1b:I[76749,["/_next/static/chunks/bf18fea59be6d5b1.js","/_next/static/chunks/1ba21a8e081e29d1.js","/_next/static/chunks/0383663887945ae7.js","/_next/static/chunks/2060b26370dc6c0a.js","/_next/static/chunks/c89b4435b8c37fcf.js","/_next/static/chunks/8ddf2550f38c2f2a.js","/_next/static/chunks/5bf36002c846d2d8.js"],"default"] 1c:I[3486,["/_next/static/chunks/bf18fea59be6d5b1.js","/_next/static/chunks/1ba21a8e081e29d1.js","/_next/static/chunks/0383663887945ae7.js","/_next/static/chunks/2060b26370dc6c0a.js","/_next/static/chunks/c89b4435b8c37fcf.js","/_next/static/chunks/8ddf2550f38c2f2a.js","/_next/static/chunks/5bf36002c846d2d8.js"],"default"] 1d:I[17707,["/_next/static/chunks/bf18fea59be6d5b1.js","/_next/static/chunks/1ba21a8e081e29d1.js","/_next/static/chunks/0383663887945ae7.js","/_next/static/chunks/2060b26370dc6c0a.js","/_next/static/chunks/c89b4435b8c37fcf.js","/_next/static/chunks/8ddf2550f38c2f2a.js","/_next/static/chunks/5bf36002c846d2d8.js"],"default"] 1e:I[66528,["/_next/static/chunks/bf18fea59be6d5b1.js","/_next/static/chunks/1ba21a8e081e29d1.js","/_next/static/chunks/0383663887945ae7.js","/_next/static/chunks/2060b26370dc6c0a.js","/_next/static/chunks/c89b4435b8c37fcf.js","/_next/static/chunks/8ddf2550f38c2f2a.js","/_next/static/chunks/5bf36002c846d2d8.js"],"default"] 1f:I[63176,["/_next/static/chunks/bf18fea59be6d5b1.js","/_next/static/chunks/1ba21a8e081e29d1.js","/_next/static/chunks/0383663887945ae7.js","/_next/static/chunks/2060b26370dc6c0a.js","/_next/static/chunks/c89b4435b8c37fcf.js","/_next/static/chunks/8ddf2550f38c2f2a.js","/_next/static/chunks/5bf36002c846d2d8.js"],"default"] 20:I[87099,["/_next/static/chunks/bf18fea59be6d5b1.js","/_next/static/chunks/1ba21a8e081e29d1.js","/_next/static/chunks/0383663887945ae7.js","/_next/static/chunks/2060b26370dc6c0a.js","/_next/static/chunks/c89b4435b8c37fcf.js","/_next/static/chunks/8ddf2550f38c2f2a.js","/_next/static/chunks/5bf36002c846d2d8.js"],"default"] 21:I[26200,["/_next/static/chunks/bf18fea59be6d5b1.js","/_next/static/chunks/1ba21a8e081e29d1.js","/_next/static/chunks/0383663887945ae7.js","/_next/static/chunks/2060b26370dc6c0a.js","/_next/static/chunks/c89b4435b8c37fcf.js","/_next/static/chunks/8ddf2550f38c2f2a.js","/_next/static/chunks/5bf36002c846d2d8.js"],"Group"] 22:I[23365,["/_next/static/chunks/bf18fea59be6d5b1.js","/_next/static/chunks/1ba21a8e081e29d1.js","/_next/static/chunks/0383663887945ae7.js","/_next/static/chunks/2060b26370dc6c0a.js","/_next/static/chunks/c89b4435b8c37fcf.js","/_next/static/chunks/8ddf2550f38c2f2a.js","/_next/static/chunks/5bf36002c846d2d8.js"],"default"] 23:T475,Breakdown and utilization of cellulose are critical for the bioenergy sector; however, current cellulose-to-energy conversion schemes often consume large quantities of unrecoverable chemicals, or are expensive, due to the need for enzymes or high temperatures. In this paper, we demonstrate a new method for converting cellulose into soluble compounds using a mixture of Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ as catalytic centers for the breakdown, yielding Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles during the hydrothermal process. Iron precursors transformed more than 61% of microcrystalline cellulose into solutes, with the composition of the solute changing with the initial Fe³⁺ concentration. The primary products of the breakdown of cellulose were a range of aldaric acids with different molecular weights. The nanoparticles have concentration-dependent tuneable sizes between 6.7 and 15.8 nm in diameter. The production of value-added nanomaterials at low temperatures improves upon the economics of traditional cellulose-to-energy conversion schemes with the precursor value increasing rather than deteriorating over time.

Alexander Wotton

Publications