“Researchers…have developed a solid carbon-based catalyst for the hydrolysis of cellulose into glucose, with performance comparable to that of sulfuric acid, but with lower environmental and financial costs…The researchers developed a catalyst consisting of amorphous carbon bearing SO3H, OH, and COOH groups. Although the carbon material has a small surface area, and the acid density is only 1/10th that of sulfuric acid, they found that the catalyst was as effective as sulfuric acid in hydrolyzing cellulose…use of the new catalyst could lower the cost of producing cellulosic ethanol by more than 30%.” Full Slice

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