Next generation biofuels and biobased products
This is the first of the two core programmes under the Pure and Applied Chemistry Area; it is focused on renewable resources and, in particular, on advanced chemical technologies for production of biofuels and high added value chemicals and plastics from bio-feedstock.
The attention of ICS, is specifically addressed to "next generation" biofuels obtained from waste, residuals, and non-food biomass, such as lignocellulosic biomass from agro- and forestry waste, oily biomass from algae and waste oils, and from. Specific by-products of the existing bio-based production processes, such as lignin, glycerol, sugars, etc. also represent considerable interest for both production of biofuel and of other useful chemical products. In fact, the same bio-feedstock can be converted into a variety of valuable products, including platform chemicals (building blocks of large scale chemical industry), pharmaceuticals, and speciality chemicals. Production of bio-based chemicals should complement other bio-based processes including those of biofuels in the concept of biorefinery which is seen by many as a future of the chemical industry.
In 2009, the activities of the ICS biofuel programme concentrated on research in the field of novel catalytic methodologies for hydrolysis of lignocellulose to produce sugars, reforming of bio-oxygenates to produce bio-hydrogen, biodegradation of lignin to produce polymer building blocks, transesterification of triglycerides to produce biodiesel and some chemicals, and catalytic upgrading of some cellulose hydrolysis products to produce chemicals. An important contribution to the research activities comes from the involvement of young scientists and researchers from developing countries within the ICS fellowship programme.
In the implementation of the above activities and, more specifically, in the networking effort, a particular attention is given to potential collaborations with laboratories in Africa, Latin America, China, India, South East Asia, NIS and CEI countries.
Contacts:
Stanislav Miertus, Area Chief
Sergey Zinoviev, Associate Scientific Officer
Susanna Prata, Secretary
research
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List of meetings and courses.networking
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