Graduate student Supriya (Riyo) Das won “First Place Paper” in a symposium hosted by the Industrial and Engineering Chemistry (I&EC) division of the American Chemical Society during the ACS Meeting in Chicago in August.
The award-winning presentation by Das focused on his research in the lab of chemistry professor Joaquín Rodríguez-López and how they developed a fast and simple way to turn lignin, a plentiful plant-based byproduct of the paper making industry, into potentially more valuable renewable chemicals. Their new method uses tiny water droplets energized by sound waves to break down the paper waste byproduct in just 20 minutes at room temperature and without added catalysts or harsh chemical conditions. The lignin is ultimately transformed into a redox active molecule that has potential valuable applications. Learn about their new method and compound.
Their paper detailing this research, “A Catalyst-Free Route for Bicarbonate and Carbonate Reduction via Sonicated Emulsive Water Microdroplets”, was recently published in the journal Small.
