Scientists cook up high energy biofuel

摘要

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a two-step method to convert cellulose, long chains of energy-rich starch molecules, from raw biomass into a biofuel -2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF). Yields of just 9 per cent are very low, but the approach has promise as an alternative fuel source.rnCellulose is abundant and the resulting fuel is comparable to gasoline. DMF's energy density is 40 per cent greater than that of ethanol, it is chemically stable and is insoluble in water.