The conversion of waste/ biomass to valuable materials and energy (i.e., valorization) is crucial due to the depletion of natural resources.
CSIR-NCL has been working for designing and development of heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts for the valorization of cellulose and hemicellulose into sugars, sugar derivatives (furfural, HMF, sugar alcohols etc.), homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts for the oxidation (FDCA, gluconic acid, furoic acid), hydrogenation (sorbitol, xylitol, furfuryl alcohol, DMF) of sugars and sugar derivatives, depolymerization of lignin into aromatic monomers and their further conversion via hydrodeoxygenation into hydrocarbons, development of new materials for their applications in biomass conversion. Valorization of the abundantly available agro-waste and residues by converting them into chemicals, materials and fuels has become essential due to the need to reduce fossil based feedstocks that cause emissions and over-dependence on imports.
Projects
- Misson Mode/ Fast-Track Translation of cellulosics to sugars, furans (~80% yield), FDCA (90% yield), xylitol/sorbitol (~90% yield), nanocell.