A nature-inspired approach to reactor and catalysis engineering

Mechanisms used by biology to solve fundamental problems, such as those related to scalability, efficiency and robustness could guide the design of innovative solutions to similar challenges in chemical engineering. Complementing progress in bioinspired chemistry and materials science, we identify three methodologies as the backbone of nature-inspired reactor and catalysis engineering. First, biology often uses hierarchical networks to bridge scales and facilitate transport, leading to broadly scalable solutions that are robust, highly efficient, or both. Second, nano-confinement with carefully balanced forces at multiple scales creates structured environments with superior catalytic performance. Finally, nature employs dynamics to form synergistic and adaptable organizations from simple components. While common in nature, such mechanisms are only sporadically applied technologically in a purposeful manner. Nature-inspired chemical engineering shows great potential to innovate reactor and catalysis engineering, when using a fundamentally rooted approach, adapted to the specific context of chemical engineering processes, rather than mimicry.

► Learn from Nature to innovate chemical reaction engineering design. ► Bioinspired engineering should focus on underlying mechanisms, not mimicking. ► Fractal injector and pore networks inspired by lung improve scalability, transport. ► Balancing of forces inspired by biological self-assembly guides catalyst design. ► Synergy from dynamic self-organization is route to adaptive, robust systems.