HYXYL
Hydrogen production via co-electrolysis of xylan
HYXYL proposes a novel approach to green H2 production by coupling it with biomass side-stream valorization via co-electrolysis. Hemicelluloses like xylans, found in pulping industry side-streams, make up to 25% of lignocellulosic biomass but are challenging to valorize due to their heterogeneous nature. Yet, discarding them is unsustainable. By using the oxidation of xylan-rich streams as the anodic reaction in an electrolyzer, we aim to reduce the energy required for H2 production while co-generating other valuable chemicals such as xylose and xylonic acid. We will design tailored electrocatalysts and gain fundamental insights into xylan electro-oxidation, enabling a proof-of-concept lab-scale co-electrolyzer. HYXYL combines expertise in electrocatalysis, materials science, and lignocellulose chemistry to address a key challenge in green H2 production.
HYXYL proposes a novel approach to green H2 production by coupling it with biomass side-stream valorization via co-electrolysis. Hemicelluloses like xylans, found in pulping industry side-streams, make up to 25% of lignocellulosic biomass but are challenging to valorize due to their heterogeneous nature. Yet, discarding them is unsustainable. By using the oxidation of xylan-rich streams as the anodic reaction in an electrolyzer, we aim to reduce the energy required for H2 production while co-generating other valuable chemicals such as xylose and xylonic acid. We will design tailored electrocatalysts and gain fundamental insights into xylan electro-oxidation, enabling a proof-of-concept lab-scale co-electrolyzer. HYXYL combines expertise in electrocatalysis, materials science, and lignocellulose chemistry to address a key challenge in green H2 production.
About the project:
This project has received funding by the Aalto Hydrogen Innovation Center to cover the salary of a doctoral researcher.
This is a collaborative project between the Electrochemical Materials and Applications and the Lignocellulose Chemistry research groups led by Daniel Martin Yerga and Tiina Nypelö, respectively.
More info to be added here.
Project Results
The project is ongoing; we will update this section with the main results as they become available.