CCI Phase I: Center for the Sustainable Use of Renewable Feedstocks (CenSURF)

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The Center for the Sustainable Use of Renewable Feedstocks (CenSURF) will address the significant challenge of developing the renewable resources carbon dioxide and lignocellulosic biomass as alternative feedstocks to petrochemicals. Advancing the science and technology for their industrial utilization will be a major intellectual achievement in the chemistry of sustainability. CenSURF researchers will investigate new strategies for electrochemical reduction of CO2 to ethylene and to other C2 compounds, using both molecular and heterogeneous copper-based catalysts. Other team members will probe oxidative disassembly of biopolymer lignin to aromatic monomers, using bio-inspired electrochemical redox mediators (both metal-based, and organic redox shuttles), while a third group will explore a recently-discovered family of catalysts that effect reductive disassembly of lignin and lignocellulose. New sustainable practices will have a major impact both on the practice of chemistry and on the education of new researchers in the chemical sciences. CenSURF's focus on developing heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts based only on Earth-abundant elements will ensure that new processes are scalable and preserve precious metals and other rare elements for use by future generations. CenSURF will educate graduate and undergraduate students in the principles and practices of sustainability in the chemical sciences, while providing an incubator for innovation in sustainability. Center members will also develop educational and outreach materials in Sustainable Chemistry that will be disseminated widely in schools, through service organizations and via the internet.The Centers for Chemical Innovation (CCI) Program supports research centers that can address major, long-term fundamental chemical research challenges that have a high probability of both producing transformative research and leading to innovation. These Centers will attract broad scientific and public interest by sharing the results of their approach to this challenging question.