Presentation Profile
*KEYNOTE SPEAKER* Rapid Synthesis with Ultrahigh Temperatures or Electric Fields
Currently Scheduled: 10/14/2026 - 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Room: Exhibit Hall A4
Main Author
James Tour - Rice University
Abstract:
First disclosed will be the conversion of petroleum products into high-value materials within seconds, without solvents, at energy costs of less than $100 per tonne. This process can reach temperatures of 3000 degrees Centigrade in milliseconds, affording graphene, battery-grade graphite, nanotubes, silicon carbide, carbyne, and more. This has been commercialized through the startup Universal Matter Inc., which produces 1 tonne per day of graphene and is scaling to 4 tonnes per day, while further launching two additional startups. Second, disclosed will be rapid routes, with >98% selectivity, to ammonia, hydrogen (H2), or hydrogen cyanide, starting from water, air, and sometimes carbon, at temperatures of 4000-8000 degrees Centigrade, and at ultralow overall energies. Finally, a method to synthesize high-value organic compounds using high electric fields in 2 minutes, with 1800x lower energy than conventional heating or catalytic techniques, will be presented.
