World Changing Catalyst: a research hub for sustainable energy and material recycle systems in symbiotic forest humanosphere

Project Gist

World-Changing Catalyst: Playing with wood and iron for better future society

Keywords

Catalyst, Iron, Wood, chemical reaction, Local community

Background and Purpose

Humanity is facing a challenging future ahead with the current unsustainable and uncontrolled exploitation of fossil resources. The project aims at developing new chemical and catalytic technology, such as wood molecular transformation reaction for the sustainable wood chemical industry in the future. Besides, the project team researches the local community’s economic/ industrial/environmental/legal/cultural atmosphere to figure out how to harmonize the chemical industry with Japanese climate/culture.

Project Achievements

The project team conducted a scientific investigation on the wood molecular transformation. Besides, a social study on the local community of the mountain forest in southern Kyoto prefecture has been undertaken to share the wood chemical industry concept with the people in the local government and foresters though holding a workshop and research sample collection. The wood molecular transformation reactions have been developed using the wood chips collected from the forest. The new technology was subjected to the patent application by Kyoto University and the collaborating company.

Future Prospects

The project manager wishes the developing wood molecular transformation reactions will make a crucial chemical technology of good harmony with Japan’s climate/culture, and ultimately contribute to achieving a better future society and The future humanity will enjoy their life in good peace with forests.

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Joint Research/Academic Institutions Abroad

Kyoto University Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University Institute of Advanced Energy, Daicel Corp. etc.

Principal Investigator