Glycerol-driven electrolysis yields hydrogen and formate; microbes offer palm-oil-free chemical production

A research team has developed a high-efficiency electrochemical system that simultaneously produces hydrogen and value-added chemicals from glycerol, a low-cost, abundant byproduct of biodiesel production. The findings are published in Joule.

Researchers at the University of Toronto's Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry have identified how certain bacterial strains produce a set of economically valuable chemicals, opening the door to new, more sustainable production methods. The work, published in Nature Microbiology, shows how a family of molecules used in everything from cleaning products to cosmetics to nutritional supplements could be made via bacterial fermentation instead of from palm oil, as they are today.

Together, the studies highlight potential pathways for greener chemical production, including energy-efficient hydrogen and formate generation from glycerol and alternatives to palm oil in commodity chemicals.