A high performance non-linear controller that exploits the properties of port-Hamiltonian systems to precisely define the interconnections and energy dissipations of non-linear processes is presented for a large class of chemical processes. The controller is derived from classical interconnection and damping assignment-passivity based control theory but an additional degree of freedom is introduced in the controller design by the use of "non-exact matching" closed-loop storage functions. By a proper closed-loop interconnection assignment the proposed controller achieves total decoupling between outputs and since no inversion of the process dynamics is made in the design it is equally applicable to minimum phase and nonminimum phase system. The controller design methodology is presented and stability conditions are stated. As illustrative example the proposed method is used to design controllers for a multiple-input/multiple-output non-isothermal continued stirred tank reactor that exhibits nonminimum phase behavior. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved