Principal Investigator Ronald Raines
Cellulose, which is a polymer of glucose, is the most abundant biological material on Earth. We developed the first one-step process to convert crude lignocellulosic biomass (e.g., forestry waste, crop residues, prolific grasses, or even recycled paper) into a commodity chemical: 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). HMF can be readily transformed into a variety of useful acids, aldehydes, alcohols, and polymers, as well as into 2,5-dimethylfuran, which is a fuel comparable to gasoline. Our process can also produce sugar (which supports the robust growth of bacteria and yeast) in nearly quantitative yield. Technoeconomic analyses indicate that our route to fermentable sugar is superior to extant industrial processes that rely on concentrated acids or enzymic catalysts.