[Music] let’s take a deep breath when I count to
let’s take a deep breath when I count to
let’s take a deep breath when I count to three one two three I know this is
three one two three I know this is
three one two three I know this is obvious we just breathe in oxygen and
obvious we just breathe in oxygen and
obvious we just breathe in oxygen and breathe out co2 imagine taking co2 from
breathe out co2 imagine taking co2 from
breathe out co2 imagine taking co2 from our breath and making high-value
our breath and making high-value
our breath and making high-value products like petrol and diesel to pump
products like petrol and diesel to pump
products like petrol and diesel to pump in our cars plastics diapers for babies
in our cars plastics diapers for babies
in our cars plastics diapers for babies even better to make a world-famous
even better to make a world-famous
even better to make a world-famous Belgium beer as a chemical engineer and
Belgium beer as a chemical engineer and
Belgium beer as a chemical engineer and a computational chemist I work on the
a computational chemist I work on the
a computational chemist I work on the chemistry to make this possible what
chemistry to make this possible what
chemistry to make this possible what really excites me about this chemistry
really excites me about this chemistry
really excites me about this chemistry is not that one day I could turn my
is not that one day I could turn my
is not that one day I could turn my friends bed into a beer I know that
friends bed into a beer I know that
friends bed into a beer I know that would be really cool and handy in a
would be really cool and handy in a
would be really cool and handy in a party maybe I will have a lot of friends
party maybe I will have a lot of friends
party maybe I will have a lot of friends but what really excites me about this
but what really excites me about this
but what really excites me about this chemistry what if we take co2 from this
chemistry what if we take co2 from this
chemistry what if we take co2 from this guy a petrochemical plant which uses
guy a petrochemical plant which uses
guy a petrochemical plant which uses fossil fuels worldwide petrochemical
fossil fuels worldwide petrochemical
fossil fuels worldwide petrochemical plants released billions of tons of co2
plants released billions of tons of co2
plants released billions of tons of co2 into the atmosphere every year I looked
into the atmosphere every year I looked
into the atmosphere every year I looked it up
it up
it up a typical petrochemical plant release
a typical petrochemical plant release
a typical petrochemical plant release more co2 than all the seven billion
more co2 than all the seven billion
more co2 than all the seven billion people on the earth right now and guess
people on the earth right now and guess
people on the earth right now and guess what there are hundreds of petrochemical
what there are hundreds of petrochemical
what there are hundreds of petrochemical plants out there so can you imagine the
plants out there so can you imagine the
plants out there so can you imagine the impact of this industry in climate
impact of this industry in climate
impact of this industry in climate change and global warming so I have been
change and global warming so I have been
change and global warming so I have been thinking about waste and pollutants for
thinking about waste and pollutants for
thinking about waste and pollutants for quite some time in fact from my high
quite some time in fact from my high
quite some time in fact from my high school days I grew up in Sri Lanka and
school days I grew up in Sri Lanka and
school days I grew up in Sri Lanka and on my way to high school I used to pass
on my way to high school I used to pass
on my way to high school I used to pass by this oil refinery so from far I could
by this oil refinery so from far I could
by this oil refinery so from far I could see how the waste and pollutants release
see how the waste and pollutants release
see how the waste and pollutants release into the atmosphere
after my high school I moved to
after my high school I moved to Singapore to pursue my university
Singapore to pursue my university
Singapore to pursue my university studies to become a chemical engineer
studies to become a chemical engineer
studies to become a chemical engineer over there I had the opportunity to
over there I had the opportunity to
over there I had the opportunity to in a petrochemical plant I we our
in a petrochemical plant I we our
in a petrochemical plant I we our business the waste and pollutants
business the waste and pollutants
business the waste and pollutants release into the atmosphere now in
release into the atmosphere now in
release into the atmosphere now in Belgium I am working with waste of base
Belgium I am working with waste of base
Belgium I am working with waste of base from fossil fuels like co2 so I always
from fossil fuels like co2 so I always
from fossil fuels like co2 so I always get the question why can’t we get rid of
get the question why can’t we get rid of
get the question why can’t we get rid of fossil fuels and use renewable energies
fossil fuels and use renewable energies
fossil fuels and use renewable energies it turns out fossil fuels form the
it turns out fossil fuels form the
it turns out fossil fuels form the fundamental building block of our
fundamental building block of our
fundamental building block of our society they’re cheap abundant contains
society they’re cheap abundant contains
society they’re cheap abundant contains large amount of energy so even though we
large amount of energy so even though we
large amount of energy so even though we desire a world where we no longer need
desire a world where we no longer need
desire a world where we no longer need fossil fuels we are not quite there yet
fossil fuels we are not quite there yet
fossil fuels we are not quite there yet so can we at least deal with the waste
so can we at least deal with the waste
so can we at least deal with the waste from fossil fuels can we consider co2 as
from fossil fuels can we consider co2 as
from fossil fuels can we consider co2 as a resource not as a waste
a resource not as a waste
a resource not as a waste Buckminster Fuller an American professor
Buckminster Fuller an American professor
Buckminster Fuller an American professor famous for his buckyballs just looks
famous for his buckyballs just looks
famous for his buckyballs just looks like the chemistry of food chemist
like the chemistry of food chemist
like the chemistry of food chemist football of chemistry put it best when
football of chemistry put it best when
football of chemistry put it best when he said pollution is nothing but the
he said pollution is nothing but the
he said pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting we
resources we are not harvesting we
resources we are not harvesting we allowed we allow them to disperse
allowed we allow them to disperse
allowed we allow them to disperse because we have been ignorant of their
because we have been ignorant of their
because we have been ignorant of their value so using chemistry we can convert
value so using chemistry we can convert
value so using chemistry we can convert co2 into high-value products well this
co2 into high-value products well this
co2 into high-value products well this sounds like a science fiction or coming
sounds like a science fiction or coming
sounds like a science fiction or coming up with a really complex process but
up with a really complex process but
up with a really complex process but actually the way we do is quite simple
actually the way we do is quite simple
actually the way we do is quite simple co2 has one carbon and two oxygen atoms
co2 has one carbon and two oxygen atoms
co2 has one carbon and two oxygen atoms so what are these high value products
so what are these high value products
so what are these high value products like petrol and diesel so they
like petrol and diesel so they
like petrol and diesel so they essentially long chains of carbon and
essentially long chains of carbon and
essentially long chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms
hydrogen atoms
hydrogen atoms I guess everyone here played with Legos
I guess everyone here played with Legos
I guess everyone here played with Legos before right so when you play with Legos
before right so when you play with Legos
before right so when you play with Legos we take one Lego block at a time and we
we take one Lego block at a time and we
we take one Lego block at a time and we connect this Lego blocks to get a great
connect this Lego blocks to get a great
connect this Lego blocks to get a great structure can we do the same with co2 so
structure can we do the same with co2 so
structure can we do the same with co2 so if we can take the carbon atom from co2
if we can take the carbon atom from co2
if we can take the carbon atom from co2 we can use it as a carbon one building
we can use it as a carbon one building
we can use it as a carbon one building block so we can take this carbon
block so we can take this carbon
block so we can take this carbon building blocks connect with hydrogen
building blocks connect with hydrogen
building blocks connect with hydrogen and we can get this high value products
and we can get this high value products
and we can get this high value products like
like
like DISA bit of a challenge because co2 is
DISA bit of a challenge because co2 is
DISA bit of a challenge because co2 is very stable meaning it doesn’t like to
very stable meaning it doesn’t like to
very stable meaning it doesn’t like to break its carbon and oxygen bonds so to
break its carbon and oxygen bonds so to
break its carbon and oxygen bonds so to help with this we need something called
help with this we need something called
help with this we need something called catalyst so catalysts will activate the
catalyst so catalysts will activate the
catalyst so catalysts will activate the co2 and it will break its carbon and
co2 and it will break its carbon and
co2 and it will break its carbon and oxygen bonds so catalysts are materials
oxygen bonds so catalysts are materials
oxygen bonds so catalysts are materials which increases the speed of reaction
which increases the speed of reaction
which increases the speed of reaction without being consumed I like to think
without being consumed I like to think
without being consumed I like to think catalyst as the person who helps to
catalyst as the person who helps to
catalyst as the person who helps to register marriage during your wedding
register marriage during your wedding
register marriage during your wedding ceremony so the marriage registrar has a
ceremony so the marriage registrar has a
ceremony so the marriage registrar has a key role in determining how fast the
key role in determining how fast the
key role in determining how fast the ceremony takes place but not permanently
ceremony takes place but not permanently
ceremony takes place but not permanently change because of the ceremony
change because of the ceremony
change because of the ceremony unlike the couple who are permanently
unlike the couple who are permanently
unlike the couple who are permanently changed because of the marriage
changed because of the marriage
changed because of the marriage sometimes for the better sometimes for
sometimes for the better sometimes for
sometimes for the better sometimes for not so better so the next question comes
not so better so the next question comes
not so better so the next question comes to our mind how can we design a catalyst
to our mind how can we design a catalyst
to our mind how can we design a catalyst which can help us to convert co2 into
which can help us to convert co2 into
which can help us to convert co2 into high-value products traditionally
high-value products traditionally
high-value products traditionally scientists synthesize hundreds of
scientists synthesize hundreds of
scientists synthesize hundreds of materials and do thousands of
materials and do thousands of
materials and do thousands of experiments to find a good catalyst this
experiments to find a good catalyst this
experiments to find a good catalyst this is trial and error approach it takes
is trial and error approach it takes
is trial and error approach it takes lots of lots of time money and energy
lots of lots of time money and energy
lots of lots of time money and energy well I design catalyst using computers
well I design catalyst using computers
well I design catalyst using computers the aim is to really understand the
the aim is to really understand the
the aim is to really understand the chemistry happens at atomic level which
chemistry happens at atomic level which
chemistry happens at atomic level which is something experiments can’t do so
is something experiments can’t do so
is something experiments can’t do so this commission is completely safe and
this commission is completely safe and
this commission is completely safe and we only need to solve shooting the
we only need to solve shooting the
we only need to solve shooting the equation so before you ask shooting is
equation so before you ask shooting is
equation so before you ask shooting is the scientists with the Cathy Nawabs but
the scientists with the Cathy Nawabs but
the scientists with the Cathy Nawabs but solving shooting the equation is also
solving shooting the equation is also
solving shooting the equation is also difficult therefore we can only consider
difficult therefore we can only consider
difficult therefore we can only consider small catalyst structures and to solve
small catalyst structures and to solve
small catalyst structures and to solve these small català structures mini
these small català structures mini
these small català structures mini giant supercomputers like this so with
giant supercomputers like this so with
giant supercomputers like this so with the help of this giant supercomputers we
the help of this giant supercomputers we
the help of this giant supercomputers we can convert co2 into high value products
can convert co2 into high value products
can convert co2 into high value products so we are developing catalysts to
so we are developing catalysts to
so we are developing catalysts to convert this and I hope one day we can
convert this and I hope one day we can
convert this and I hope one day we can sit together and drink a beer which is
sit together and drink a beer which is
sit together and drink a beer which is made from co2 so does this mean co2 is
made from co2 so does this mean co2 is
made from co2 so does this mean co2 is good should we continue to make more co2
good should we continue to make more co2
good should we continue to make more co2 they know because we are releasing way
they know because we are releasing way
they know because we are releasing way too much co2 into the atmosphere then
too much co2 into the atmosphere then
too much co2 into the atmosphere then what we can actually can capture and
what we can actually can capture and
what we can actually can capture and utilize so here are two ideas were
utilize so here are two ideas were
utilize so here are two ideas were sharing
sharing
sharing first there’s nothing called waste just
first there’s nothing called waste just
first there’s nothing called waste just like the case of co2 our history is full
like the case of co2 our history is full
like the case of co2 our history is full of examples of things where we once
of examples of things where we once
of examples of things where we once considered it to be a waste but later we
considered it to be a waste but later we
considered it to be a waste but later we realized there of their good resources
realized there of their good resources
realized there of their good resources second is a message of hope I know all
second is a message of hope I know all
second is a message of hope I know all the news out there about pollution is
the news out there about pollution is
the news out there about pollution is negative and there and rightfully so but
negative and there and rightfully so but
negative and there and rightfully so but that doesn’t mean there’s no hope
that doesn’t mean there’s no hope
that doesn’t mean there’s no hope scientists are working around the clock
scientists are working around the clock
scientists are working around the clock and hopefully the solutions are around
and hopefully the solutions are around
and hopefully the solutions are around the corner thank you very much
the corner thank you very much
the corner thank you very much [Applause]
”
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