Researchers separate sugars from byproduct chemicals including toxins

In California, in creating fuels from the woody materials of plants – the most abundant source of biomass on earth – scientists must separate the desirable sugars from byproduct chemicals including toxins. A team from the University of California at Berkeley, Northwestern University, and Hokkaido University discovered a honeycomb-like structure called NU-1000 that selectively adsorbs toxic furanics, while completely excluding desirable sugars from the same watery mixture. The NU-1000 even works when the sugar is present in several-hundred-fold excess.

This research may enable scientists to change how biomass is prepared for conversion into fuels and chemicals. Using NU-1000 allows the potential of greater productivity and efficiency. Such improvements, when producing biomass-derived products, could bring costs down and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.