Washington State researchers convert ethanol using cerium inside zeolite

In Washington state, a catalyst developed by a Washington State University research team efficiently converts abundant, renewable ethanol into valuable molecules needed for production of plastics, fuels, and everyday products. The advance could someday make it easier to use renewables rather than petrochemicals to make common products. The researchers, including from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), report on their work in the journal, Chem Catalysis.

In their work, the researchers dramatically improved a key step in the ethanol conversion process by positioning single atoms of the rare-earth metal cerium inside tiny pores of the crystalline material zeolite.

The researchers are continuing the work to improve the catalysts. For instance, they’re looking at combining cerium with another metal to improve the reaction.