Renewable energy originating from plant matter could lessen our dependence on fossil fuels, according to new research.
A team of scientists at Michigan State University (MSU) have been able to leverage chemical tools to find a new path toward renewable energy sources and reduce energy costs by using plant matter.
Through a novel "electrocatalytic" process, the researchers used electricity and water to break the strong chemical bonds in biomass or plant matter.
By applying this process to lignin, a carbon-rich biomass component that is usually discarded or simply burned as a byproduct of making paper, scientists may be able to produce electricity as well as destroy environmental pollutants.
The findings of their research have been published in the journal Nature Communications.
“We use 20 million barrels of oil a day in the US; that’s about a fifth of the world’s usage,” said Ned Jackson, a professor at MSU and author of the paper.
“All...