2021 0520 New NUS technology completes vital class of industrial reactions five times faster
The NUS research team led by Assoc Prof Yan Ning (middle) used an electrostation machine to achieve the desired oscillation of electric potentials in order to speed up hydrogenation in a laboratory-scale reactor. With him are two members of the research team: doctoral student Mr Lim Chia Wei (left), and Research Fellow Dr Max Hulsey (right).
Everything from the production of fertilisers and plastics, to liquid fuels and pharmaceuticals, require an important chemical reaction known as hydrogenation. This is a process involving the addition of hydrogen to unsaturated chemical bonds. Enhancing the rate of hydrogenation can lead to higher yields for industries and lower environmental impacts.