First, your statement "The core of catalysis rests in the refining and petrochemical sectors" is wrong.

Second. This is your second question about advances in catalysis. To follow the progress in your area is an obligatory part of your job. You are paid for that and must to this job yourself.

Catalysis plays an increasingly critical role in modern petroleum refining and basic petrochemical industries as market demands for and specifications of petroleum and petrochemical products are continuously changing. Recently, due feedstock (heavy and extra heavy) refiners are looking forward to use more efficient catalytic or non-catalytic method options to convert heavy component to valuable products. Thus, depending on the products requirement various options can be used where one of the most important process is to prepare petrochemical feedstock.

The Nano technology offer many possibilities as catalyst to meet future demands in catalytic process technologies in petroleum refining. Many experimental studies on Nano catalyst have focussed on correlating catalytic activities with particle size. Zeolites are among the substances which can accelerate chemical reactions. Zeolite catalysts are currently used on a large scale in the petroleum industry to produce high-grade propellants, fuels and raw materials for the chemical industry. On the one hand, large hydrocarbon molecules in the crude oil can be broken down into more useful medium-sized molecules. On the other hand, zeolites can also be used to couple very small hydrocarbons – such as ethene and propene – to obtain higher quality products also of medium chain length. “Even as oil is gradually one day replaced by renewable feedstocks, such as biomass, zeolite catalysts will retain their importance,” says Pérez-Ramírez. Premium base chemicals could be produced in an efficient manner using zeolite catalysts.

It is a long process to implement nanotechn. in the industry.

The petrochemical catalyst family is as established as the industry even though catalysts play critical roles in many other sectors. Advances and new nano materials may find it difficult replacing existing reliable technologies hence the likely reluctance. Nonetheless such areas are investigated and there are potentials. It is a similar scenario with the difficulty in redesigning all automobile engines to run on alcohols alone.