Atomic catalyst unlocks the hidden value of plant waste
Science Daily · 2026-08-25
A new atomic-scale catalyst could transform stubborn plant waste into valuable chemicals now commonly made from petroleum. Plant-based lignin reimagined as a platform for ultra-efficient catalysts that could help make chemistry more sustainable. Lignin gives plants much of their structural strength and represents the largest renewable
In a study published in ACS Catalysis, an international team that included Dr. Christopher Parlett, Xinyue Zhou, and Yutao Jiang from the D
The catalyst contains individual ruthenium atoms embedded within a nitrogen-doped carbon material. By keeping the ruthenium atoms isolated, the design can deliver strong catalytic performance while requiring only very small amounts of metal, improving efficiency compared with conventional systems. One persistent obstacle in lignin research has been identifying exactly which parts of a catalyst are responsible for breaking the material's unusually strong chemical bonds.