Photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) use solar energy to produce fuels, much as nature does through photosynthesis. In a typical PEC, fuels are formed by reduction reactions at the cathode. For example, ...
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Gamma-valerolactone (GVL) is an inexpensive solvent derived from biomass that can be used to break apart tough lignocellulose into fermentable sugars including xylose and glucose. GVL-based techniques...
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An estimated one million tons of heavy metals are discharged into sewers each year in the United States, persisting in soil and water and ultimately contaminating crops and fish. Waste streams contain...
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N-type bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) has emerged as a promising photoanode for use in solar water-splitting cells given its favorable light absorption and conduction band characteristics. To date, however,...
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In a reverse water gas shift reaction, CO2 is reduced to water and carbon monoxide (CO). The CO generated by this reaction is a key component in synthesis gas, also called syngas, which can be convert...
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Biomass processing and many other industrial catalytic reactions are performed in hot, liquid conditions. These hydrothermal reactions may be carried out at elevated temperatures (e.g., 200 degrees C)...
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Lignin is a major component of non-edible biomass. It is a cheap byproduct of pulp and biofuel production and is one of the few naturally occurring sources of valuable aromatic compounds. Converting l...
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HMF (5-hydroxymethyl furfural) is a highly sought renewable compound that can be used to produce bulk and value-added chemicals. Such chemicals include FDCA, which is useful in the polymer industry, a...
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Much research has focused on transforming biomass sugars into building block molecules like hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural. HMF and furfural are versatile substitutes for a range of chemical...
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Widespread production of sustainable fuels and chemicals will require cost-effective methods for breaking down biomass into its constituent sugars. Attaining high yields of concentrated C5 and C6 carb...
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Piezoelectric materials produce electric charge in response to mechanical stress. Such materials can be utilized as very small ‘nanogenerators’ that absorb vibrations from the environment (e.g., a...
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Converting plant cellulose and hemicellulose into fermentable sugars is a major bottleneck in the biofuel industry. Chemical pretreatment and enzyme hydrolysis (breakdown) usually are required. Amon...
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Formaldehyde-based adhesives have been used to make interior plywood and particle board for decades. These synthetic adhesives, which are derived from petroleum, are inexpensive and perform well. Howe...
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Capacitive deionization devices use high surface area carbon electrodes to remove ions from water. However, these systems perform poorly at removing Ca2+ and other multivalent cations, which are atoms...
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Enantiomers are pairs of compounds that have the same chemical formula but different spatial structures (like your left and right hand, they are non-superimposable mirror images of each other). This i...
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Common biodegradable polymers such as poly(lactide) and poly (3-hydroxyalkanaoates) are derived from relatively expensive chemical feedstocks and have low melt stability. This presents a challenge for...
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Producing biofuel on a useful scale requires efficient fermentation of cellulosic plant material. The sugars glucose and xylose are the most abundant carbohydrates found in hemicellulose. The yeast mo...
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Bleaching plant material with alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) is an old process used for papermaking. Several decades ago researchers suggested that this method also could be used in biofuel producti...
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Maximizing how much sunlight strikes a solar panel is one tactic to boost efficiency. Some approaches have tried to imitate heliotropic plants by repositioning the panels to follow the sun. Unfortunat...
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Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted tremendous attention because they are cheap and efficient. The DSSCs with the highest power conversion efficiency (greater than 12 percent) are based ...
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Lignin is a major component of non-edible biomass (15-30 percent by weight; 40 percent by energy). It is a cheap byproduct of pulp and biofuel production and is one of the few naturally occurring sour...
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Juvenile and adult grass tissue dramatically differs in anatomy, chemistry and ability to withstand stresses. Juvenile plants cannot flower and their leaves are better able to resist cold and drought....
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Electrodes routinely are used in electrochemical sensing, fuel cells, batteries and numerous other applications. Critically, the surface of an electrode must be clean before sensing elements can be at...
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Levulinic acid is a biomass-derived compound that can be obtained inexpensively in high yields from waste cellulose-containing materials. It has been identified as a top biomass-derived chemical due t...
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E. coli is the most common prokaryote used to produce protein.  The expressed protein generally accumulates in the cytoplasm.  While this approach is useful for some proteins, not all proteins can b...
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