Is lignin the crude oil of the future? Maybe so, thanks to the Sun and photocatalysts!

nstitute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Is lignin the crude oil of the future? Maybe so, thanks to the Sun and photocatalysts!

We associate refineries with crude oil and a dense tangle of technical fittings. They may, however, change in the future - if crude oil is replaced by lignin, a product currently treated as industrial waste. The research route leading towards this goal is being paved by new photocatalysts, developed by the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. They allow lignin-based model compounds to be transformed into useful chemical substances, in addition, the reactions take place under conditions that occur in nature.