Abstract
Invited for this month's cover is the group of Haruo Kawamoto at Kyoto University (Japan). The cover picture shows the carbonization pathway of cellulose via 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural as an important intermediate. Thermochemical conversion is one of the promising technologies to convert cellulose, which is the main component of lignocellulosic biomass, into biofuels and biochemicals. Understanding the molecular mechanism of thermal degradation of cellulose is important for developing efficient conversion techniques by controlling the reaction. Read the full text of their Full Paper at 10.1002/open.202000314.
“… Our goal is to develop sustainable industrial processes of the future through efficient use of biomass…” Find out more about the story behind the front cover research at 10.1002/open.202000314.
What prompted you to investigate this topic/problem?
Thermochemical conversion is a promising method to convert lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels and biochemicals. Nevertheless, little was known about the molecular‐based mechanisms involved in biomass pyrolysis when we started this topic.
What do you consider the exciting developments in the field?
We would like to control pyrolysis reactions like organic synthesis in order to produce biochemicals and biofuels more efficiently and selectively. Our goal is to develop sustainable industrial processes of the future through efficient use of biomass.
Did serendipity play a part in this work?
We intended to recover anhydrosugar in place of solid carbonized products by pyrolyzing cellulose in an aromatic solvent (stabilizer). However, by chance, 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural was obtained with anhydrous sugar.
T. Nomura, E. Minami, H. Kawamoto, ChemistryOpen 2021, 10, 609.