In an effort to make the process more commercially viable, scientists at Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, China, have designed and synthesized efficient catalysts for the hydrolysis of starch and cellulose based on copolymers of poly(acrylic acid) and poly(styrene sulfonic acid). The random copolymer PAA-r-PSSH gave the highest glucose yield among the prepared catalysts which the team attribute to the synergic effect of the SO3H and COOH groups in the polymer chain.
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Sulfonated copolymers with SO3H and COOH groups for the hydrolysis of polysaccharides
Xiutao Li, Yijun Jiang, Li Shuai, Lili Wang, Lingqian Meng and Xindong Mu
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1JM12954F
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Xiutao Li, Yijun Jiang, Li Shuai, Lili Wang, Lingqian Meng and Xindong Mu
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1JM12954F
Professor Ariga is the Director of Supermolecules Group at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Japan. His research covers supermolecular chemistry and surface science, including the boundaries between organic chemistry, physical chemistry, biochemistry, and materials chemistry.
Professor Kim is head of the Molecular Reaction Dynamics Laboratory at Seoul National University, Korea. He uses spectroscopic, microscopic, and computational methods to investigate a wide range of subjects from molecular physics and nanoscience to cell biology.
