CAI now offers Due Diligence service to investors

CAI Catalysts continues to expand our client base with companies in our two primary market segments:

those developing novel catalysts who require catalyst manufacturing process and catalyst applications expertise to guide their catalyst development and scale-up programs, and
established catalyst manufacturers who are seeking to improve their process control and product consistency and/or increase production throughput through enhanced unit processes and control technologies.

Over the past year, CAI Catalysts have expanded services to include supply of a line of standard catalyst products for researchers and, our newest service, providing technical due diligence for investors focusing on target companies in the catalyst development and applications areas. CAI Catalysts is able to combine our broad and extensive knowledge of catalyst preparation and manufacturing processes, catalyst-driven reactions and applications, and operations finance to provide valuable advice and guidance to both angel investors and venture capital funds.

Additional information is available by contacting CAI Catalysts at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

In situ X-ray Microscopy of Catalysts

Application of scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) has been used extensively for the examination of biological materials to study nanometer-scale features. The intrinsic improvements over visible light methods offered by X-rays due to both their short wavelength as well as their ability to penetrate deeply into many materials make them particularly suited for the study of thick materials. Recently, X-ray microscopy techniques have been applied to the study of materials chemistry, including catalysts. A team from Ultrecht University recently reported an in situ examination of iron-based catalysts under Fischer-Tropsch reaction operating conditions (DOI: 10.1002/anie.201204930).

Improved Biomass Catalysts

Many reactions for the production of biorenewable chemicals occur in aqueous media at elevated temperatures. Under these conditions, many conventional oxide catalyst supports undergo phase changes or chemical alterations that render them unsuitable for these reactions. In a recent publication in Angewandte Chemie (DOI: 10.1002/anie.201206675), Professor Abhaya Datye and colleagues from the University of New Mexico and Iowa State University report a support modification that allows common oxide support materials, such as silicas and aluminas, to resist hydrothermal degradation under typical reaction conditions.