The chemical industry is facing a comprehensive green transition in which fossil feedstocks must be replaced with sustainable alternatives. Biomass is a promising resource, but its complex chemical structure makes the conversion technically challenging. With a new grant of DKK 7.2 million from the Independent Research Fund Denmark, Associate Professor Martin Nielsen and Professor Sebastian Meier at DTU Chemistry will investigate how so-called hybrid catalysts can be improved and targeted toward the selective conversion of raw biomass.
The Nielsen research group has previously developed a method to produce the green solvent gamma-valerolactone (GVL) directly from biomass. Sebastian Meier and his group has established methodolgy for the rapid identification of complex chemical reaction pathways and their optimizaiton. With the new grant, the researchers will analyze the function of the catalysts in detail and identify the chemical steps taking place along the way. This knowledge will form the basis for developing improved processes that can not only produce GVL but also the promising green solvent methyltetrahydrofuran (MeTHF).
The project includes the recruitment of two PhD students and a postdoc and will contribute to DTU Chemistry’s strategic focus on sustainable chemical technologies.
See the official announcement from the Independent Research Fund Denmark here.
Find more information about the research groups of Martin Nielsen here and Sebastian Meier here.