NEWS RELEASES

New research from the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at USC Viterbi shows how the organization of electrons can reshape how a material responds to light – opening previously inconceivable possibilities for optical and quantum technologies.

A pilot study of a new method for treating sewage sludge from a wastewater treatment plant efficiently created renewable natural gas while reducing the cost of the treatment. The work, reported in the Chemical Engineering Journal, could help communities sustainably clean up waste while getting renewable natural gas for their energy needs.

Malonic acid is a high-value dicarboxylic acid with strong industrial demand, used in diverse products including automotive coatings, flavor and fragrances, biodegradable polymers, and anodic oxide films in batteries. Yet its current production heavily relies on petrochemical feedstocks. In a new paper, researchers at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) report the first systematic study for sustainable production of malonic acid via oxidation of the precursor chemical 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) with a Pd/Carbon catalyst.

Achieving aerospace industry net-zero emissions by 2050 requires rapid scaling of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production. Leveraging existing infrastructure, proven technologies like alcohol-to-jet, and low carbon intensity feedstocks such as switchgrass and miscanthus can support this transition and help achieve near-term emissions reduction targets. A study by researchers at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) evaluated the implications of lignocellulosic ethanol biorefinery siting and integration with petroleum refineries to produce SAF across 1,000 sites in the U.S. Despite high estimated decarbonization costs, the results indicate that site-specific deployment of alcohol-to-jet with low carbon intensity feedstocks can improve sustainability outcomes. The framework provides a systematic approach to assess cost and sustainability trade-offs across locations, supporting informed investment in SAF production.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will play a critical role in decarbonizing the aviation industry. Among SAF production pathways, alcohol-to-jet stands out for its scalability, supported by abundant feedstock availability and a well-established bioethanol industry. However, significant reductions in SAF carbon intensity require the use of cellulosic feedstocks, whose adoption is hindered by high capital costs for feedstock processing and ethanol upgrading. A study by researchers at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) demonstrated that leveraging established petroleum infrastructure can facilitate SAF deployment via cellulosic alcohol-to-jet coprocessing to enable cost-effective, low-carbon aviation fuels.