#catalysts

Inorganic Chemicals Market serves as the primary engine for industrial chemistry, supplying the basic components that make advanced synthesis possible. Whether it is the production of fertilizers for agricultural security or the creation of high-purity oxides for next-generation electronics, the industry’s output is fundamental to regional and global economic stability. Europe Inorganic Chemicals Market recorded a production of 11.81 million tons in 2024 and this volume is estimated to reach 17.6 million tons by 2034. This growth projection underscores the sector's long-term reliance on the continued expansion of essential infrastructure and high-tech manufacturing sectors.

A key strategic focus for the industry today is the development of robust catalysts and specialty inorganic compounds that enhance efficiency in secondary chemical processes. These specialized materials are essential for reducing the energy required for downstream reactions, which not only lowers production costs but also contributes significantly to the industry’s overall decarbonization targets. By focusing on these high-margin, high-performance products, manufacturers are effectively upgrading their portfolio and distancing themselves from the intense competition typically associated with commodity-grade materials.

Furthermore, the integration of sophisticated supply chain management solutions is ensuring that the market can react quickly to regional shortages or sudden changes in demand. This operational agility, underpinned by deep analytical capabilities, allows producers to maintain a steady and reliable flow of essential chemicals, which is crucial for customers who depend on just-in-time delivery for their own operations. As the industry continues to professionalize its logistics and procurement, it reinforces the trust of its clients and strengthens its role as a stable foundation for the broader industrial ecosystem.

Devson Catalyst's SME IPO opened on Thursday, July 9 and closes Monday, July 13, in a price band of Rs 112-118 per share. The issue totals 35,88,000 shares aggregating up to Rs 42 crore — a fresh issue of 31,58,000 shares (up to Rs 37 crore) and an offer for sale of 2,50,000 shares (up to Rs 3 crore). The Surendranagar-based company makes catalysts, adsorbents, molecular sieves, activated alumina and ceramic balls for petrochemicals, refineries, fertilisers and industrial gas processing, and proceeds go to expansion and working capital.

The fact sheet's financials are the part worth a subscriber's time. Profit after tax has tripled in two years — Rs 4.08 crore in FY24, Rs 7.67 crore in FY25, Rs 12.52 crore in FY26 — while total income grew far more modestly from Rs 43.75 crore to Rs 56.84 crore.

Why it matters

EBITDA went from Rs 6.69 crore to Rs 16.76 crore, net worth from Rs 13.36 crore to Rs 33.50 crore, and total borrowing, Rs 2.78 crore in FY25, disappears from the FY26 line entirely.

The details

A margin expansion that steep into an IPO window is either genuine operating leverage in a niche catalyst franchise or a peak-earnings base for pricing — the document does not say which, and that open question, flagged for desk-check, is the diligence item for anyone bidding.

Who is affected

Prospective IPO subscribers face a diligence question over whether the steep margin expansion reflects sustainable operating leverage or a peak-earnings base timed for the offering.

Devson Catalyst's petrochemical, refinery and fertiliser customers stand to benefit from the company's expansion and working capital investments once proceeds are deployed.

What's next

Watch the IPO's subscription levels and listing performance as an early indicator of how the market reads the company's tripled PAT against modest revenue growth.

Continued monitoring of the company's post-listing financials will clarify whether the FY26 margin expansion proves durable.

A simple air-based method produces stable 15-atom iridium nanoclusters that outperform commercial catalysts for green hydrogen production.

(Nanowerk News) An international research team from Tohoku University, Tokyo University of Science, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Adelaide have discovered a novel, exceptionally simple method to precisely synthesize extremely small iridium nanoclusters in ambient air. Such a feat was previously considered highly challenging. In addition, the nanoclusters outperform conventional, commercially available iridium catalysts by 1.5 times in mass activity, while maintaining sustained operational stability without degradation for over 20 hours. This breakthrough could result in improved production of green hydrogen, which is considered an ultimate clean fuel.

New iron–scandium catalyst extends carbon nanotube growth at high temperatures

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are among the most promising nanomaterials for future technologies because of their exceptional mechanical strength, electrical conductivity and thermal performance. However, translating these remarkable properties into practical products depends on the ability to efficiently grow long, high-quality CNTs. One of the major challenges is that the catalyst nanoparticles responsible for CNT formation gradually lose activity during synthesis, limiting growth duration and restricting the attainable length and quality of CNT forests. Addressing this challenge, a research team led by Associate Professor Hisashi Sugime, along with Lecturer Hiroyuki Asakura from the Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Kindai University, Japan, and Dr. Shin-ichi Naya from the Environmental Research Laboratory, Kindai University, Japan, investigated whether rare-earth cocatalysts could improve the stability of iron (Fe)-based catalysts during CNT growth.

Finding hidden catalytic knowledge from literature data

Exciting new research at Tohoku University's Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR) explains how to transform decades of scattered literature data into computable design rules for catalysts. By using human intelligence, regression models, and AI agents, researchers can accelerate the discovery of efficient, low-cost catalysts for clean energy technologies like fuel cells, water splitting, and CO₂ reduction. By combining these methods, researchers can uncover new discoveries that were hidden in the literature data all along. Catalysts, which speed up chemical reactions, are crucial for many important technologies and manufacturing processes. However, finding the right catalyst for the job is tricky. While the first step is usually to refer to previously published scientific literature, making a cohesive summary of all this data can be overwhelming.

Atomic reshuffle leads to record-breaking catalysts for hydrogen production

Researchers have discovered that atoms can be mixed, separated, and recombined within the same experiment, providing a pathway to a record-breaking catalyst for green hydrogen production. In their study, the team created nanoscale particles containing only a few dozen platinum and nickel atoms and observed unusual dynamic behavior in direct space and in real time. As the two metals separate from one another while maintaining an interface, they become highly active for electrochemical water splitting, leading to efficient hydrogen evolution. The project was led by the University of Nottingham in collaboration with the University of Birmingham, Diamond Light Source, and Ulm University in Germany. The study appears in Advanced Materials.

Magnetic field during catalyst synthesis triples ammonia yield

Applying an external magnetic field during the synthesis of CoFe2O4 electrocatalysts triples the ammonia yield during electrocatalytic conversion. The magnetic field alters the surface states of the spinel oxide thin films, making catalytically active sites more accessible. In the journal Advanced Functional Materials, a team led by Marcel Risch at HZB and Sanjay Mathur at University of Cologne demonstrates a scalable strategy for developing next-generation electrocatalysts for efficient and sustainable chemical production. Rethinking ammonia production's footprint From the chemical industry and the hydrogen economy to the production of ammonia-based fertilizers, new catalyst technologies hold the key to greater sustainability and efficiency. Take ammonia synthesis, for example: The well-known Haber-Bosch process consumes between 1% and 2% of the world's energy and is responsible for almost 1% of annual greenhouse gas emissions. However, the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process is no longer the only option.

New hydrogen breakthrough turns waste heat into clean fuel

A newly developed catalyst could slash the cost and temperature requirements of hydrogen production, opening the door to cleaner, locally generated fuel.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have developed a new low-temperature approach to hydrogen production that could make the clean fuel cheaper and more practical to generate. The technique could be used both in large centralized facilities and in smaller local systems that take advantage of waste heat from major industrial operations. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and is widely viewed as an important clean energy source. When used as a fuel, it produces only water and heat rather than carbon dioxide and other pollutants associated with fossil fuels. Hydrogen can also power fuel cells that generate electricity. Despite these advantages, around 95% of hydrogen production today still depends on fossil fuels.