include:
- industrial engineers
- chemists
- entrepreneurs
- corporate leaders
- patent lawyers
- plant/production managers
- researchers at national labs
- scientists in federal agencies
Related Penn State units:
- Catalysis Science & Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Chemistry
- Energy and Minerals Engineering
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Agricultural and Biological Engineering
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Materials Research Institute
- Institute of Energy and the Environment
Chemical engineering faculty:
To see the full list of Penn State faculty involved in catalysis research, visit the Catalysis Science & Engineering list of researchers.
![headshot of a man](../../assets/images/faculty-staff-headshots/alexopoulos-kostas.jpg)
Kostas Alexopoulos
Heterogeneous Catalysis and Reaction Engineering, Multiscale Modeling
![headshot of a man](../../assets/images/faculty-staff-headshots/chandler-bert.jpg)
Bert Chandler
Heterogeneous Catalysis, Energy Transport and Storage, Nanomaterials
![headshot of a man](../../assets/images/faculty-staff-headshots/clark-ezra.jpg)
Ezra Clark
Heterogeneous Electrocatalysis and Sustainable Chemical Synthesis
![headshot of a man](../../assets/images/faculty-staff-headshots/janik-michael.jpg)
Michael Janik
Atomistic Modeling of Catalysis for Energy and Environment
![headshot of a woman](../../assets/images/faculty-staff-headshots/noh-gina.jpg)
Gina Noh
Heterogeneous Catalysis and Kinetics
![headshot of a man](../../assets/images/faculty-staff-headshots/rioux-robert.jpg)
Robert Rioux
Chemical Catalysts and Nanoscale Systems
![headshot of a man](../../assets/images/faculty-staff-headshots/savage-phillip.jpg)
Phillip Savage
Kinetics, Catalysis, and Reaction Engineering for Sustainability
![headshot of a man](../../assets/images/faculty-staff-headshots/schaak-raymond.jpg)
Raymond Schaak
Synthetic Inorganic Nanochemistry
![headshot of a woman](../../assets/images/faculty-staff-headshots/toraman-ezgi.jpg)
Ezgi Toraman
Alternative Energy Resources, Biomass and Plastic Waste Pyrolysis
Catalysis Contact:
- Bert Chandler
Professor of Chemical Engineering
Professor of Chemistry
bert.chandler@psu.edu - Catalysis Science & Engineering
Research Clusters:
![biotechnology link](../../assets/images/3-col/research-biotechnology.jpg)
![catalysis link](../../assets/images/3-col/research-catalysis.jpg)
![computational and data science link](../../assets/images/3-col/research-computational-data-science.jpg)
![materials engineering link](../../assets/images/3-col/research-materials-engineering.jpg)
![sustainability energy and environment link](../../assets/images/3-col/research-sustainability-energy-environment.jpg)