Catalysis in Brazil

The research on catalysis in Brazil began last century, in the mid 60's, with Professor Ciola, the first one to set up a laboratory of catalytic processes in the Petroquímica União, a São Paulo petrochemical industry and at the Institute of Chemistry of the University of São Paulo. In the late 60's, the Catalytic Process Laboratory in the Petrobras Research Center - Cenpes was built under the leadership of Dr. L. Nogueira, answering to the demands of the company.

In the 70's, the first university labs appeared, which in the beginning of the 21^st century founded one of the strongest and most representative societies in Brazil and in South America: the Brazilian Catalysis Society, bringing together researchers from different fields, such as chemistry, physics, chemical engineering and material sciences in Brazil.

The idea of starting groups of catalysis has aroused at the National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development - CNPq and at the Innovation & Research Agency – FINEP, and so, in the early 80's, the National Catalysis Network / National Program of Catalysis – PRONAC was established, assembling regional groups and specific projects for the development of fundamental and applied researches, in order to support national industries. Such plan was devised in 1983 with about 20 groups in Brazil, having received financial support for four years. Though modest, this initiative was very successful.

At that time serious problems caused by inflation undermined the plan and the continuity of some programs. Thus, at the end of four years, there were only twelve groups, which became indeed the pillars of catalysis in the Brazilian universities. So, the catalysis expertise was not concentrated in only one region of the country (the Southeast), but could spread in different regions, mostly the South, the Southeast, Northeast and North. Then, the backbone of the catalysis research in the country was formed, with significant impact in the following years and in different events.

From 1985 on, there was a huge growth of catalysis research groups from the North to the South of Brazil. Several laboratories were created in universities, in research centers (in São Paulo, the Institute for Technological Research – IPT; in Rio de Janeiro, catalysis research centers and the National Technology Institute - INT and, in the Bahia State, the Research and Development Center - CEPED), as well as in several industries in the three existing Petrochemical Poles: in São Paulo State, in Bahia State (Camaçari) and in Rio Grande do Sul State (the Southern Petrochemical Company – Copesul).

It was the heyday of applied research in industries with the participation of their research centers and those in the universities and with the substantial financial support from the Innovation & Research Agency - FINEP. Several industry laboratories were established in Bahia, such as the one in Copene, in Nitrocarbono, as well as about half a dozen laboratories of catalytic processes in other companies.

This boom in the development of catalysis with the participation of universities and industries was discontinued as a result of the Brazilian President Collor Economic Plan¹ in 1990-1991. However, our ideal was not shaken by that crisis as I will prove by reporting some relevant facts that have contributed for the catalysis development in Brazil.

• This fantastic evolution was possible thanks to the first initiative of a group of ten researchers who have had the courage to host the 6^th Iberian-American Symposium of Catalysis in Rio de Janeiro. That was fundamental to establish the Catalysis Commission of the Brazilian Institute of Petroleum - IBP in 1978, and consequently, to organize the first Brazilian Catalysis Seminar in 1980, in which 18 papers were presented. That seminar was held every two years until 1998. The Catalysis Commission has also organized the first basic course of catalysis and published the first handout on techniques and fundamentals of catalysis. That Commission, was formed with representatives from three Brazilian regions: the South, the Southeast and the Northeast, besides an industry representative.

• The biennial seminars were held in the three regions in turn. The growth was huge, bringing together more than 250 participants and papers from Brazilian researches were presented. In the 9^th Catalysis Seminar in 1998, the Brazilian Society of Catalysis (SBCat) was devised and, consequently, the Catalysis Seminar became the Brazilian Congress of Catalysis. The Brazilian Society of Catalysis and the congresses were fundamental to build and consolidate the pyramid foundation by forming human resources, promoting, organizing and participating in national and international conferences. The SBCat's entry as a member of the International Congress on Catalysis - ICC in 2000 and of the Iberian-American Society of Catalysis (FISOCAT) were milestones. Such events were fundamental to enhance the catalysis research and knowledge in Brazil as can be seen by the great contribution of scientific papers in recent national Brazilian Congresses of Catalysis (~500) and in several international congresses. Data is available at the SBCat website: http://www.sbcat.deq.ufscar.br/

• The number of PhD and MSc graduates in our universities increased due to the support from the CNRS (France) and from some laboratories in Europe and in the United States, by means of sandwich scholarships, as well as to the support from national government agencies, such as FINEP and CNPq, from state research support foundations and also from Petrobras. The CNPq and the state foundations supported the scholarships and the fundamental researches. FINEP and Petrobras supported the infrastructure. Petrobras also created and supported specific networks that met the company's own goals.

• It is relevant the participation of young researchers with good catalysis background in universities, in the entrepreneur consulting business and in applied researches in research institutes. Institutions and companies have admitted many highly qualified young PhDs, which helped improve the level of scientific papers, publications in high impact international journals and in the number of industrial patents. Nowadays, we have representatives on the editorial boards of the most important journals on catalysis, such as Applied Catalysis A and B, Catalysis Today, Catalysis Letters and others. The number of patents in Brazil has increased, not only in private companies but also in universities and in research institutes.

• Over the last 15 years, new themes related to the synthesis of new catalysts came out, microreactors were developed, as well as innovative projects in different areas, such as energy, biomass, biochemistry, petroleum, refining, petrochemicals, fine chemicals and nanotechnology, applied to different industrial processes, having as their raw material: heavy oil, natural gas, ethanol, biodiesel and synthetic or natural materials.

• Of course, several Brazilian researchers greatly contributed to the development of catalysis in Brazil. Among them, Professor Roberto de Souza, to whom I pay tribute, stood out. Prof. Roberto de Souza was a member of the Society Board of Directors and its President from 2009 to 2013: very active, motivating, encouraging and, most of all, a friend. I met him for the first time when he was working on his doctorate on homogeneous catalysis in France. He turned out to be one of the pioneers in homogeneous catalysis in Brazil. Due to his performance, it was possible to maintain the unity of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis inside of the Brazilian Society of Catalysis. His outstanding scientific contribution is recognized in Brazil and abroad. Thanks to Professor Roberto de Souza the initial and main goal of SBCat was achieved. My sincere tribute and acknowledgment.

Martin Schmal
COPPE / NUCAT – UFRJ

Referências

• ¹
  Merette, M.; J. Policy Model. 2000, 22(4), 417. DOI: 10.1016/S0161-8938(97)00052-5 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0161893897000525
  » https://doi.org/10.1016/S0161-8938(97)00052-5 » http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0161893897000525

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  Dec 2014