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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Photoinduced charge transfer in transition metal dichalcogenide heterojunctions – towards next generation energy technologies

Increasing interest in using two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDCs) in optical energy conversion technologies creates a demand for improving the yields and lifetimes of photogenerated charge carriers. Despite inherently fast photocarrier decay in neat 2D TMDCs, the unique photophysics in these quantum-confined systems motivates continued effort to control the evolution of photoexcited states and create functional devices. Here, an intriguing strategy to accomplish this goal is to employ TMDCs in heterojunctions with appropriate semiconductors, where energy level offsets drive photoinduced charge transfer (PCT) across material interfaces. PCT in TMDC-based systems can be optimized for many different applications, such as driving free carriers to photocatalytic sites for redox reactions like water splitting, extracting charge to perform work in photovoltaics or photodetectors, and manipulating the spin and momentum valley electronic degrees of freedom for quantum computing systems. Here, we review recent strides in optimizing PCT for such applications through greater fundamental understanding of the photophysics that occurs at TMDC/semiconductor interfaces. After giving an overview of isolated TMDC properties, synthetic methods, and the basics of PCT, we discuss TMDCs in heterojunctions with several classes of materials, including other TMDCs, small molecule semiconductors, polymers, single-walled carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, perovskites, and electrolytes. In addition to highlighting the unique benefits of each materials category, we also identify parallels across common themes, such as the roles of charge-transfer states, spin, electronic coupling, delocalization, interfacial atomic morphology, and the precise design of energy landscapes to direct charge and energy motion. We hope to capture a broad range of the valuable work in this fast-paced field to inspire new research directions for employing PCT in targeted TMDC-based systems.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2026

EXCHANGE Campaign Degradation (ECD): Understanding Decomposition Dynamics Across Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes Coastal Ecosystems

The EXploration of Coastal Hydrobiogeochemistry Across a Network of Gradients and Experiments (EXCHANGE) Degradation Experiment (EXCHANGE-D) is an in situ experiment designed to assess organic matter decomposition rates across coastal terrestrial-aquatic interfaces (TAIs), from coastal uplands through transition zones to wetlands. Through a network of partner scientists and coastal sites, we are testing how environmental gradients shape decomposition and carbon dynamics across terrestrial-aquatic interfaces. Using standardized tea bag substrates deployed across a network of diverse coastal sites, we compare decomposition rates at different fresh- and salt-water TAIs to develop transferable knowledge that improves the representation of organic matter degradation in coastal ecosystem models. For more information, please see https://compass.pnnl.gov/FME/EXCHANGE. This is Version 1 of the data package, which includes: ecd_README.pdf flmd.csv dd.csv ecd_soil_weom_L2.csv ecd_soil_ph_conductivity_L2.csv ecd_soil_gwc_L2.csv ecd_soil_teabag_degradation_L2.csv ecd_readme.pdf

coastal soils↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Combined Water and CO 2 Direct Air Capture System (Final Technical Report)

The primary objective of the project was to demonstrate the technical and economic performance of a technology that simultaneously captures CO 2 and water from the air – a Hybrid Direct Air Capture system (HDAC). In HDAC, air is passed over water capture section as well as a CO 2 selective sorbent to remove CO 2 from the air stream. Combining potable water generation and CO 2 capture in a single device with the unique energy conserving features of the proposed design enables long-term projected CAPEX under $\$$750/t-CO 2 and levelized cost of capture (LCOC) of $\$$140/t-CO 2 . Project DE-FE-0031970 "A Combined Water and CO 2 Direct Air Capture System" ran for four years and three months from 10/01/2020 to 12/31/2024 for three budget periods and an extension period. The total project budget at completion was $\$$3,534,408 consisting of a $\$$2,680,064 federal share and $\$$854,344 cost share. The pilot plant was successfully designed, engineered, built and commissioned during the initial three budget periods. The plant demonstrated successful water capture during this period, whereas initial CO 2 capture was well below target values. The project team requested an extension period during which alternate materials and beds were evaluated. By the end of the project, both moisture swing adsorption of CO 2 and water capture had successfully been demonstrated at target capture rates making further scale-up of the technology viable.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Aftercooler exhaust duct protection

A turbine engine assembly includes a condenser that is at least partially disposed within the core flow path where water is extracted from the exhaust gas flow, an evaporator system that is at least partially disposed within the core flow path that is upstream of the condenser where thermal energy from the exhaust gas flow is utilized to generate a steam flow. An aftercooler provides a cooling flow that is selectively injected into the core flow path upstream of at least the condenser for cooling the exhaust gas flow in response to a parameter that is indicative of an engine operating parameter that exceeds a predefined condition.

Sobanski, Jon Erik↗
DOE OSTI2024

40th Eastern Regional Photosynthesis Conference

Photosynthesis has shaped global biochemistry and geochemistry in its production of almost all atmospheric oxygen, and almost every electron that supports the processes of life on Earth was extracted from water by the light-dependent reactions, many of which were then used to fix carbon in the dark reactions. To humans, that fixed carbon is the originator of all fossil fuels and a critical step in conversion of solar photons to human-usable energy. The Eastern Regional Photosynthesis Conference (ERPC) serves as a forum for advancement of science in this field. As a regional-level conference, it specializes in providing developmental opportunities for early-career researchers from undergraduates to pre-tenure professors, as well as broadening the field in terms of participating scholars and research approaches to produce new interdisciplinary collaborations. Funding from the Department of Energy is used to mitigate registration and attendance costs for junior (non-PI) researchers. The ERPC is one of the three regional conferences in the field of photosynthesis research in the United States, alongside the Western Photosynthesis Conference (currently in California) and the Midwestern Photosynthesis Conference (Turkey Run, Indiana). A longstanding incubator for scientific discourse, discovery, and collaborations, this conference has spawned many collaborations which led to Department of Energy-funded projects and brought two full generations of scientists into the field. In 2023 the landmark 40th such conference was held at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts. The conference was held April 14th-16th, 2023. The majority of the total attendees are traditionally undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers, whose scientific development greatly benefits from conferences like these. Almost all talks besides the ones given by invited speakers were given by young scientists who benefited from this award. Many posters presented at this conference were also the work of junior scientists. This conference is many young scientists' first exposure to the photosynthesis research community and its primary goal is to provide a positive atmosphere for those attendees, as exemplified by the three poster sessions and dedicated interactions between senior and junior scientists. Additionally, this was the first year of a successful equitable outreach and speaker recruitment plan to provide fair representation at the conference in line with Department of Energy policies and mission. The central focus of the ERPC is the understanding of energy flow from photons to usable chemical products in both natural and artificial photosynthesis. We support the DOE-BES aim of understanding of the biochemical/biophysical processes of photosynthesis to inform new technology development and field applications. This year’s theme, “Photosynthesis Across Scales,” reflected the scope of work being done from the individual exciton to the crop scale. This research encompasses applied biology, chemistry, physics, and materials engineering. The aim of this conference is to present new discoveries, techniques, and questions which can be sourced from any of these disciplines and provide an audience which is broadly qualified to use or respond to these developments.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Changes in the Regional Water Cycle and Their Impact on Societies

ABSTRACT Changes in “blue water”, which is the total supply of fresh water available for human extraction over land, are quite closely related to changes in runoff or equivalently precipitation minus evaporation, . This article examines how climate change‐driven recent past and future changes in the regional water cycle relate to blue water availability and changes in human blue water demand. Although at the largest scales theoretical and numerical model predictions are in broad agreement with observations, at continental scales and below models predict large ranges of possible future and runoff especially at the scale of individual river catchments and for shorter timescale subseasonal floods and droughts. Nevertheless, it is expected that the occurrence and severity of floods will increase and that of droughts may increase, possibly compounded by human‐driven non‐climatic changes such as changes in land use, dam water impoundment, irrigation and extraction of groundwater. Contemporary assessments predict that increases in 21st century human water extraction in many highly‐populated regions are unlikely to be sustainable given projections of future . To reduce uncertainty in future predictions, there is an urgent need to improve modeling of atmospheric, land surface and human processes and how these components are coupled. This should be supported by maintaining the observing network and expanding it to improve measurements of land surface, oceanic and atmospheric variables. This includes the development of satellite observations stable over multiple decades and suitable for building reanalysis datasets appropriate for model evaluation.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Electrochemical Measurement of Water Transport Numbers in Anion-Exchange Membranes

Anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) are a possible replacement for perfluorosulfonic-acid membranes in energy-conversion devices, primarily due to the hydroxide mobile ion allowing the devices to operate in alkaline conditions with less expensive electrocatalysts. However, the transport properties of AEMs remain understudied, especially electro-osmosis. In this work, an electrochemical technique, where the open-circuit voltage is measured between two ends of a membrane maintained at different relative humidities, is used to determine the water transport number of various ionomers, including Versogen and Sustainion AEMs and Nafion cation-exchange membrane (CEM), as a function of water content and temperature. In addition, the CEMs and AEMs are examined in differing single-ion forms, specifically proton and sodium (CEM) and hydroxide and carbonate (AEM). Carbonate-form AEMs have the highest transport number (∼11), followed by sodium-form CEMs (∼8), hydroxide-form AEMs (∼6), and proton-form CEMs (∼3). Finally, a multicomponent transport model based on the Stefan-Maxwell-Onsager framework of binary interactions is used to develop a link between water transport number and water-transport properties, extracting a range for the unmeasured membrane water permeability of Versogen as a function of water content.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Novel Hollow Fiber Membrane Reactor for High Purity H 2 Generation from Thermal Catalytic NH 3 Decomposition (Final Report)

Ammonia (NH 3 ), as a promising carbon neutral liquid fuel (CNLF) and an effective H 2 source, can be synthesized from air and water (N 2 extracted from air and H 2 from water) using renewable energy sources. To produce H 2 as an intermediate, it is essential to develop effective and economic NH 3 decomposition technologies. We have been developing an innovative hollow fiber membrane reactor for high purity H 2 generation from thermal catalytic NH 3 decomposition. The objective of the proposed research is to fabricate a compact and robust prototype with high energy efficiency (>80%) to deliver high purity (>99%) H2 at high rate per volume (>0.15 g H 2 /h/cm 3 ) from NH3 decomposition at low temperature (<450 °C) and high conversion (>99%). Our overall technical approach is to effectively combine an active catalyst for NH 3 decomposition with a selective H 2 membrane separation process in a novel, compact modular system to generate high purity H 2 and simultaneously achieve high NH 3 conversion and optimize the entire system energy efficiency. This novel integrated membrane reactor design, together with low-cost, highly active Ru-based catalyst, makes it most appropriate for the project objective. The proposed applied research and development work, therefore, represents an innovative and transformational solution to H 2 generation from thermal catalytic NH 3 decomposition. During the course of our research we i) synthesized and characterized ruthenium(Ru)-based catalysts, evaluated their catalytic performance for NH 3 decomposition and optimized the catalyst composition and performance based on machine learning, ii) prepared SAPO-34, MFI membranes on α-alumina hollow fibers and measured their performance for H 2 /N 2 , H 2 /N 2 /NH 3 separation and evaluated carbon molecular sieve (CMS) and Pd/Ag membranes for H 2 /N 2 , H 2 /N 2 /NH 3 separation at different conditions, iii) designed and evaluated several types of membrane reactors for H 2 production from NH 3 decomposition, and iv) evaluated the H 2 delivery cost base on catalysts development, membrane development and membrane reactor. For 3,1,12 RuYK catalyst, H 2 productivity of 6.35 mmol/min/gcat with NH 3 conversion of 95~98% was achieved at 5 bar and 400 °C; for SAPO-34 membrane, the best membrane showed H 2 permeance of 7.56×10 -7 mol/(m 2 ∙s∙Pa) and H 2 /N 2 selectivity of 23.1 at 20 °C; For CMS and Pd/Ag membranes, both showed superior stability for 71%H 2 /24%N 2 /5%NH 3 mixture separation at 450 °C and 7 bar for over 120 h; for the membrane reactor, high H 2 purity of >99.99% with NH 3 conversion of >99.4% were achieved in Pd/Ag membrane reactor at 450 °C, and the NH 3 concentration was always below 10 ppb in H 2 product. The H 2 generation rate was calculated to be as high as 0.47 g/h/cm 3 and the energy efficiency was calculated to be 88%. The membrane reactor showed superior stability for over 370 h and high H 2 purity, H 2 production rate and NH 3 conversion. Based on calculation, the H 2 delivery cost can be as low as $3.66/kg.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2022

Carbon dioxide-enhanced metal release from kerogen

Heavy metals released from kerogen to produced water during oil/gas extraction have caused major environmental concerns. To curtail water usage and production in an operation and to use the same process for carbon sequestration, supercritical CO 2 (scCO 2 ) has been suggested as a fracking fluid or an oil/gas recovery agent. It has been shown previously that injection of scCO 2 into a reservoir may cause several chemical and physical changes to the reservoir properties including pore surface wettability, gas sorption capacity, and transport properties. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we here demonstrate that injection of scCO 2 might lead to desorption of physically adsorbed metals from kerogen structures. This process on one hand may impact the quality of produced water. On the other hand, it may enhance metal recovery if this process is used for in-situ extraction of critical metals from shale or other organic carbon-rich formations such as coal.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Organic Acid Aerosol Measurements from the Mount Airy Site for CoURAGE

This study investigates the prevalence and distribution of organic acid aerosols in a rural environment using filter-based measurements collected in Mount Airy, Maryland, during the CoURAGE campaign from March 19th through June 12th 2025. PM2.5 filters quantify a range of organic acids commonly associated with secondary organic aerosol formation and atmospheric oxidation processes. Each filter was collected using a 15 LPM sampler and was extracted in ultrapure Millipore water (>18 MΩ), allowing water-soluble organic acids to be extracted into solution for analysis. The extracts were then examined using a Waters Acquity I-Class PLUS liquid chromatography system coupled to a Bruker Maxis-II ultra-high-resolution Q-TOF mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization, providing high-sensitivity detection and separation of target compounds. Concentrations of several key organic acids were quantified, including acetic, propionic, pyruvic, butyric, oxalic, isovaleric, valeric, malonic, maleic, succinic, glutaric, malic, adipic, and citric acids. These findings contribute to ongoing efforts to understand regional aerosol composition and their impacts on aerosol-cloud interactions.

Acetic acid↗
DOE OSTI2026

Lignin Extraction and Condensation as a Function of Temperature, Residence Time, and Solvent System in Flow-through Reactors

Solvolytic extraction of lignin from biomass is a critical step in lignin-first biorefining, including the reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF) process. Key to optimal RCF processing is the ability to rapidly extract lignin from biomass at high delignification extents and transfer the lignin molecules to a catalyst surface in a time frame that minimizes lignin condensation reactions. Here, we use a flow-through reactor to study the effects of temperature (175–250 °C), residence time (9 to 36 min), and solvent composition (methanol and methanol–water) on lignin extraction and condensation. We evaluated three metrics at each condition: total delignification, delignification rate, and extent of condensation, the latter measured by a decrease in monomer yield for batch hydrogenolysis reactions of solvolysis liquor compared to batch RCF reactions. We observe that delignification is predominantly determined by temperature, while residence time dictates the lignin condensation extent. Moreover, the extent of both extraction and condensation increased in the methanol–water solvent system compared to that in the methanol system. Lignin extracted in methanol is stable up to 18-min residence times at or below 225 °C, while a majority of the lignin extracted in methanol–water is condensed with a 9-min residence time at 200 °C. These results can inform reactor designs and solvent selection for lignin-first biorefining processes that aim to physically separate the biomass and catalyst.

biorefining↗
DOE OSTI2024

Estimating Lithium Fluxes from Produced Water: Marcellus Shale and Beyond

This talk summarizes the potential for critical minerals extraction from produced water and the current data constraints on making these evaluations. First, we present results from production simulations carried out using data from the Marcellus shale showing the lithium resource potential from this formation. Second, we broaden our estimations to show the critical mineral resource estimates from U.S. domestic shale operations. Lastly, we conclude with an overview of the NEWTS database and dashboard where we host the data used in our assessments.

Mackey, Justin↗
DOE OSTI2021

Technical and economic feasibility of an integrated ethanol and anthocyanin coproduction process using purple corn stover

The coproduction of high-value anthocyanin extract in the cellulosic ethanol process would diversify the co-product market, increase revenue, and potentially improve the economics of the process. The high anthocyanin concentration in the cob and structural carbohydrates in residual stover make purple corn stover an attractive source for anthocyanin and ethanol coproduction. In this study, we aimed to develop simulation models for processes integrating ethanol production and anthocyanin extraction using purple corn stover, to evaluate their techno-economic feasibility, and to compare their performance with the conventional ethanol production process using corn stover. The annual ethanol production for plants processing 2000 MT dry feedstock / day was 148.6 million L/year for the integrated processes compared with 222.6 million L/year for the conventional process. Anthocyanin production in the modified processes using dilute acid-based and water-based anthocyanin extraction processes was 1779 and 1099 MT/year, respectively. Capital investments for the integrated processes ($\$448.1$ to $\$443.8$ million) were higher than the conventional process ($\$371.9$ million). Due to high revenue from anthocyanin extract, the ethanol production cost for the integrated process using acid-based anthocyanin extraction ($\$0.36$/L) was 34.5% lower than conventional ethanol production ($\$0.55$/L). The ethanol production cost for the integrated process using water-based anthocyanin extraction ($\$0.68$/L) was higher than conventional ethanol production due to low ethanol and anthocyanin yields. The minimum ethanol selling price for the integrated process using acid-based anthocyanin extraction ($\$0.65$/L) was also lower than the conventional process ($\$0.72$/L), indicating an improvement in economic performance.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Data from Technical and Economic Feasibility of an Integrated Ethanol and Anthocyanin Coproduction Process Using Purple Corn Stover

The coproduction of high-value anthocyanin extract in the cellulosic ethanol process would diversify the co-product market, increase revenue, and potentially improve the economics of the process. The high anthocyanin concentration in the cob and structural carbohydrates in residual stover make purple corn stover an attractive source for anthocyanin and ethanol coproduction. This study aimed to develop simulation models for processes integrating ethanol production and anthocyanin extraction using purple corn stover, to evaluate their techno-economic feasibility, and to compare their performance with the conventional ethanol production process using corn stover. The annual ethanol production for plants processing 2000 MT dry feedstock / day was 148.6 million L/year for the integrated processes compared with 222.6 million L/year for the conventional process. Anthocyanin production in the modified processes using dilute acid-based and water-based anthocyanin extraction processes was 1779 and 1099 MT/year, respectively. Capital investments for the integrated processes ($448.1 to $443.8 million) were higher than the conventional process ($371.9 million). Due to high revenue from anthocyanin extract, the ethanol production cost for the integrated process using acid-based anthocyanin extraction ($0.36/L) was 34.5% lower than conventional ethanol production ($0.55/L). The ethanol production cost for the integrated process using water-based anthocyanin extraction ($0.68/L) was higher than conventional ethanol production due to low ethanol and anthocyanin yields. The minimum ethanol selling price for the integrated process using acid-based anthocyanin extraction ($0.65/L) was also lower than the conventional process ($0.72/L), indicating an improvement in economic performance.

Conversion↗
DOE OSTI2025

Lignin Extraction and Condensation as a Function of Temperature, Residence Time, and Solvent System in Flow-through Reactors

Solvolytic extraction of lignin from biomass is a critical step in lignin-first biorefining, including the reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF) process. Key to optimal RCF processing is the ability to rapidly extract lignin from biomass at high delignification extents and transfer the lignin molecules to a catalyst surface in a time frame that minimizes lignin condensation reactions. Here, we use a flow-through reactor to study the effects of temperature (175-250 °C), residence time (9 to 36 min), and solvent composition (methanol and methanol-water) on lignin extraction and condensation. We evaluated three metrics at each condition: total delignification, delignification rate, and extent of condensation, the latter measured by a decrease in monomer yield for batch hydrogenolysis reactions of solvolysis liquor compared to batch RCF reactions. We observe that delignification is predominantly determined by temperature, while residence time dictates the lignin condensation extent. Moreover, the extent of both extraction and condensation increased in the methanol-water solvent system compared to that in the methanol system. Lignin extracted in methanol is stable up to 18-min residence times at or below 225 °C, while a majority of the lignin extracted in methanol-water is condensed with a 9-min residence time at 200 °C. These results can inform reactor designs and solvent selection for lignin-first biorefining processes that aim to physically separate the biomass and catalyst.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Novel Zero-Discharge Supercritical Water-Based Wave Energy Desalination System

This paper presents a sustainable and innovative wave-energy-based water desalination system combined with an emerging supercritical water process for a zero-liquid-discharge technology. There is growing demand for producing clean water. Within desalination technologies, reverse osmosis, one of the most popular methods, uses a semipermeable membrane that separates fresh water from pressurized seawater. However, this technology produces brine, which is harmful to the environment. Supercritical water desalination is employed here as a means of using the brine to extract more fresh water and eliminate this environmentally toxic output. Wave energy is integrated with reverse osmosis to provide direct seawater pressurization for the first stage in the process. This wave energy converter converts the motion of waves into pressurized water through a power takeoff unit.

reverse osmosis↗
DOE OSTI2025

High resolution characterization of soil dissolved organic matter with FTICR-MS (Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry) from soil samples in control and warming plots in Blodgett Forest, CA (2014 and 2018)

The pathways of carbon transport and loss through and from soils—soil organic matter (SOM) depolymerization to dissolved organic carbon and mineralization to carbon dioxide (CO2)—are fundamentally driven by microbial activity, which is strongly regulated by environmental conditions. As part of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) Terrestrial Ecosystem Science (TES) Belowground Biogeochemistry Science Focus Area (SFA), we have established a novel whole-soil long-term warming experiment at the University of California (UC) Blodgett Forest Research Station (Sierra Nevada) in 2014, where we study the role of biogeochemical, microbial and geochemical process interactions in SOM decomposition and stabilization.This package contains Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (21 Tesla FTICR-MS) data measured in negative and positive ionization mode from water and methanol soil extracts. Soil samples were collected in 2014/06/03 and 2018/06/04 from 3 replicated paired plots that had been subjected to experimental warming since June 2014 to simulate a predicted climate change scenario for northern California. The following files are included: (1) fticr_neg_h2oMeoh_data_raw.csv: raw data from combined water (H2O) and methanol (MeOH) extracts in negative ion mode, (2) fticr_neg_h2oMeoh_data_processed.csv: processed data from combined water (H2O) and methanol (MeOH) extracts in negative ion mode, (3) fticr_neg_metadata.csv: metadata for samples/measurements in negative ion mode, (4) fticr_pos_h2oMeoh_data_raw.csv: raw data from combined water (H2O) and methanol (MeOH) extracts in positive ion mode, (5) fticr_pos_h2oMeoh_data_processed.csv: processed data from combined water (H2O) and methanol (MeOH) extracts in positive ion mode, (6) fticr_pos_metadata.csv: metadata for samples/measurements in positive ion mode.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Understanding the Influence of Water-Soluble Compounds from Unpretreated Corn Stover Pellets on Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Cellulose

Aqueous extractives are minor and non-structural compounds in biomass that can be extracted using solvents, while contributing significantly to lignocellulose characteristics. Yet their roles in enzyme-mediated processing of lignocellulosic biomass remain elusive. Here, we examine the composition and features of extractives derived from untreated pelleted corn stover as well as their effects on enzymatic hydrolysis. Unlike the observations described in previous reports, we find that water extractable material improves the enzymatic hydrolysis of extractive-free stover by 67% with a glucose yield increase from 12% to 20% with 6 FPU cellulase per g glucan, whereas the enzyme activities are diminished when using microcrystalline cellulose as a substrate. The different behavior of corn stover and microcrystalline cellulose is likely attributed to the presence of lignin, which may interact with inhibitory compounds such as phenolics, mitigating the detrimental impacts of soluble inhibitors or insoluble lignin or both. These findings advance our fundamental understanding of the intrinsic behavior of extractives and help to optimize the schemes for efficient and cost-competitive enzymatic conversion of lignocellulose.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗