Catalysts are everywhere. They make chemical reactions that
normally occur at extremely high temperatures and pressures possible within
factories, cars and the comparatively balmy conditions within the human body.
Developing better catalysts, however, is mainly a hit-or-miss process.
Now, a study by researchers at the University of
Pennsylvania, the University of Trieste and Brookhaven National Laboratory has
shown a way to precisely design the active elements of a certain class of
catalysts, showing which parameters are most critical for improving
performance.