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Current state and future prospects of liquid metal catalysis

Nature Catalysis volume 6, pages 1131–1139 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

The need for advances in the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals has accelerated the push for innovation in catalytic systems that enable progress in chemical science and other technologies. Liquid metals have recently gained traction as an emerging class of catalysts that offer exciting sets of features, strengths and challenges. Here we provide insights into how current advances in liquid metal chemistry can be leveraged for an already burgeoning field of catalysis. By reflecting on recent demonstrations of efficient liquid metal-driven catalytic systems and leveraging the recent advancements in the chemistry of liquid metals, we glance at applications that stand to benefit from this class of catalysts, particularly in supporting oxidation, reduction and chemical looping reactions. Moreover, we explain how the utilization of next-generation liquid metal catalysts is being shaped by current reactor designs and highlight how a series of analogies with homogeneous catalysts can inform the effective deployment of liquid metal catalysts.

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Fig. 1: Conceptual overview of liquid metal catalysts.
Fig. 2: Schematic representation of prospective reactor designs for liquid metal catalysis.
Fig. 3: Key examples of liquid metal catalysis across major reaction avenues.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project scheme DP220101923.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Syeda Saba Fatima, Karma Zuraiqi.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Syeda Saba Fatima, Karma Zuraiqi, Vaishnavi Krishnamurthi, Ken Chiang & Torben Daeneke

  2. School of Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Ali Zavabeti

  3. School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh

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  1. Syeda Saba Fatima
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Correspondence to Karma Zuraiqi or Torben Daeneke.

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Fatima, S.S., Zuraiqi, K., Zavabeti, A. et al. Current state and future prospects of liquid metal catalysis. Nat Catal 6, 1131–1139 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-023-01083-3

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