Chemistry and chemical technology have been at the heart of the twentieth century's revolutionary breakthroughs. The chemical industry has a long history of merging science and engineering to develop new and valuable products. Catalysts are exploited in the majority of chemical processes that produce the molecules and materials that our societies require, such as in the petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries, the synthesis of plastics and other materials, and the manufacturing of meals and beverages. These increase the speed at which atoms and molecules rearrange themselves into new forms while also allowing for some control over the shape and form of those rearrangements.