Opportunities and Challenges of Molecular Catalysts

Amarachi Nkwoada ^*

1. Department of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State, PMB 1526, Nigeria

* Correspondence: Amarachi Nkwoada

Special Issue: Opportunities and Challenges of Molecular Catalysts

Received: November 28, 2024 | Accepted: November 29, 2024 | Published: December 02, 2024

Catalysis Research 2024, Volume 4, Issue 4, doi:10.21926/cr.2404013

Recommended citation: Nkwoada A. Opportunities and Challenges of Molecular Catalysts. Catalysis Research 2024; 4(4): 013; doi:10.21926/cr.2404013.

© 2024 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the conditions of the Creative Commons by Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is correctly cited.

Molecular catalysis remains a focus of contemporary chemistry as it offers opportunities to effectuate selective, efficient transformations crucial for various uses. From enzymatic-like reactions to large-scale synthesis, molecular catalysts are a perfect example of the marriage between basic research and application. Emerging trends like iron- and cobalt-based catalysts for water splitting [1] demonstrate advancements in the synthesis of catalysts for sustainable energy conversion and environmental cleaning.

Nonetheless, molecular catalysis has its drawbacks. In the past, challenges such as catalyst deactivation, low recyclability, and poor scalability have been major drawbacks that hindered industrial application. These challenges remain the same but are magnified by the requirement to use renewable resources and work under less severe conditions. For instance, the palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions are very efficient; however, their reusability and substrate generality are still areas that need further enhancement [2]. Addressing these challenges will require invention at the interface of materials science and catalysis.

The design and synthesis of molecular catalysts are two fields that are currently in their state of development. In traditional synthetic strategies, the scale and cost of production may be issues. These include high-throughput screening and computational modelling to enhance the search of catalyst libraries [3]. Ligands that are designed to selectively coordinate to specific metals, for instance, those that mimic enzymatic active sites, are the future of higher selectivity and stability as observed in hydrogen evolution catalysts from earth-abundant metals [4].

There is a lot of potential in such applications as artificial photosynthesis, selective conversion of CO₂, and renewable fuel production. The use of molecular catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of CO₂ to methanol is a good example of how chemistry can support sustainable development [4]. Likewise, molecular catalysts developed for synthetic transformations in drug discovery underlines the industrial applicability of these catalysts.

The importance of molecular catalysis research is the fact that it seeks to respond to some of the most critical global concerns, including energy security and environmental cleanup. It also makes sustainable development a reality around the globe, while at the same time decreasing the use of nonrenewable resources. In the future, the applications of molecular catalysis are still enormous. The appearance of new approaches, for example, the use of artificial intelligence in the search for new catalysts, can help in the search for new generation catalysts. Molecular catalysis promises to revolutionize chemical transformations throughout sectors when implemented with the help of interdisciplinary cooperation and proper funding [6].

Author Contributions

The author did all the research work for this study.

Competing Interests

The author declares no conflict of interest.