Research Projects

Lignocellulosic biomass, containing cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin, is a significant bio-resource. It is used as a raw material for industrial chemicals, such as low molecular weight aromatic compounds. However, due to its complex composition and inadequate depolymerization techniques, various methods have been employed. To address these issues, a simple methodology has been developed: lignin electrolysis or electrochemical oxidation of lignin. However, the high costs and suboptimal performance of electrocatalysts have hindered its practical implementation. The researchers designed and developed cation vacancy porous-transition metal oxides from pristine oxides of ABO3, AB2O4, and ABO2, using various analytical techniques. They plan to correlate the catalyst surface acidic site strength with its electrochemical biomass conversion performance, and assess the stability of these electrocatalysts using a three-electrode electrochemical cell. The most efficient catalyst will be designed and employed to generate hydrogen and lignin depolymerization simultaneously.