Professor Benjamin List, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research, and his research group have reported a new chemical pathway that could reduce the chemical industry’s reliance on petroleum based raw materials. Their work demonstrates how furans derived from biomass can be converted into valuable molecular intermediates using light driven chemistry, offering a potential route toward more sustainable chemical manufacturing.
Frank, N., Chaudhari, M. B., Leutzsch, M., Helmich-Paris, B., Bruzzese, P. C., Nater, D., Nöthling, N., Schnegg, A., Waldvogel, S. R., & List, B. (2026). The photohydrolysis of furans. Science, 391(6782), 267–274. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aec6532
The study addresses a longstanding issue in industrial chemistry. While there is growing pressure to transition toward carbon neutral and circular production models, most fine chemicals and pharmaceutical precursors are still derived from fossil feedstocks. Biomass presents an attractive alternative, but its chemical potential remains underutilized due to limitations in existing catalytic methods.
Professor Benjamin List, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research stated,
“However, my colleague Dr. Moreshwar Chaudhari was able to show that the reaction is arbitrarily scalable by developing an illuminated flow reactor, a form of application that is used particularly in industry.”
Furans are heterocyclic compounds that can be obtained from renewable biomass sources such as agricultural waste. Historically, chemical transformations of furans have focused on oxidation or reduction reactions, typically converting them into alcohols or carboxylic acids. Direct ring opening without altering the oxidation state of the molecule had not been demonstrated in a controlled and practical way.
The research team explored a different approach by applying photochemical principles. By using light as an energy source, they achieved a redox neutral ring opening reaction known as photohydrolysis. This method supplies the energy required to drive the transformation without relying on external oxidants or reductants, aligning more closely with principles seen in natural photosynthetic systems.
According to doctoral researcher Nils Frank, a member of List’s group and lead author of the study, the chemical space of biomass derived molecules has not been explored with the same depth as petroleum chemistry. The team’s work suggests that this gap represents an opportunity rather than a limitation.
Detailed spectroscopic analysis showed that the reaction proceeds through a previously unreported heterocyclic intermediate. This finding provides insight into why the transformation is both selective and efficient. From an engineering perspective, understanding this intermediate is essential for assessing reaction stability, scalability, and compatibility with industrial process conditions.
Importantly, the resulting dialdehyde products are common intermediates in the synthesis of biologically active molecules. This opens the possibility of producing pharmaceutical compounds directly from renewable feedstocks without detours through multiple redox steps, which often add cost and complexity.
Beyond laboratory scale chemistry, the team also demonstrated that the reaction can be adapted to continuous processing. An illuminated flow reactor was developed to show that the photochemical reaction remains effective when scaled beyond batch conditions. Flow systems of this type are already used in industrial environments, making the transition from research to application more feasible.
While the researchers caution that commercial pharmaceutical production using this method is not imminent, the study provides a clear proof of concept. It shows that light driven chemistry can unlock reaction pathways in biomass derived molecules that were previously inaccessible.
The work highlights a broader shift in chemical engineering research. Rather than forcing biomass to mimic petroleum based chemistry, new methods are being developed that work with the inherent structure and reactivity of renewable molecules. Using light and carbon based feedstocks as core inputs aligns with long term goals of reducing emissions and increasing supply chain resilience.
As Professor List notes, combining renewable carbon sources with light driven processes may form the foundation of future chemical manufacturing systems. This study represents an early but significant step toward that objective.
Adrian graduated with a Masters Degree (1st Class Honours) in Chemical Engineering from Chester University along with Harris. His master’s research aimed to develop a standardadised clean water oxygenation transfer procedure to test bubble diffusers that are currently used in the wastewater industry commercial market. He has also undergone placments in both US and China primarely focused within the R&D department and is an associate member of the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE).
