Catalytic materials play a crucial role in accelerating chemical reactions by lowering activation energy without being consumed in the process. These materials are broadly categorized into homogeneous, heterogeneous, and enzymatic catalysts, each offering unique advantages depending on the reaction type and environment. Metal catalysts such as platinum, palladium, and nickel are widely used in industrial processes, while metal oxides, zeolites, and nanostructured materials provide high surface area and tunable active sites for efficient catalysis. The development of nano-catalysts and supported catalysts has further enhanced activity, selectivity, and stability, making them vital for applications in energy conversion, green chemistry, and environmental remediation.

The mechanisms of catalysis involve the adsorption of reactants on active sites, transformation through intermediate species, and subsequent desorption of products, allowing the catalyst to regenerate. Understanding these mechanisms at the molecular level helps in designing more effective catalysts with improved efficiency. Advanced techniques such as in-situ spectroscopy, computational modeling, and surface analysis provide insights into reaction pathways and kinetics. Emerging fields like photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and biocatalysis integrate principles of physics, chemistry, and biology to develop sustainable catalytic systems. Overall, the study of catalytic materials and mechanisms is central to innovation in chemical engineering, environmental protection, and renewable energy technologies.

Key Highlights

• Site-based classification of major cancer types
• Clinical features of breast and chest wall cancers
• Lung and thoracic malignancies: diagnosis and staging
• Gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, and pancreatic cancers overview
• Gynecological and genitourinary cancer patterns

Why This Session Is Important

• Improves understanding of cancers based on anatomical origin
• Supports accurate site-specific diagnosis and staging
• Guides appropriate treatment planning by cancer location
• Enhances multidisciplinary coordination in oncology care
• Promotes personalized, evidence-based management strategies

Catalysis is fundamental to modern chemical synthesis, enabling the efficient and selective formation of desired products while minimizing waste and energy consumption. In both academic and industrial settings, catalysts are used to drive reactions that would otherwise proceed too slowly or require harsh conditions. Homogeneous catalysis, often involving transition metal complexes, offers precise control over reaction selectivity, making it valuable for fine chemical and pharmaceutical synthesis. On the other hand, heterogeneous catalysis, where the catalyst and reactants are in different phases, is preferred for large-scale industrial production due to its ease of separation and reusability. Biocatalysis, employing enzymes or whole cells, represents a sustainable approach that leverages nature’s efficiency for green and eco-friendly chemical transformations.

Catalytic methods are essential in key synthetic processes such as hydrogenation, oxidation, polymerization, and carbon–carbon coupling reactions. The development of asymmetric catalysis has revolutionized the synthesis of chiral compounds, crucial in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. Advances in nanocatalysis and photocatalysis have opened new possibilities for designing more active, selective, and stable catalysts. Moreover, combining computational chemistry and mechanistic studies aids in understanding and predicting catalytic behavior, accelerating the discovery of novel systems. Overall, catalysis for chemical synthesis not only enhances process efficiency and product quality but also contributes to sustainable development by reducing environmental impact and resource consumption.

Key Highlights

• Catalytic approaches for organic and inorganic synthesis
• Improving reaction efficiency, yield, and selectivity
• Sustainable and green synthesis methodologies
• Catalyst design for complex molecule synthesis
• Applications in pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, and materials

Why This Session Is Important

• Strengthens understanding of catalyst-driven synthesis
• Supports sustainable and scalable chemical production
• Enhances innovation in synthetic chemistry and process development
• Bridges academic research with industrial applications
• Promotes efficient, cost-effective synthesis strategies

Chemical Engineering is a multidisciplinary field that integrates principles of chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics to design, develop, and optimize processes for producing valuable materials and products. It focuses on transforming raw materials into useful commodities such as fuels, pharmaceuticals, polymers, food, and specialty chemicals in an efficient, safe, and sustainable manner. Core areas of study include thermodynamics, reaction engineering, transport phenomena, and process control, which together form the foundation for designing and operating chemical plants. Chemical engineers play a vital role in scaling up laboratory research to industrial production, ensuring that processes are both economically viable and environmentally responsible.

In recent years, the scope of chemical engineering has expanded beyond traditional manufacturing to include emerging fields such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, materials science, and renewable energy systems. Chemical engineers are at the forefront of developing green technologies, including carbon capture, waste valorization, and sustainable energy solutions like hydrogen production and biofuel synthesis. The use of computational modeling, process simulation, and artificial intelligence has enhanced process optimization and innovation. Overall, chemical engineering serves as a bridge between scientific discovery and industrial application, driving progress across multiple sectors and contributing significantly to global technological and environmental advancements.

Key Highlights

• Core principles of chemical engineering and process design
• Reaction engineering and reactor design
• Separation technologies and process optimization
• Scale-up from lab to industrial production
• Applications across chemicals, energy, and materials industries

Why This Session Is Important

• Strengthens understanding of fundamental chemical engineering concepts
• Supports efficient and safe process design and optimization
• Bridges research innovations with industrial-scale applications
• Promotes sustainable and energy-efficient engineering solutions
• Enhances problem-solving skills for real-world engineering challenges

Catalysis plays a pivotal role in converting renewable resources into sustainable fuels, chemicals, and energy, addressing the growing need for environmentally friendly alternatives to fossil-based materials. Biomass, a primary renewable resource, can be transformed into biofuels, biochemicals, and hydrogen through catalytic processes such as hydrolysis, transesterification, pyrolysis, and gasification. Heterogeneous catalysts, including metal oxides, supported metals, and zeolites, are commonly employed to improve conversion efficiency and selectivity, while enzymatic and biocatalytic systems offer mild and eco-friendly pathways for producing high value chemicals from renewable feedstocks.

Emerging catalytic technologies also enable photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and photoelectrochemical processes for harnessing solar and electrical energy to generate fuels like hydrogen and syngas from water, CO2, and biomass derivatives. Understanding the mechanisms of catalysis and the interaction between active sites and reactants is crucial for designing robust and scalable systems. Integration of nanocatalysts, computational modeling, and process intensification techniques further enhances performance, making renewable catalysis a cornerstone of the circular economy. Overall, catalysis for renewable sources contributes significantly to sustainable energy production, environmental protection, and the development of a low-carbon future.

Zeolites are crystalline microporous aluminosilicate materials that have become indispensable in catalysis due to their unique structural, chemical, and textural properties. Their uniform pore size, high surface area, and tunable acidity allow zeolites to act as highly selective catalysts in numerous chemical processes. They are widely used in petroleum refining, petrochemical synthesis, and environmental applications, facilitating reactions such as hydrocracking, isomerization, alkylation, and adsorption of pollutants. The ability to modify zeolite frameworks by introducing different metal ions or functional groups enhances their catalytic activity and selectivity for specific reactions.

The catalytic mechanisms of zeolites rely on the confinement of reactant molecules within their pores, which promotes selective transformation while minimizing side reactions. Both Brønsted and Lewis acid sites present in zeolites play a crucial role in protonation and electron transfer during chemical reactions. Advances in nano-zeolites, hierarchical structures, and composite materials have further improved diffusion, accessibility, and stability, making them suitable for modern applications like biomass conversion, green chemistry, and sustainable energy production. By combining experimental studies with computational modeling, researchers can design zeolites with tailored properties to meet specific industrial and environmental needs, positioning them as a cornerstone in catalytic science.

Key Highlights

• Fundamentals of zeolite structures and properties
• Zeolite-based catalysts for chemical synthesis
• Shape-selective catalysis and reaction selectivity
• Industrial applications in petrochemicals and refining
• Advances in zeolite synthesis and modification

Why This Session Is Important

• Enhances understanding of zeolite materials in catalysis
• Supports efficient and selective catalytic processes
• Bridges fundamental research with industrial applications
• Promotes innovation in porous catalytic materials
• Advances sustainable and high-performance catalysis technologies

Catalysis is broadly classified into homogeneous and heterogeneous systems based on the phase of the catalyst relative to the reactants. In homogeneous catalysis, the catalyst and reactants exist in the same phase, usually liquid. This allows for uniform mixing, intimate contact, and precise control over reaction conditions, resulting in high selectivity and efficiency. Common examples include transition metal complexes in organic synthesis and acid/base catalysts in esterification or hydrolysis reactions. Homogeneous catalysts are particularly valuable in fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries, where product specificity and stereoselectivity are crucial. However, challenges such as catalyst recovery and separation often limit their large-scale application.

In contrast, heterogeneous catalysis involves catalysts in a different phase, typically solid catalysts interacting with gaseous or liquid reactants. These catalysts, including metals, metal oxides, zeolites, and supported catalysts, offer advantages like ease of separation, reusability, and durability, making them suitable for industrial-scale processes. The catalytic mechanism generally involves adsorption of reactants on the active sites, surface reactions, and desorption of products. Heterogeneous catalysts are widely used in petroleum refining, hydrogenation, oxidation, and environmental remediation. Advances in nanocatalysis, surface engineering, and computational modeling have enhanced the activity, selectivity, and stability of both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts, enabling more efficient and sustainable chemical processes.

Key Highlights

• Fundamentals of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic systems
• Comparison of catalyst activity, selectivity, and stability
• Reaction mechanisms and kinetics in catalytic processes
• Catalyst recovery, reuse, and deactivation studies
• Industrial and fine chemical applications of catalysis

Why This Session Is Important

• Builds clear understanding of different catalytic systems
• Supports selection of suitable catalysts for specific reactions
• Bridges fundamental catalysis with practical applications
• Enhances efficiency and sustainability of catalytic processes
• Encourages innovation in catalyst development and application

Enzymatic and biocatalysis harness the power of biological catalysts—enzymes or whole cells—to accelerate chemical reactions with remarkable specificity and efficiency. Enzymes act as highly selective catalysts under mild conditions of temperature, pressure, and pH, reducing energy consumption and minimizing unwanted by-products. This makes enzymatic catalysis particularly valuable in pharmaceutical synthesis, food processing, and fine chemical production. Biocatalysis can also include engineered microorganisms or cell-free systems that perform complex transformations, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional chemical methods.

The mechanisms of enzymatic catalysis involve substrate binding to the active site, stabilization of transition states, and conversion into products, after which the enzyme regenerates for further cycles. Advances in protein engineering, directed evolution, and immobilization techniques have expanded the scope of biocatalysts, improving their stability, activity, and selectivity for industrial applications. Biocatalysis is increasingly integrated into green chemistry and renewable resource utilization, such as converting biomass into biofuels and biochemicals. By combining molecular biology, computational modeling, and process engineering, enzymatic and biocatalysis provide eco-friendly, efficient, and scalable solutions for modern chemical production.

Key Highlights

• Fundamentals of enzymatic catalysis and biocatalysts
• Enzyme engineering and optimization for reactions
• Biotransformations for fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals
• Green and sustainable biocatalytic processes
• Industrial applications of biocatalysis

Why This Session Is Important

• Promotes eco-friendly and sustainable catalytic solutions
• Enhances efficiency and selectivity in chemical synthesis
• Bridges biology with chemical engineering applications
• Supports development of greener industrial processes
• Encourages innovation in enzyme and biocatalyst design

Biocatalysis involves the use of enzymes or whole cells to catalyze chemical reactions, offering highly selective and efficient pathways under mild conditions of temperature, pH, and pressure. It is a cornerstone of green chemistry, enabling the sustainable production of pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, biofuels, and food ingredients while minimizing waste and energy consumption. Biocatalytic processes leverage the natural specificity of enzymes to perform stereoselective, regioselective, and chemoselective transformations, often difficult to achieve with traditional chemical catalysts. Whole-cell biocatalysis further expands possibilities by providing cofactor regeneration and multi-step enzymatic conversions within a single system.

Enzyme engineering enhances the potential of biocatalysis by modifying enzyme structures to improve stability, activity, selectivity, and substrate scope. Techniques such as directed evolution, site-directed mutagenesis, and computational protein design allow the creation of tailored enzymes for specific industrial applications. Integration of enzyme engineering with immobilization methods and process optimization has led to robust biocatalytic systems suitable for large-scale production. Together, biocatalysis and enzyme engineering are driving innovations in sustainable chemical manufacturing, renewable resource utilization, and the development of eco-friendly technologies, bridging biology and chemical engineering for next-generation industrial solutions.

Catalyst deactivation is a major challenge in industrial catalysis, leading to reduced activity, selectivity, and overall process efficiency over time. Deactivation can occur due to several factors such as poisoning, fouling, sintering, coking, or thermal degradation. Poisoning results from the adsorption of impurities like sulfur or chlorine on active sites, while coking involves the deposition of carbonaceous materials that block catalytic surfaces. Sintering, often caused by high temperatures, leads to the agglomeration of metal particles, reducing the catalyst’s surface area. Understanding these deactivation mechanisms is crucial for designing more durable catalysts and ensuring consistent process performance.

To maintain long-term operation, catalyst regeneration techniques are employed to restore activity and stability. Methods such as oxidative regeneration, solvent washing, or reactivation under controlled conditions remove deactivating agents and renew active sites. Advances in nanostructured materials, surface engineering, and catalyst support design have improved thermal and mechanical stability, extending catalyst lifespan. Furthermore, real-time in-situ characterization and computational modeling help monitor degradation pathways and optimize regeneration cycles. Achieving a balance between catalytic performance and stability is essential for sustainable industrial operations, ensuring cost-effectiveness, reduced waste, and enhanced environmental efficiency.

Key Highlights

• Mechanisms of catalyst deactivation and poisoning
• Regeneration and reactivation strategies
• Stability and lifetime assessment of catalysts
• Characterization of deactivated catalysts
• Industrial case studies on catalyst durability

Why This Session Is Important

• Improves understanding of catalyst lifespan and performance
• Supports development of long-lasting, reusable catalysts
• Reduces operational costs through effective regeneration
• Enhances reliability of industrial catalytic processes
• Promotes sustainable and efficient catalyst utilization

Green and sustainable catalysis focuses on developing catalytic processes that minimize environmental impact, conserve energy, and utilize renewable or less hazardous materials. The goal is to design eco-friendly reactions that adhere to the principles of green chemistry, such as atom economy, waste reduction, and the use of non-toxic reagents and solvents. Catalysts play a central role in achieving sustainability by enabling reactions under milder conditions with higher efficiency and selectivity, thereby lowering energy consumption and by-product formation. Examples include biocatalysis, photocatalysis, and electrocatalysis, which utilize natural or renewable energy sources for cleaner chemical transformations.

The advancement of heterogeneous and recyclable catalysts, along with the use of earth-abundant metals and green solvents like water or supercritical CO2, has significantly contributed to reducing the ecological footprint of industrial processes. Additionally, nanocatalysts and hybrid materials are being designed for improved reusability and performance in sustainable reactions. Integration of renewable feedstocks, biomass conversion, and CO2 utilization through catalytic pathways supports the transition toward a circular economy. Overall, green and sustainable catalysis not only enhances process efficiency but also aligns chemical manufacturing with global environmental and energy goals, paving the way for a cleaner and more sustainable future.

Key Highlights

• Environmentally friendly catalytic processes
• Use of renewable and sustainable feedstocks
• Low-energy and low-waste reaction pathways
• Design of green and recyclable catalysts
• Applications in sustainable chemical manufacturing

Why This Session Is Important

• Supports transition to sustainable chemical production
• Reduces environmental impact of catalytic processes
• Promotes green chemistry principles in industry
• Encourages development of low-carbon technologies
• Aligns catalysis research with sustainability goals

Nanocatalysis is an emerging field that utilizes nanometer-sized catalysts to enhance reaction rates, selectivity, and efficiency through unique size- and shape-dependent properties. At the nanoscale, catalysts exhibit a high surface-to-volume ratio, providing more active sites for chemical interactions. These nanostructured materials, including metal nanoparticles, metal oxides, carbon-based nanomaterials, and core–shell structures, enable precise control over catalytic activity and stability. The ability to tailor their morphology, composition, and electronic structure makes them highly effective in diverse applications such as energy conversion, pollution control, fuel cells, and chemical synthesis.

The mechanisms in nanocatalysis often involve surface plasmon resonance, quantum confinement, and enhanced adsorption capabilities, which improve catalytic efficiency beyond that of bulk materials. Advances in green synthesis methods, surface functionalization, and catalyst support technologies have further improved durability and reusability. Additionally, computational modeling and in-situ characterization techniques provide deeper insights into reaction pathways and active site behavior at the nanoscale. Nanostructured catalysts are also being integrated into photocatalysis and electrocatalysis systems for renewable energy production, such as water splitting and CO2 reduction. Overall, nanocatalysis represents a vital step toward more efficient, sustainable, and innovative catalytic technologies for the future of chemical and energy industries.

Reaction engineering and kinetics form the foundation of chemical process design, focusing on how chemical reactions occur, how fast they proceed, and how they can be optimized for industrial applications. Chemical kinetics studies the rate of reaction and the influence of parameters such as temperature, pressure, concentration, and catalyst type on reaction behavior. This knowledge helps determine reaction mechanisms, identify rate-determining steps, and develop mathematical models to predict system performance. Understanding kinetics is essential for controlling product yield, selectivity, and reactor efficiency in both laboratory and large-scale operations.

Reaction engineering applies these kinetic principles to design and optimize chemical reactors, ensuring maximum conversion and energy efficiency while maintaining safety and sustainability. Different reactor types—such as batch, continuous stirred-tank (CSTR), plug flow (PFR), and catalytic reactors—are selected based on process requirements and reaction dynamics. Advanced techniques, including computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and process simulation, allow engineers to visualize and optimize reactor performance. Moreover, the integration of catalytic reaction engineering with modern tools like artificial intelligence and data analytics is transforming process development, enabling faster scale-up and real-time control. Together, reaction engineering and kinetics bridge fundamental science with industrial innovation, driving progress in sustainable and efficient chemical manufacturing.

Key Highlights

• Fundamentals of reaction kinetics and rate laws
• Reactor design and scale-up strategies
• Kinetic modeling and simulation techniques
• Optimization of reaction conditions and yields
• Industrial case studies in reaction engineering

Why This Session Is Important

• Builds strong foundation in reaction kinetics and reactor design
• Supports efficient and scalable chemical processes
• Enhances predictive modeling for process optimization
• Bridges theory with industrial reaction engineering practice
• Improves safety, efficiency, and performance of reactors