Team:Aachen

Upcycling Methanol into an Universal Carbon Source

Nowadays, mankind uses 94 million barrels of oil per day. But as agreed on by various nations, we have to get independent from fossil resources during the next decades. Therefore not only fuels, but many other products including drugs, fine chemicals and plastic will have to be produced from renewable carbon sources.

In parallel, we observe shrinking arable land per capita and more frequent droughts. But even by increasing agricultural productivity, plants will not be able to meet our massive demands.

Therefore, we are developing an alternative route to sustainably produce complex carbon which significantly reduces the space and water needs. By using new synthetic pathways, we are upcycling a simple, renewable chemical into a universal carbon source.