Washington State University researchers led by Regents Professor Yong Wang have developed a catalyst that efficiently converts renewable ethanol into valuable molecules needed for plastics, fuels, and everyday products. The work, conducted in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was published in the journal Chem Catalysis.
The breakthrough addresses a key challenge in transitioning from fossil fuel-based manufacturing to renewable alternatives. Current industrial processes heavily rely on petrochemicals to produce common materials, but this new catalyst technology could provide a pathway to use abundant, renewable ethanol instead.