REALCAT, ‘Advanced High-Throughput Technologies Platform for
Biorefineries Catalysts Design’, is a novel high-throughput platform primarily dedicated
to the development of all the forms of catalytic reactions (chemical catalysis, namely
heterogeneous and homogeneous, as well as biotechnologies) and their novel innovative
combinations (hybrid catalysis). It includes the preparation, the characterization of
(i) compounds with biological activity and (ii) solids & molecular compounds, as well
as subsequent advanced catalytic performance tests. It thus includes top level highthroughput
screening equipment, composed of tools for rapid characterization, a series
of parallel reactors, and fast/ultra-fast analytical devices. This project received
€ 8.7 million funding from the French Government, managed by the National Research
Agency (ANR) within the Future Investments program (PIA) under the contract ANR-11-
EQPX-0037 attributed at the end of 2011. This innovative platform will be fully
operational in early 2014. The platform is highly versatile, and, in addition to catalysts
for biorefineries, it can handle projects for many different kinds of homogeneous,
heterogeneous and biotechnological catalytic applications in gas, liquid or gas-liquid
phases, involving a large variety of reactions (synthesis, functionalization,
polymerization, etc…) for a wide spectrum of applications (solvents, monomers,
polymers, fine chemicals for industrial, food, feed, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, etc.). It
can even run projects dedicated to the synthesis of materials, namely organic, inorganic
or hybrid solids (e.g., metal organic frameworks, MOFs) for non-catalytic applications.
Keywords: Heterogeneous catalysis; homogeneous catalysis; biotechnologies;
hybrid catalysis; synthesis; characterization; tests; gas phase; liquid phase;
chemicals; materials; polymers; biorefineries; biomass.